World’s largest freshwater aquarium opens

The world’s largest freshwater aquarium – and Asia’s first river-themed wildlife park – has opened in Singapore.

Now this is a place to go if you are into your Freshwater Tropical Fish.

When I first heard about this i couldn’t believe the size of it. River Safari is a 12-hectare park featuring fish and other wildlife from eight of the world’s major rivers: the Amazon, Mekong, Congo, Ganges, Mississippi, Nile, Yangtze and Murray.
One of the highlights to me has to be the Amazon Flooded Forest aquarium – the world’s largest freshwater exhibit with a volume of 2,000 cubic metres (around 440,000 gal) and a viewing window which is 22 x 4m. This exhibit houses 18 different species of fish and animals, including Arapaima, piranha, river otters and manatee.

There are 300 species of animals on display at River Safari, of which 42 species are endangered.

These include the Mekong Giant catfish, which can reach 3m in length. Only a few hundred of these huge fish are thought to remain in the wild. The specimens at the park were transported from a captive breeder in Thailand.

River Safari says it aims to create a greater awareness of freshwater habitat conservation by bringing visitors up close to fish.  Now with an aquarium this size i feel they will do a great job.

The park features some other really cool fish including Goonch catfish, Mississippi paddlefish, Murray cod, Australian lungfish, Giant freshwater stingray, Tigerfish, puffers – to name just a few, hey.

Later this year the park hopes to open its much anticipated boat ride attraction down a 483 metre-long man-made version of the Amazon river, past animals such as jaguar, giant anteaters and tapir. I think i need to book a flight and take a ride on this!