Overview
The tanks follow the water from the lagoon and mangrove through the rocky shore to the open Gulf, which makes the aquarium a guide to what is actually outside rather than a global collection. The maritime museum next door holds pearling equipment, dhows and the diving gear used before the trade collapsed in the 1930s when Japanese cultured pearls reached the market. The two together explain the coast this city was built on.
Highlights
Do both halves on the one ticket; the pearling section is the more surprising of the two. Feeding times are posted at the entrance and are worth timing a visit around. It is at Al Khan, ten minutes from the centre, and is a good hour when the afternoon is too hot for anything outdoors.