Shark Reef Aquarium

Extremely happy with the aquarium! My son loves to look at all the different animals and when the scuba diver was cleaning the fish tank he gave my son a high five through the glass, which made his day and subsequently mine! Thanks again and can’t wait to come back!

I thought the tunnel was longer than what it actually is. This aquarium is nice, though; but I would say it’s more enjoyable for kids ages 13 and under. There was one big guitarfish shark, and one with a sawlike nose, and the rest were baby/​young black tip reef sharks. There were a lot of jelly fish in one cylindrical tank, a golden crocodile, other reptiles, some giant fish from South America (I forgot the name), and a small petting area of baby rays.

I really wish I could give half stars because it is more of a 3.5 but I like to support museums/​educational places, and the shark reef aquarium is really cool but it’s really short especially for $ 20. If your gonna go please use my Vegas coupons it’s the only way to make it worth the money. It’s a buy one get one free so it goes down to $ 10 a person. The creatures itself in the aquarium are really awesome; lizards, Sharks, a touching pool, jelly fish. Really great place to take your kids. I love the full 360 degree underwater tank. I would definitely recommend going at least once.

Its nice to take kids here while in Vegas however the entrance fee in my opinion is too much. If you have been to other aquariums like Legoland and or Sea World you know what I am talking about. I wouldn’t recommend unless you have kids with you in Vegas.

The aquarium it self is nice. But the wait in line is a joke. It took about 35 min with only about 15 or so people in front of us. The staff was talking to each other so much that they didn’t even acknowledge us when we got to the ticket counter. After standing there for 10 seconds I finally said we want to buy some tickets he just looked up. The turned his head said how many then turned his head to continue his conversation with his coworker. I had to tell him 3 times how many tickets because his conversation was more important than customer service. No greeting. No thank you for coming. No enjoy. Even though they are the only aquarium around I’ll take my family to do other things than go back. Didn’t even try to up sell anything else lol. This place is losing money, didn’t notice a buy three deal till after we left.
Also Sea turtles are cool.

You find the Reef Aquarium in the Mandalay Bay resort, south Las Vegas Strip Boulevard. During my trip to Vegas we spend a whole day to visit all Hotels and Resorts. On the first day we started at the bottom of the strip. The first Hotel you will pass is the Mandalay Bay resort. Inside is a very big Aquarium. It will costs you 18 bucks to enter. They have so many animals ! Great!
I really like it here spending time to see this. If you have time enough in Vegas it’s a good thing to do.
For sure i will come back here.

WHOA this aquarium is huge. 1.6 million gallons of water with over 2000 different animals.
But this review is for the behind the scenes tour of the Shark Reef Aquarium.
When we got to Las Vegas my wife was scrolling through one of the books you get in your room about Las Vegas. She quickly yelled out BABE you have to see this. Looking at the book I saw an add for feeding The Sea Turtles. Being a sea turtle lover, we booked our spots. It cost $ 80 per person but it is well worth it. So for $ 80 you get all day access to the aquarium, a behind the scenes tour of the aquarium and you get to feed the 3 sea turtles that they have in there aquarium. NOTE they only allow 4 people on the tour at a time.
Tour starts at 11am. You meet the tour guide outside the aquarium at 1045pm, Where the guide starts the tour. By then the line to get inside the aquarium is pretty long. But the tour guide takes you right past every one, and you get some dirty looks too.
Our tour guide named Matt, Is super nice and very knowledgeable. Matt took our group (only my wife and I) to the back of the the aquarium where he talked about how big it is, what sorta of animals are there, and what it takes to run a 1.6 million gallon aquarium in the middle of the desert. Matt took us to where the build all the corral since they can not take the corral from the ocean. All of it is made behind the scenes. We then walking into the area where they hatch brine shrimp like food for certain fish. They also show you the huge filtration system that they have. It’s pretty huge compared to your home style fish tanks. Plus they have 1.6 million gallons fresh water on stand by at all time to replace the water in the aquarium when needed. (They will dump huge bags of sea salt in with the fresh water too.) From there you go into a little room and you get an apron and a bucket of sea turtle food (romaine lettuce and green bell peppers) You then go to above the aquarium, where the sea turtles are in a big holding pin swimming around waiting to be fed. You get a little above the aquarium tour, where they show you how they identify all the sharks. There is also some other fish being feed, The fish know when it’s time to eat by a color that they shine into the water. It’s pretty cool to see all the different schools of fish eating all together.
A special treat we got to see, was the sawfish feeding time. We were told that only a few tours have seen them eating due to how hard it is to feed them. They have to stick a fish on the end of a long PVC pipe. As the sawfish swims by they have to try and stick the food underneath it, so the sawfish can suck it up.
Then on to feeding the turtles. The bucket of food is pretty big filled to the brim with turtle food. Then they give you huge tongs used for holding the food. And away you go feeding each turtle one by one, until all the food is gone. While you are feeding the turtles the tour guide tell you the life story about each turtle.
One turtle was rescued on a Florida beach barley alive. To this day he only has one lung, and they have attached weights on his shell to help him swim due to the missing lung. One turtle was being smuggled into CA from Mexico when it was a baby, and the other turtle was given to them by a zoo that went out of business.
After the bucket of food is gone, it pretty much is the end of the tour. You are allowed to take as many pics as you would like, Plus each person in the group gets to take home 2 professional picture that they have taken of you while you are feeding (They let you know before they take the pics so you can be ready). Tipping is not required, but our tour guide Matt was awesome so we have him a little bonus.
When I return back to Las Vegas, I for sure will come back to feed the sea turtles. !!!

