Le Musée de la mer, Maritime museum and aquarium on Atalaye plateau, Biarritz, France
Le Musée de la mer sits on a rocky plateau overlooking the ocean, positioned between the Fishing Port and Port Vieux beach. The building houses aquarium tanks with marine animals and various exhibitions about the sea and its inhabitants.
The building opened in 1933 and reflects the architecture of that era. A major renovation in 1992 expanded the collections and modernized the exhibition spaces.
The ground floor displays navigation tools and tells the story of traditional Basque tuna and whale fishing that once shaped life in the region.
A visit is best in the early day when crowds are lighter. The cliff-top location means several flights of stairs to navigate, so sturdy footwear helps.
The extension dug under the Atalaye plateau was stopped by the road tunnel and three German bunkers built during the Second World War, which still block it. The museum's emblem is a white octopus on a blue background. Four grey seal pups were born here, including Naïa on 16 December 2005, a rare captive birth for the species.
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