Seoul Searching | COEX Aquarium.

On our second Sunday in Seoul, the boys and I visited COEX Aquarium, which is just a few subway stations away from where we live. 'Twas a perfect day to go to a family-friendly attraction as that Sunday coincided with Mother's Day and Parents' Day here in Korea.

Welcome to COEX Aquarium!

Beware of Jaws!

Shark teeth on display at the entrance.

Shark art! :)

Let's go on a Water Journey! More of COEX Aquarium after the jump!

Located at the heart of COEX Mall in downtown Seoul, COEX Aquarium is one of South Korea's largest aquariums with over 40,000 sea animals from 650 different species on display. It is also a world-class attraction, with more than 1 million visitors each year.

Dogface Puffer Fish.

Angel fish couples with different rings. :)

The aquarium features 130 exhibition tanks and 90 breeding tanks grouped in fourteen 'discovery zones'. The living creatures are displayed in line with the flow of water - from the high Andean mountains to the tropical rainforest of the Amazon, all the way to the deep oceans - thus the aquarium's theme 'Water Journey'.

Tilapia-kinda fish.

Eels.

Korean Rockfish.

Lovely kois!

COEX's first 'discovery zone' is the Rainbow Lounge, which shows how young fish grow into adult fish. The lounge has six tanks teeming with colorful fish, which change every season. Next comes the 'Story of Korean Fish', showcasing all the familiar fish living in Korea - from farmlands to valleys and other areas. Nearby is the 'Garden of Korea', which features exotic fish 'housed' in a traditional Korean setting - pavilions, lotus ponds, fermenting jars, and the like.

A well site.

Fermenting jars.

A pavilion and a lotus pond.

The boys against a hanok backdrop. 

One of my favorite areas in this attraction is the 'Fish in Wonderland', which brings together a crazy collection of fish tanks. Here, you'll see a telephone booth, a fridge, a washing machine, and even a toilet bowl - all with fishes swimming inside.

Faces!

Not your ordinary arcade game booth. 

Tardis?

No need to spin dry. :)

A headboard filled with zebra fish.

A recreation of the Amazon rainforest can also be found inside COEX Aquarium, and this section is called the 'Amazonia World'. Here, you can feel the cool mist of the rainforest on your skin as you are walk along the 'jungle' surrounded by otters, fruit bats, turtles, alligators, and  pirarucu - the world's biggest freshwater fish.

Exploring the Amazon.

Pirarucu!

Smaller pirarucus.

Snapping turtles.

At the end of the Amazon River lies an estuary zone where saltwater and freshwater comes and goes. This area is called 'Mangrove and Beach', and features sharks, stingrays, and other fishes.

Some colorful fishes whose names I forgot.

Watch out for the sharks!

There's also a two-way experience and exhibition site inside COEX Aquarium called 'Marine Touch Lab' where kids - and adults, too - can touch marine animals, observe them closely, and share in their synesthetic experience.

A friendly reminder before you enter the Touch Lab area.

Growth stages of a Banded Bamboo Shark.

In the Living Reef Gallery, you will be mesmerized by the picturesque corals, eels, and tropical fish. It's like watching an artwork come to life!

Spotted Garden Eels that look like tiny bamboo sticks from afar.

Just one of the few live coral artworks on display.

Meanwhile, in the Ocean Kingdom, there's a so-called Shark Theater where you can view sharks, stingrays, and other large fishes up close.

Scary sharks of different kinds!

While in the nearby Marine Mammal Village, you can feast your eyes on manatees and seals - just some of the marine mammals that are sadly, in danger of becoming extinct due to environmental pollution.

Adorable manatee.

The Deep Blue Sea Tunnel is an amazing moving walkway through the heart of an enormous aquarium containing approximately 2,000 tons of water. Here, visitors get a sense of total immersion in the deep sea, surrounded by sharks and massive rays.

Under the sea... under the sea...

Selca with the sharks. :)

At the end of the tunnel, you will find the Deep Blue Square. This area is home to huge schools of fish, creating a real sense of life in the deep seas.

A school of sardines.

At the end of the tour is Penguins' Playground, a favorite among kids. Here, you can find three generations of Humboldt penguins - a unique sight that is only available at the COEX Aquarium.

Penguin's Playground.

Towards the exit, you will find the Gift Shop where you can buy toys, gift items, and souvenirs of your trip to the aquarium. Yue bought a small pack of glow-in-the-dark toy figures of marine animals for 5000 won. :)

Yue buys, Daddy pays. :)

If you're traveling to Korea with your kids, do swing by the COEX Aquarium for a unique and fun 'under-the-sea' experience. This place is conveniently accessible from all areas, so you won't have a hard time going to and fro.

Thank you, COEX! We had fun!

To get there, take Seoul Subway Line 2 and get off at Samseong Station, Exit 5 and 6. The station is directly connected to COEX Mall, and the aquarium is located at the end of the Ocean Walk section near Megabox (cinemas).

Admission fees are as follows: Adult, 22000 won; Teens, 19000 won; Kids, 16000 won. Kids below 2 years old can get in for free.

COEX Aquarium

513, Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu, Seoul

+82-2-6002-6200