For the price this place earns a 2 star rating. Look for discounts/​coupons as I would not recommend this exhibit for full price. It’s fun to see the fish and other animals but the place is small. We walked through in less than 45 minutes, seeing everything and taking pics.

For the price that I pay for, I want to say that visiting this place is worth the money. But if I were to pay for it at full price, I think my wallet is literally cry. Why? Because the venue is WAYYYYYYY too small. Still, I’m a fan! The thought of visiting this place always cheers me up because it’s a beautiful place to be. Maybe it’s the lack of a beach here in Vegas that brings an even more inviting vibe to this place. Whatever it is, I’m all for it.
The collection of aquamarine life here is vast. They have turtles to sharks that make are continuously swimming around like nobody’s business. My favorite is the arched walkway where you see the water from above. It’s a beautiful sight to see as fishes and sharks swim passed your way.
Schools of fishes come in groups, and they are all so beautifully colored! My favorite part about this exhibition is the petting area where you get to touch stingrays and horseshoe crabs in a shallow pool. All the kids go gaga for this place as the stingrays are tamed enough to let you touch them. It’s highly suggested that that you touch them with only one finger to not agitate this beautiful creatures. Everyone participating are kind enough to do so. The most adorable part about this visit was watching the horseshoe crabs connect each other in a formation of a line as when swam around the shallow pool. Words cannot explain how giddy I get seeing them.
I also loved seeing the aquarium of jellyfishes. It’s amazing how surreal they look all together. They almost seem lifeless as they slowly float around the body of water. It’s incredible, really.
Seeing seaturtles and the octopus is almost a hit and miss at this place since they’re almost no where to be found. Perhaps, they prefer to hide or sleep. Either way, it’s always a treat to see them in action when they decide to show up to the public.
I highly recommend to get a discount at this place any way you can because at $ 20 per person, I don’t believe it’s worth the money for a short excurtion! Still, it’s a must see!

I had a lot of fun at the aquarium! We went right when it opened so we could beat the lines and crowds, which was smart on our part because as we were leaving, the line to enter was long!
We didn’t go into this place with high expectations (nobody really should) because this is an aquarium at a resort in Las Vegas… Don’t expect it to be like the Monterrey Bay Aquarium! I loved looking at all the different creatures and learning about them. I also really loved the fact that there were educational signs about the negative impacts that fishing has on the ocean environment and it’s animals. You don’t see that in many aquariums.
Overall, I had a blast. If you’re looking for a family friendly activity to do in Vegas, I highly recommend coming here!

