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Rio to open South America’s largest aquarium

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People take pictures as a grey nurse shark swims past, during a press tour of the AquaRio aquarium, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Nov. 4, 2016. AquaRio, touted as the largest aquarium in South America, will open to the public Nov. 9. (AP Photo/Mauro Pimentel)

RIO DE JANEIRO – What’s billed as the largest aquarium in South America will soon open its doors to the public in Rio de Janeiro.

AquaRio will be home to some 8,000 marine animals, including over 350 species from the Atlantic, Caribbean and Indo-Pacific oceans.

Starting Wednesday, visitors will be able to see 28 tanks with over 4.5 million litres (1.2 million gallons) of sea water, including an underwater tunnel where grey nurse sharks and stingrays swim above.

The aquarium is one of several recently built museums part of a port revival project launched ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Aquarium president Marcelo Szpilman says the project hopes to raise awareness of endangered species and promote marine conservations.

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