Aquário da Madeira, Public aquarium in Porto Moniz, Portugal.
Aquário da Madeira is a public aquarium in Porto Moniz that houses around 90 native fish species in 12 tanks. The building occupies a restored coastal fort and sits on the northern shore of the town.
This site was originally the São João Baptista fort, built in 1730 to defend against pirate attacks. The structure underwent restoration in 1998 and transformed into an aquarium that opened to visitors in 1999.
The facility displays fish species from Macaronesian waters, representing the marine life of Madeira, the Azores, the Canary Islands, and Cape Verde. You can see how these distant island groups share similar ocean ecosystems and creatures.
The center sits directly on the coast, so visits can feel blustery on windy or rough ocean days. Bring comfortable shoes since access involves stairs and potentially slippery stone surfaces around the fort.
The facility offers something unusual: visitors can go scuba diving among the fish without needing prior certification. A local dive center runs these experiences right at the fort's location.
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