Babe and I were in Vegas for a spontaneous mini vacay, and upon seeing the billboard and advertisements for this aquarium, y’all already know I HAD to had to had to come here. Tickets were $ 20 per person, plus an extra $ 5 each to get into to the «Sea Monsters Revealed» exhibition (yes please!).
The biggest problem with this aquarium is the size — not so much the amount of exhibits they have, but literally, the size of their interior. The layout of this aquarium, while easy to navigate, is super cramped and limited in capacity (probably due to the fact that it’s situated in a hotel and is not its own establishment, but still). There was a heavy amount of traffic and the congestion that resulted made it such a pain in the butt to maneuver through the aquarium. We literally all had to walk in a single file line through the first few exhibits because it was so hard to get around people in that small space.
Aside from the lack of space, however, I did thoroughly enjoy all the exhibits they had here, particularly the shark tank. There were a vast array of sharks in that exhibit, and the large size of the tank and the way they designed the whole thing is enough to give you a big thrill (I forgot how many gallons of water are in that tank, but it’s a lot — trust me). I loved loved loved this part, and the boyfriend was thoroughly fascinated by it too!
To be quite honest, for an aquarium located in Vegas, I expected a larger set up and a bit more animals, but it wasn’t at all a horrible experience.
As for the «Sea Monsters Revealed» exhibition, it’s basically a huge collection of diagrams, informational wall posts, and open displays (that are supposedly real and preserved through plastination) for the public to casually stroll through and examine. I learned a lot from this, and the displays were so intriguing!
I wouldn’t come here again just because it wasn’t anything extraordinary, but it was definitely an enjoyable experience!

Purchased with the special of 3 exhibits for fifty some dollars and since we where in Mandalay Bay we decided to start here. They had a few different animals when you first walk in I believe there was a few lizards and snakes. Which was pretty cool to see.
The highlights of the Shark Reef Aquarium for me where the jellyfish tanks and basically the shark aquarium. Those where my favorite parts of the exhibit. And I spent more time watching the fish in these exhibits. They did have a a part in the aquarium where you could touch the sting rays and some short of crab I believe which was popular with many people.
Overall I thought this was a decent aquarium relatively small but I expected that. I purchased my ticket as part as a deal so it was worth the price just to see the sharks and jellyfish. Would not pay full price but it was a good way to kill a half hour or so for under $ 20 bucks.

Lines on lines on lines! I waited in line for a ticket, then waited in line to get in, then waited in line as they took pictures before actually entering. What a tease!
This attraction is on the smaller side, so take your time. I loved the jellyfish tank. They happen to be feeding them when I arrived, fascinating! There is also a manta ray petting pool that is pretty cool as well. Paper towels dispensers are available so you can dry your hands off. That area could use a little love though. The trash was overflowing onto the floor.
Overall, I find the whole experience to be underwhelming. The attraction will probably take you about 15 – 20 minutes on a leisurely stroll. Not quite sure if that’s worth it.

I love going to aquariums and I wasn’t expecting much, but even this place was below my expectations. For the price, it’s totally not worth the visit. There’s a line and then when you get through the doors and into the aquarium itself, there’s nothing to see. The aquariums at smaller cities even offer more.
There’s nothing about this aquarium that made it stand out to any other aquarium I’ve been to. It’s small and the animals are so common. If I knew my experience was going to be like this, I would’ve rather look up pictures online and stare at those instead of paying money to come here.
It was way to disappointing! Save your money and use it elsewhere because this place is so not worth the time or the money.

I’m obsessed with aquariums. No matter where I go, if there’s an aquarium, I have to go there.
My favorite aquarium so far is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but I will soon be visiting the aquariums in Atlanta and Chicago. This one at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino is on the smaller side when compared to the other aquariums, but it’s PACKED with sharks and for $ 20 you can’t complain! I paid the extra $ 5 to get into the Sea Monsters Revealed Exhibit too, which I thought was worth the $ 5, but not much more.
My favorite part about this aquarium is all the SHARKS. They have sawtooth sharks, hammerhead sharks, blacktip sharks, bull sharks, reef sharks, etc. and they are all so cool to watch swim around! You can’t find sharks in every aquarium, so it’s a really special treat. They have them in multiple tanks so it’s easy to get a good view and if you go right when they open or during the week it isn’t too crowded.
I also like at the beginning of the aquarium they have a few reptiles like a white alligator, Komodo dragon, turtles, lizards and a boa constrictor to look at before the fish. Don’t forget about the pirañas! They’re really cool to look at up close. The jellyfish are also really pretty, and they have a tank where you can touch the manta rays as they swim around. Make sure not to miss the octopus, it’s so neat looking especially when it moves! It’s usually curled up in the corner of the tank, but even then it’s really something to see.
I definitely recommend a visit to the aquarium when visiting Las Vegas!

