REVIEW: Sea Life at the Mall of America

I was invited to check out the Sea Life aquarium at the Mall of America.  Sea Life features sharks, crabs, lobsters, fish, turtles, frogs, sea horses, stingrays, jellyfish and other neat creatures.  As a whole, the species aren’t terribly exotic but I did find a lot of the crabs to be jaw dropping.  They have some really huge, almost nightmare inducing, Japanese Spider crabs (that can get up to 12 feet long as adults) as well as these really neat ones having a knubby appearance (see image below).  I also enjoyed the jellyfish room, where there were hundreds of jellyfish bobbing about in cylindrical containers throughout the room.  Low lighting and mirrors made it appear as you were walking through a sea full of jellyfish. A natural crowd pleaser, the shark tank tunnel was also a highlight.  I loved looking at their gills move and their bodies glide overhead in the tunnel.  Of course, they also have a touch pond where you can get your hands on a starfish or sea urchins.

If you’re looking to visit Sea Life but would like to avoid strollers and kids, consider Sharks After Dark.  At Sharks After Dark, guests encounter more than 10,000 sea creatures while snacking on nachos and bobbing to music provided by a live DJ. Tickets include admission to the aquarium and a two-hour unlimited gaming card at the Sky Deck in the Mall of America, which is valid only for non-ticketing games.

DEAL ALERT: Save at least 51% on Sharks After Dark with this Groupon.  Coupon code PLAY15 will take off another 15% through September 27, 2014.