SeaWorld Abu Dhabi opened on May 23, 2023, on Yas Island in the UAE capital — the first SeaWorld park ever built outside the United States, and the first designed from the ground up without orcas. The $1.2 billion marine park, developed and operated by Abu Dhabi’s Miral under license from United Parks & Resorts, packs around 58 million litres of water into a five-level indoor world, making it the second-largest aquarium on Earth.
Only China’s Chimelong Spaceship, which opened the same year, holds more water — the two 2023 mega-projects completely rewrote the top of the list of the world’s largest aquariums. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi’s own claim to fame is the Endless Ocean realm, billed as the world’s largest multi-species aquarium tank.
Key Stats
| Total water volume | About 58 million litres across the park |
| Opened | May 23, 2023 |
| Location | Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
| Species | Around 150 species of marine animals |
| Signature tank | Endless Ocean — about 25 million litres (6.6 million US gal), the world’s largest multi-species aquarium |
Eight Oceans Under One Roof
The park is organized into eight themed “realms.” One Ocean is the hub, wrapped in a 360-degree screen; Abu Dhabi Ocean showcases Gulf wildlife, including Mquot, a rescued dugong; Rocky Point brings Pacific Northwest sea lions and harbor seals; MicroOcean is an underwater playground for kids with four rides; Tropical Ocean houses bottlenose dolphins, flamingos, macaws, and toucans; the Arctic realm is home to Pacific walruses, sea otters, and puffins; Antarctica keeps seven penguin species — king, Adélie, gentoo, Magellanic, rockhopper, macaroni, and chinstrap — on real snow and ice; and Endless Ocean delivers the headline tank.
That Endless Ocean habitat holds roughly 6.6 million gallons (about 25 million litres) of saltwater teeming with sharks, rays, and vast schooling fish behind some of the largest viewing windows in the world — on its own it would rank among the biggest aquarium tanks ever built.
A SeaWorld Without Orcas
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi marks a deliberate break from the brand’s past: no orcas and no orca shows, with the focus shifted to habitat-style exhibits, animal presentations, and rescue work. Alongside the park, Miral opened the Yas SeaWorld Research & Rescue center in February 2023 — an 8,602-square-metre facility with wet and dry labs, an aquaculture centre, rescue pools, and a veterinary hospital dedicated to rehabilitating injured and orphaned marine animals from the Persian Gulf, the first centre of its kind in the region.
Visiting SeaWorld Abu Dhabi
The park sits on Yas Island alongside Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, and Yas Waterworld, making it easy to combine with the island’s other mega-attractions. Because the entire park is indoors and climate-controlled, it is a year-round destination — a major advantage through the Gulf summer. Expect a full day: beyond the animal habitats there are rides, sea lion and dolphin presentations, and more than a dozen dining options spread across the realms.
FAQ
Is SeaWorld Abu Dhabi the largest aquarium in the world?
It holds the world’s largest multi-species aquarium (Endless Ocean) and about 58 million litres overall — second only to Chimelong Spaceship in China on the world’s largest aquariums ranking.
Does SeaWorld Abu Dhabi have orcas?
No. It is the first SeaWorld park built without orcas, focusing instead on habitats for dolphins, sea lions, walruses, penguins, sharks, and rays, plus a marine rescue and research center.
When did SeaWorld Abu Dhabi open?
The park opened on May 23, 2023, on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi — the first SeaWorld outside the United States.
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Photo: Lintophilip / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.