For the price, I do not know if it is worth it, not much to see inside.
We arrived right after they opened and waited in line for probably 15 – 20 mins.
When we left the line was seriously over 100 people and almost stretched all the way to the casino carpet! Those people probably waited over an hour for a 20 minute long overpriced exhibit. If you really want to take your family, arrive right when they open! It is no way worth waiting in a line like that.
The pricing of items in the gift shop surprised me though they are fairly priced. The photos however are a rip off unless you purchase them in a package with a ticket.

Got free tickets to this place through myVegas slots (if you haven’t tried it, it’s free and you can get free rewards like this). We came to Vegas with our 16 month old son so we were looking for some things he would like and that’s what brought us here. The exhibits are very well done, especially the tunnel you walk down with the sharks swimming over and around you, and a room at the end of the tunnel with huge windows to see the animals and even in the floor to see them swimming under you.
I just have a couple of complaints, the first being how long it takes to get here, it’s so far away from the casino, and they have construction going on as well so you have to go up and down stairs, and it’s even worse with strollers having to wait for elevators. The other thing is the first area you walk into was pretty humid and hot, and we went during Thanksgiving week, can’t imagine how bad it must get during the summer.
Overall great place to go with kids, and if you are into aquariums and got stop to check out.

Looking for a place to take my boyfriend out for date night and ultimately decided to go to the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay! We’ve heard from our friends that the place isn’t worth what you’re paying but we took a chance… and ended up loving it.
We bought tickets to the Sea Monsters Exhibit in addition to the general admission to the Shark Reef. So with our Nevada Resident discount, we only paid $ 22 per person! It might be a little pricey but keep in mind it’s not cheap maintaining the Aquarium!
Walking through both the Sea Monsters Exhibit and the Shark Reef took us about 2 hours. We spent most of our time at the Exhibit because even though they only displayed fossils, it’s different from what you would see at other Aquariums. The exhibit was definitely a nice touch. We also loved the aquarium staff! They’re very knowledgeable and were ready to answer all of our questions (and we asked a lot). So kudos to the lady at the Piranha section and the man at the interactive Manta Ray station!
The Aquarium does seem a little small. We came on a day when it wasn’t very busy so we had a pretty good amount of wiggle room and were able to have a good view of the animals. But I can’t imagine how tough it would be to get a good look at them when it’s crowded! Overall though, this place is definitely worth it! Plus, there are PLENTY of photo opportunities.

This place is quite small for the amount paid, but hey I didn’t regret going and paying $ 20! Depending on how fast you walk and look around this place takes no more than 30 minutes to an hour to finish. The sharks are the main attraction here and man do they have lots of sharks! Standing in the archway with sharks swimming above and to the side of you is a great experience!
All in all great place for families or if you’re in Vegas alone and killing time before your flight.

Nice attraction. We really enjoyed our shark reef visit. One of the things we wanted to do in Vegas was to see the Shark Reef. We had read and heard a lot about it. There is such an array of sea life on display here that you can’t help but be impressed. As you walk in you see crocodiles and lizards. The aquarium tunnels were my favorite. There is an interactive sting ray pool and a beautifully lit jellyfish tank and lion fish then there’s the sharks of all kinds there was even a sea turtle, brilliant for families with young children but just a note the aquarium is a bit small and it can get crowded. Ticket tip — buy tickets at the concierge. No line there, now you can skip the ticket line and just stand in the line to get inside. Overall, a bit pricey but worth a visit at least once especially with kids. It was also a nice break from the casinos ^_^
Adult $ 20
Children (Age 4 – 12) $ 14
(3 & under) Free
Seniors (65+) $ 18

No vale el precio que cobran usd 18 en 10 minutos lo recorres todo, la tortuga que anuncian nunca existio, los corales ya ni tienen color en los acuarios

Ganz nett gemacht mit ein paar mittelgroßen Haien, jedoch war ich vor ca. 6 Jahren schon mal dort und es wurde genau nichts verändert. Ist den Eintritt auf jedenfalls wert. Die Becken sind auch nicht klein. Man hat jetzt nichts den Eindruck, dass die Tiere extrem eingezwängt sind.