The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino is a one-of-a-kind public aquarium that the whole family will love. Great to visit as a break from the casinos or for a kid friendly-activity, the Shark Reef is the only Nevada aquarium accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association. The 95,000 square foot facility is home to 2000 animals, over 100 different species, and 15 kinds of sharks in over 1.6 million gallons of seawater.

The aquarium houses numerous species of sharks, rays, fish, reptiles, and marine invertebrates. Fourteen freshwater and saltwater exhibits are devoted to dangerous aquatic predators, and the museum prides itself on featuring unusual aquatic animals from the world’s tropical waters. Some of the rare animals at the aquarium include Golden Crocodiles, Komodo Dragons, Green Sea Turtles, and Black Piranha.

The large main tank is an incredible sight and the star of the aquarium. Comprising 1.3 million of the aquarium’s gallons of water, it is the third largest tank in North America. The exhibit is designed to appear like a sunken shipwreck taken over by the most dangerous predators in the world; visitors feel as if they are underwater as they peer in on sharks, endangered sea turtles, stingrays, sawfish, and more. Visitors will also love walking through the two tunnel exhibits, where sharks and other fish separated by a clear wall swim along the walkway and above it.

Another highlight is the Giant Pacific Octopus, which weighs up to 100 pounds and is housed in its own 2,500-gallon saltwater display. And children will get a kick out of the Touch Pool, where they can get up close and personal with a variety of animals such as sharks, rays, and horseshoe crabs.

Shark Reef Aquarium is definitely a unique and fun Las Vegas attraction that shouldn’t be missed – after all, where else in the desert can you visit the ocean? Make sure you take time out of your next Las Vegas vacation to see what’s going on under the sea at the Shark Reef.