Best of Georgia Aquarium

Georgia Aquarium is home to hundreds of species and thousands of animals across seven galleries and 10 million gallons of water. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the biggest aquarium in the Western Hemisphere.

THE AQUARIUM, which ran for two seasons on Animal Planet (2019-2020) and provided viewers with a behind the scenes look at Georgia Aquarium, is available in its entirety to stream on discovery+.

June 21, 2021

By: Discovery and Georgia Aquarium

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Photo By: Georgia Aquarium

Unlike most penguin species, African penguins prefer the warmer climates of Southwestern Africa. You can see the penguins at Georgia Aquarium in the Cold Water Quest gallery.

Even though Asian small-clawed otters are considered the least aquatic of the otter species, they still typically spend more than half of the day in the water. The Asian small-clawed otters at Georgia Aquarium are in the only freshwater gallery, River Scout.

Common bottlenose dolphins are well known for their intelligence and social nature. Dolphins are typically found in groups, or pods, of 2-15. You can see common bottlenose dolphins at Georgia Aquarium in the Dolphin Coast gallery and the Dolphin Celebration presentation!

The southern sea otter is considered a keystone species because they help maintain the health of kelp forests by preying on sea urchins. One of the Aquarium’s most popular animals, the southern sea otters are in Cold Water Quest where you can see them play with enrichment, swimming, and sometimes sleeping!

Say “Ahhhh”. California sea lions are social animals that communicate with various barks, growls, honks and clicks. Many of the sea lions at Georgia Aquarium are rescues. You can see them in the Pier 225 gallery and the Under the Boardwalk sea lion presentation where you can learn all about their rescue stories!

Born in May of 2020, Shila has been the cutest new addition to the Georgia Aquarium family. Shila’s name means ‘flame’ and is a nod to her feisty personality.

The whale shark is the largest fish in the world. Georgia Aquarium is the only aquarium in the Northern Hemisphere to care for this endangered species. Take a swim or dive with them in Ocean Voyager through the Aquarium’s Journey with Gentle Giants program.

Ocean Voyager is one of the largest single aquatic exhibits in the world. It is home to over 50 different species including whale sharks, manta rays and one green sea turtle named Tank. Ocean Voyager is the most iconic and recognizable exhibit at Georgia Aquarium.

Found in the Ocean Voyager exhibit, the manta ray is also known as the devil ray because its cephalic lobes resemble horns when extended forward. These gentle giants are filter feeders and use their cephalic lobes to direct food towards their mouths!

Tropical Diver’s live reef wall is made up of transplanted coral that is propagated and cultivated by aquarists at Georgia Aquarium. It is one of the largest live reef walls in the United States.

Sharks! Predators of the Deep is Georgia Aquarium’s newest gallery and one of the largest shark exhibits in North America. It’s one of the only exhibits in the world where you can see tiger sharks, hammerheads, and sand tiger sharks.

The great hammerhead shark is the largest species of hammerhead and is known for its distinctly shaped head. The great hammerhead’s genus name, Sphyrna, is Greek for “hammer.”

Featuring over 75 moon jellies, you can experience this colorful illusion as you enter the Aquarium.