Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer — Aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer

Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer and its collection

Nausicaà Centre National de la Mer, opened in 1991, is an aquarium in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France.

It holds the largest tank in Europe, ranked fifth on a world scale, and is also the largest coral-rearing centre on the continent. The layout runs to three main routes: the older exhibition on shores and the people who live by them, and an open-sea route opened in May 2018 around a 10,000 m3 basin recreating the ecosystem of Malpelo island. Attendance averages over 800,000 a year, making it the second busiest tourist site north of Paris after Parc Astérix.

What the venue says

• roughly 58,000 to 60,000 animals spanning over 1,600 different species
• scheduled feeding sessions and training talks for sea lions, sharks, and rays
• guided tours offer a look at the aquarium's backstage operations and animal care
• Touch pools and family-focused educational play spaces
• Options include the _Calypso Self_ cafeteria (accessible from the main lobby) and the _Bistrot Côté Plage_ (located along the exhibition route), offering casual meals, snacks, and refreshments.
• Several parking facilities are located right around the center, including _Q-Park Nausicaá_ , _Q-Park La Plage_ , _Q-Park Quai des Paquebots_ , and _Q-Park Lumière_ . Designated spaces for visitors with reduced mobility are available.
• Elevators provide full wheelchair accessibility to nearly all parts of the main "Journey on the High Seas" and "Mankind and Shores" routes.
• Accessible restrooms are stationed throughout the tour.
• Guide dogs with official identification/vests are welcome, and magnetic audio loops are provided for visitors with hearing impairments.