Gyeongpo Aquarium, Gangneung

An aquarium has just opened up here in Gangneung. It was originally supposed to be open sometime at the end of 2015, but it didn't open until the beginning of 2016 due to technical problems. Or at least I think it was technical problems. Probably all of their fish started dying like in many aquariums around the world.

Price

When I went it was 12,000 won for adults, however their website now states that it's 15,000 won. I'm not sure why they increased the price because 12,000 was perfectly fine for what they had. 

Other activities are individually priced, see website.

Opening times 

April-September: 9.30-18.00

July-August: 9.30-21.00

October-March: 10.00-18.00

Location

The aquarium is in Chodang, just before Gyeongpo Lake. 

What to see

At the start there is information about local fish. They even have examples in a tiny enclosure. Too many in one place. It's such a shame, I wonder how many die in a day. 

Otters! One of the first main attraction at the aquarium. As with all aquariums, all of the animals are in a too small enclosure. 

 There's a really shallow pool for them to swim in, and then big rocks and decking for them to go onto dry land.


There were many other animals there. The usual smaller ones like the giant mottled eels and piranhas. My favourite were the jellyfish. They move around the water beautifully!



They had the usual stingrays. Quite a few actually in water that as too shallow for them.

My other favourite were the "doctor fish". You know the fish which eat dead skin?



There were only kids around the area. They barely have any dead skin. As soon as I put my hand in, they swarmed to it.



On the top floor they have penguins. This enclosure makes me really sad. They have so much space outside. They could have built it in such  a way to let the penguins venture outside. Instead they're boxed in this tiny room with a shallow pool to swim in.



I hope that one day they will open up the enclosure. It's currently cold and snowy, perfect for penguins! There's also no nests for them to take charge off...penguins love to nest!



They also had seals. There was nowhere for them to go onto land, or at least from what we could see. They also look extremely bored! Poor seals.



Like most aquariums, there was a tunnel. There was a diver there who does poses with your photo's .

There was also a catch your own goldfish experience. This is extremely cruel. The kids scoop the goldfish up and put them back into the pool. You can take the ones you catch too, but there's no limit to how many times you scoop them out and put them back in. 

In the summer they have other experiences, such as the boating experience and some sort of fish catching experience which you have to pay for separately. 

As aquariums go, this is a little below standard. The mammal enclosures are way too small. However, I think all aquariums are below standard. Most of the animals kept aren't endangered. They're only used for show. 

Overall feeling...disappointed and that feeling you get when you see an animal in a tiny space.