Aquarium of Western Australia — Aquarium in City of Joondalup

Aquarium of Western Australia and its collection

Aquarium of Western Australia, opened in 1988, is an aquarium in Perth, Australia.

The aquarium holds over 4 million litres of water and roughly 400 species, laid out as zones that follow the state's 12,000 km coastline and the animals found along it. It stands about 20 km north-west of the city at Hillarys Boat Harbour. More than 9.6 million people had visited by July 2026.

History

Underwater World was the name it carried when the doors first opened on 13 April 1988, with only a handful of tanks but a walk-through aquarium ranked among the largest anywhere. Coral World International, in partnership with Morris Kahn, purchased it in 1991. The AQWA name was adopted on 1 January 2001, and by July 2026 attendance had passed 9.6 million.

Animals and collection

Animals on show include sharks, stingrays and turtles.

Exhibits

The Shipwreck Coast exhibit holds 3 million litres and is the country's largest single tank and underwater tunnel.

Things to do

Things to do include Glass Bottom Boat, Behind The Scenes Pass, Ocean Guide talk, Snorkel With Sharks and Dive With Sharks.

What the venue says

• nearby parking options, including free parking lots, free street parking, paid parking lots, and paid street parking
• wheelchair-accessible entrance
• wheelchair-accessible parking lots
• wheelchair-accessible restrooms
• accessible seating areas