We were invited to take a “Behind the Seas” tour at Georgia Aquarium. For $15 you can get an exclusive look backstage at some of the most popular exhibits!
We went on a Tuesday since my husband was off work, and it turned out to be the perfect day to go! It wasn’t overly crowded which is always nice.
The Behind the Seas tour begins on the second floor next to the 4-D Funbelievable Theater and will take you to multiple areas like the topside decks of Ocean Voyager and Tropical Diver.
The image above is the topside of the Tropical Diver. Those buckets dump 6,000 gallons of filtered water every 2 minutes to simulate waves crashing and help keep the tank clean! It was designed after a reef in Indonesia with a deep side and a shallow side for little guys like stingray pups.
The viewing window curves over your head so the fish have more room, and the vertical reef wall allows visitors to get up close to see the different types of coral. The tank functions just like a reef ecosystem in nature.
Top 5 Don’t Miss Moments
1. Coral Reef Restoration: In the Tropical Diver exhibit, Georgia Aquarium is actively working to stop the decline of coral reefs. Chemicals in sunscreen such as DEET, avobenzone, parabens, or artificial fragrances are highly toxic to corals.
Consider using reef-safe, coral-safe, and biodegradable sunscreen while swimming in the ocean. Sunscreen is part of a long list of threats to coral reefs that includes pollution, overfishing and climate change.
2. Look for Trixie: She is the largest whale shark in the 6.3 million gallon tank in the Ocean Voyager exhibit. The Georgia Aquarium is the only institution outside of Asia to house whale sharks.
And if you’re lucky, Tank the sea turtle might even make an appearance.
3. African penguins: Posing for the image below are Charlie and Lizzie. Both are around 30 years old and have been a couple for 19 years. Since the males and females look exactly the same, they use bracelets to tell them apart. The first bead on their bracelet tells you their gender, and the corresponding colors are a name.
4. Veterinary Surgical Suite: Mainly used for preventive medicine and routine check-ups like teeth cleanings and blood samples.
5. Ocean Voyager filtration room: The Ocean Voyager exhibit uses 225 pumps on the 6.3 million gallon habitat. The image below shows you just how large they are. This is only one-third of the pumps!
Book your tour today and bring your camera! All ages are welcomed on this tour. Save time and money by pre-paying for parking and cafe vouchers.
- Tour Times: Daily, every half hour from 10:30am – 4pm and every hour from 4pm – 7pm.
- Pricing: $13.50 for Members, $15 for Nonmembers, plus General Admission
- Tour Length: 45 minutes
I am a Georgia Aquarium Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts reporting my opinion, my family and I are provided complimentary tickets and compensation by the company or agency representing the company. All views and opinions are my own.
The Georgia Aquarium is soooo amazing! We go there whenever we can, which is a lot since we live in ATL.
We live a ways from Georgia and have no plans to visit soon. If we did this aquarium would be wonderful to visit. Love all the pictures makes one feel like we are there.
The Behind the Seas tour at Georgia Aquarium looks like so much fun. We love to look at all the beautiful sea creatures. I will have to check it out if I am in the area again.
Sounds like an amazing place! I’d love to visit the aquarium with my whole family. Looks like there is plenty to see and do.
Sealife is absolutely amazing and mesmerizing! I do love visiting aquariums! Sounds like an amazing place to visit and I really thank you for all the great photos! I feel like I had a personal tour!
I have wanted to visit the Georgia Aquarium for a long time. The whale shark is definitely what makes me want to visit there, as I’ve never seen one anywhere before (except for on t.v.)
I love aquariums!! Looks like you had a fantastic tour!! I would love to go there one day!!
Wow! I can’t believe they have a whale shark in that exhibit! How amazing! I love that they make it as close to nature as possible with the crashing waves. That sounds so neat to see.
This looks so much fun. I love visiting aquariums. This one looks amazing. I hope I can bring my family there.
Oh wow, what a great experience for you guys. This reminds me of our visit to the PPG Aquarium in Pittsburgh.
What an amazing experienced you had! This place is perfect for kids, to explore. It would be fun!
You’re so lucky to experience Georgia Aquarium! I’ve heard a lot about it and I added it on bucket list. I’ll make sure to bring my nieces and nephews soon.
Awesome for being a GA Aquarium ambassador. I live in Atlanta and I have been to the Aquarium quiet a few time this must be super new!
They have so many features and it’s awesome to take the kids to places like this. It’s an exciting and fun learning experience for them! I would love to go here some time soon!
I have not been to the Aquarium in years. It was always a fun place to visit growing up!
WOW This couldn’t come at a better time. We are heading there over the 4th of July. Thanks for the information
How gorgeous! I have always wanted to visit the Georgia Aquarium with my family, but haven’t had the chance, especially this year since we’ve been busy with everything. Maybe someday soon, though! 🙂
This is a great behind the scenes look at the Georgia Aquarium. It is one of the top aquariums in the US. I’ve been a couple times and I always enjoy it.
That is nothing short of amazing. My only (minor) complaint about living where we do is any city big enough to have attractions like this is at least 4 hours away, meaning it has to be a weekend trip to do it.
I love aquariums! I haven’t been to one in so long, but I love them every time I do go!