A Complete Guide to Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is arguably the most touristy attraction in all of Toronto. Its immensely popular with visitors of all ages and gets really crowded during peak vacation season and school holidays. While your first reaction may be to write it off as a tourist trap, knowing most major cities have attractions like these, the reality is that its a state of the art aquarium and I found visiting to be really worthwhile.

The aquarium houses over 16,000 sea creatures and is one of the three Ripley’s Aquariums in the world (with the other two being in South Carolina and Tennessee). While the Toronto aquarium is not the largest aquarium in Canada (you’ll find that one in Vancouver), this conveniently located experience is a great way to spend an hour or two indoors when in the city. In this post, you’ll learn about some of the creatures you’ll see on a trip to Ripley’s.

• Looking for more to do in Toronto? Check out my itinerary HERE.

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada – The Basics

• Where? 288 Brenner Boulevard, Toronto
• When? The Aquarium is open from 9.00am to 11.00pm daily.
• How much? Admission for adults (13 years and above) costs $44.00 CAD. Admission for children 3-5 years old is $12.50, while children 6-13 years is $29.00. Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada is also a participating attraction for the Toronto CityPass.
• How to get there: The Aquarium is right next to the CN Tower, a short walk away from Union Station.
• Website: https://www.ripleyaquariums.com/canada/

Tips for Visiting Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada opened in 2013 and is an easy walk from anywhere in downtown Toronto. I highly recommend booking tickets in advance, particularly if you’re on a tight schedule, as during the busy hours of the day the lines to get in can be quite lengthy. The CN Tower next door draws in masses of tourists, so its only natural that many head here before and after. Luckily, the Aquarium is open really late – it closes at 11pm. That means you’ve got plenty of time to see other attractions when most people are sightseeing. I entered the Ripley’s Aquarium at around 8pm on a Tuesday. While there were still a decent number of people at this time, it was nothing compared to the packed crowds I’d read about.

The overall experience takes around 1-2 hours, so you could even arrive later and have less people to contend with.

If you’re planning on seeing a number of Toronto’s popular attractions while in town, buy the Toronto CityPass instead of a single ticket. You’ll be able to get into many attractions over the course of 9 consecutive days. You can learn more on the CityPass website.

Exhibits in Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada

While Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada doesn’t seem THAT big from the outside, looks are quite deceiving. The aquarium covers two floors and is comprised of a range of galleries showcasing different aquatic environments and species. Your journey will begin with an introduction to the fish of Lake Ontario, before taking you on an aquatic adventure through the seas.

Canadian Waters

You’ll enter the aquarium with the familiarity of Canadian Waters. This opening exhibit takes you through the aquatic environments of the world’s second largest country, starting with the species in Lake Ontario just a mere walk away. Forming part of the Great Lake Basin, these environments make up 20% of the world’s freshwater. One of the most interesting species you’ll come across here is the prehistoric paddlefish. These unique fish have a large “paddle” (technically called a rostrum) which extends up to a third of their length and is used to detect the plankton upon which they feed! You’ll also come across plenty of American Lobsters, Cod and Wolf Eels. If you’re lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the Pacific Octopus while exploring Canada’s waters (I sadly couldn’t see it in its tank).

The Canadian Waters section of the aquarium also houses a very impressive two storey tank containing a Pacific Kelp Forest.

Rainbow Reef

Next, you’ll transition into a very different part of the world. The Rainbow Reef recreates the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean and is filled with a myriad of brightly coloured corals, anemones and fish. Here you’ll learn how the amount of diversity living in these fragile ecosystems has resulted in coral reefs being referred to as the “rainforests of the sea”. There’s so many beautiful and colourful aquatic species in the 200,000 litre tank that this is actually the most diverse gallery in the entire aquarium.

One of the easiest species to see is the batfish (no relation to Batman), which in the wild actually move in small schools and aggressively feed on smaller fish. I guess fish are food, not friends for these guys. Perhaps its no wonder that the Sailfin Tang that swim in the same waters have the ability to extend their fins to look larger when they feel threatened!

Dangerous Lagoon (The Ripley’s Aquarium Shark Tunnel!)

