Friday, March 13, 2020
One of the five largest aquariums in Brazil, the Oceanic Aquarium, has opened in Balneário Camboriú (Santa Catarina). The site, which has 25 habitats and more than 100 species of fish and animals, had 40% of the resources – about R $ 7.2 million – financed by the General Tourism Fund (Fungetur), of the Ministry of Tourism.
The attraction has already generated more than 70 direct jobs and the forecast is that around 340 new hires – direct and indirect – will be made in the coming months.
The aquarium opened its doors in December 2019 for visitation and in the first two months of operation it has already attracted 200,000 visitors. Now, the site has new marine species such as young black rook sharks, seahorses, rays and octopuses.
In addition to attracting thousands of national and international tourists and generating jobs, the project is an important tool for environmental awareness and education. With 25 tanks installed in 2,200 square meters, the environments were designed to house animals that were rescued from adverse situations, or raised in captivity, and are no longer able to return to their natural habitat.
Partnerships with regional educational institutions so that students from courses such as Biology and Oceanography can do an internship on site are some of the objectives of the project. Oceanic has also attracted interest from countries, such as Chile, in order to bring university students to conduct research and educational visits in the aquarium.
During the official agenda in Lisbon, Portugal, for the signing of a cooperation agreement to revitalize historical heritage for tourism use in Brazil, the Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, celebrated the inauguration of the Oceanic Aquarium.
According to the minister, in addition to becoming a major tourist attraction in one of the most sought after destinations by Brazilian and international tourists, it contributes to the generation of jobs and income in the region, one of the main commitments of the federal government.
“The attraction is going to further diversify the tourist offer in Balneário and Santa Catarina, enabling the development of the region, as well as the economic and social growth of the community, allied to the preservation of our natural resources”, highlighted Álvaro Antônio.
The aquarium has two floors of visitation, named as ‘path of the waters’, which tell stories of aquatic life, passing through the ice, rivers, lakes, tropical forests, mangroves, coast until reaching the Atlantic Ocean. Another main point of the structure is the acrylic tunnel that allows the public to pass under the aquarium.
Alligators, turtles, several species of fish, anaconda snake, penguins, are some of the animals that already inhabit Oceanic aquariums.
Each enclosure has a screen through which information regarding the animals pass, in addition to several instructional signs on environmental education.
In the alligator space, for example, the roof is retractable to ensure adequate sun exposure. Otters have tropical vegetation and Magellanic penguins live in an air-conditioned environment identical to that of the Patagonian marine coast.
“The enclosures comply with the management protocols and technical requirements of the competent environmental agencies to ensure everyone’s comfort and well-being”, adds the biologist, André Neto. To guarantee the adaptation of the enclosures, all animals undergo a period of treatment and quarantine.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
