Fodor's Expert Review AQWA: Aquarium of Western Australia

Huge, colorful aquariums filled with some 400 different species of local sea creatures—including sharks that are 13 feet long—from along the 12,000 km (7,456 miles) of Western Australia's variable coastline are the fascinating draws of this boutique aquarium in northern Perth. Sharp-toothed sharks, stingrays, turtles, and schools of fish swim overhead as you take the moving walkway beneath a transparent acrylic tunnel. You can even do a guided snorkel or scuba dive with the sharks; bookings are essential. Perhaps most interesting is the change in habitats and species as you move from colder, southern waters to the tropics of Western Australia's north. AQWA boasts one of the largest living coral reef displays in the world—check it out from above and then below in the underwater gallery. Other highlights include the rare sea dragons and DANGERzone, featuring a deadly lineup of sea creatures.

Age minimums apply for some activities.