Okay admit it, you came to Ripley’s for the shark tunnel. Well look no further, because its the next stop. You’ll have every chance to stop as well, since there’s a travelator that you can stand on and watch as the sea life swims around you. That travelator is the longest moving sidewalk in North America by the way – fitting since it passes through the aquarium’s largest gallery. The main shark species that you’ll find in the waters of the Dangerous Lagoon are sand tiger sharks. While they look just as ferocious as ever, they’re actually rather docile compared to many species. Make no mistake though, they’re still the top of the food chain and are highly efficient predators that can float motionlessly while hunting prey.

Within the shark tunnel, you’ll see a range of species that make their home in the Atlantic off the East Coast of North America. The Green Sawfish are really cool, though you might be surprised to learn they are closer relatives of stingrays than sharks! Their saws (or again, rostrums) stick out ahead of them and are lined with teeth that can kill prey in an instant. Mind you, they were lazing around while I passed through, so I’m thinking they were quite well fed.

Take your time in this gallery. If you’re patient, you’ll even see a few Green Turtles, one of the largest sea turtle species on the planet.

The Gallery

After passing through the Discovery Centre play area (don’t miss your chance to spot Nemo the Clownfish), you’ll next reach the Gallery. This section contains a number of small tanks dedicated to species that have mastered the ability to blend into their surroundings, as well as other unique adaptations. While you’ll find electric eels, lionfish, piranhas and more, my favourite species to watch in this part of Ripley’s Aquarium was the seahorse. These distinct creatures are known for their ability to swim upright and it really is fun to see that in action. The aquarium also houses a number of baby seahorses – did you know that they’re raised by their father (unlike most animals)?

Just beyond this section, you’ll come across a relatively new Shipwrecks exhibit, which provides a historical summary of some famous shipwrecks. My understanding is that this is a temporary exhibit that moves around various venues.

Ray Bay

Up next, you’ll come to Ray Bay, another massive gallery where you can see four different kinds of stingray! The stingrays you’ll see here range from spotted eagle, cownose, roughtail and southern stingrays, all of which have their own special adaptations that help them thrive in the ocean. If you want to know the differences between them all, the aquarium staff will be happy to point them out to you. You’ll also learn about their different survival techniques in action – for example, spotted eagle rays can jump out of the water to avoid being caught by predators, while southern stingrays bury themselves in sand on the ocean floor, drawing in unsuspecting shellfish that become their dinner.

Planet Jellies

The last organism filled exhibit is one of the more memorable at Ripley’s Aquarium. Planet Jellies almost transports you to another world as you come across four species of jellyfish. The gallery holds them in one of the world’s largest kreiser tanks, which are special kinds of horizontal cylinders designed to hold jellyfish. These special tanks are designed in a way to ensure jellyfish safety, as the fragile species can be destroyed by bubbles and other elements of regular fish tanks.

The centrepiece of the gallery is the selection of vibrantly coloured Pacific Sea Nettles. Okay, so they look vibrantly coloured and seem to change hue at will. Spoiler alert: its all an illusion created by backlighting. Its still an extremely photogenic spot. The jellies wouldn’t know though – they have no eyes (or brain) and rely entirely on special organs designed to sense the presence of light!

You’ll also find the incredible upside-down jellyfish here. Unlike most jellies, these guys lay on the seafloor and take in sunlight through the algae found on their tentacles! So cool!

Finishing Up the Journey

As you make your way back upstairs, you’ll pass through a rather cool section called Life Support Systems that shows you how the aquarium runs all its tanks through an array of complex pumps and filters. 95% of the aquarium’s water supply is treated and recycled. Continuing onwards into the Shoreline Gallery, you’ll pass the top of the stingray exhibit, which serves as a touch pool area filled with some smaller rays. Once you’ve spent some time here, you’ll filter out through the gift shop and be ready to take on another Toronto adventure.

With so many species to see at Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada, you’re bound to learn something new about the many creatures that fill our oceans and other aquatic environments. While I’ve been to many aquariums around the world, I liked this one a lot. If you’ve been, let me know something you learnt on your visit.