The Chi Nguyen Aquarium occupies a special place among the attractions of Vietnam. Locals call it Neptune's Palace, as it is not an ordinary aquarium, but a living museum of marine life with an unusual history and spectacular decoration. A wide variety of fish can be seen here, including predatory sharks and stingrays.
History
The Chi-Nguyen Aquarium was opened thanks to the idea of the fisherman Le Cang. In 1971, he allocated his own funds for the construction of a dam, fencing off part of the bay. The reservoir was divided into 3 parts: the first contained predators, the second – ornamental fish, and the third – turtles, shellfish and shrimp.
The Living Museum attracted the attention of residents from all over Vietnam, and later the Chi Nguyen Aquarium became popular with travelers from other countries. The peculiarity of the attraction lies in the fact that Le Camp did not make the dam completely sealed. He designed it so that seawater could circulate freely. And this created conditions close to natural for marine life.
Description
The Chi Nguyen Aquarium looks unusual, it looks like a large sailboat that has been lying on the seabed for a long time. Its hull is decorated with corals and shells, and visitors say it looks like the Flying Dutchman. The ship's image is inspired by pirate aesthetics. There are portholes on the sides through which you can observe the underwater world. A cannon is installed on the "nose", visitors like to arrange photo shoots in this place.
There are several levels with aquariums inside the Chi Nguyen Aquarium. Visitors can see:
- different types of sharks;
- Skatov;
- The Napoleon fish;
- moray eels;
- giant turtles;
- Japanese carp;
- tapeworms.
There is an information stand near the aquariums, and observation decks on the upper decks offer views of the bay and neighboring islands. There are also open areas with ponds on the territory of the aquarium. In 2017, a show with seals began to be shown in this place.
How to get
Chi Nguyen Aquarium is located on the island of Khon Myeu, which is about 1.5 kilometers from the Southern Port of Nha Trang. You can only get here by water transport. From the Southern Port of Nha Trang, you can hire a government boat or a private boater. The trip to the destination will take about 15 minutes. You can also come here with an excursion, which includes a transfer and a visit to the Neptune Palace. The locals have a special diet, so you don't have to take fish food with you. If desired, you can buy food on the spot and treat them with a treat, but this is not necessary.
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