What it is
The aquarium began in 1957 in the basement of Napier's War Memorial Hall and moved to its present site on Marine Parade in December 1976. A major extension and renovation in 2002 added a new oceanarium and gave it its current name.
The centrepiece is the 1.5-million-litre oceanarium, which visitors walk through in a 50-metre acrylic tunnel among sharks, rays and reef fish. Other displays show little penguins, turtles, seahorses, eels and freshwater and tropical fish, along with kiwi and tuatara, and two halls host temporary exhibitions.
Getting there by bus
Route 11 (Napier, Hastings, Te Mata) stops at 167 Wellesley Road (stop N222), about 220 metres from the aquarium, a walk of around three minutes towards the sea.
Route 3 (Napier, Maraenui and Tamatea) stops at 6 and 7 Latham Street (stops N125 and N161), about 410 to 430 metres away, and route 11 also uses the stops on Hastings Street (stops H280 and N241), about 440 to 460 metres away.
