Odysseo – an amazing underwater world (Mauritius)

In september 2021 the first oceanarium opened in Mauritius. It's also the first in the Indian Ocean and the largest oceanarium in the archipelaga called the Mascarenes (Indian Ocean). The location of Odysseo is the waterfront in Port Louis, the capital. The distance from city centre is only a 20 minute walk. My plan was to take photos of the building itself (the architecture..). Once I was there, noone stood in line at the ticket gate. The guy behind the glass said that I would have an amazing experience if I went inside. So I bought a ticket and startet my journey of discovery. I am not that much interested in fish and don't usually visit aquariums. But this place took me by surprise. Absolutely a unique experience. Much bigger than it looks like. Beautifully designed. The alternation between small and large aquariums, informative plans, children's activity corners, mooving from indoor to outdoor pools and then indoor again, made it an mesmerising tour.

I must admit that I didn't read all the information boards with the names and information about each fish. So I wont give you a lot of information about the fish. Instead I will take you on a visual tour from start to finish. The short videos are done with my phone. So are some of the photos.

I did recognize some of the fish, like the small clownfish. What I didn't know was that they can change gender. The male will transform into a female, if his female companion dies.

Odysseo also has an educational purpose. The aquarium wants to be in contact with schools and university students and to be an arena of education. Odysseo aim at teaching us about the vulnerability of the oceans and the consequences of polution. The focus is to help us to expand our environmental consciousness.

These jellyfish are a beautiful sight. They move so elegantly in the water. From these delicate creatures, the next was a gigantic aquarium.

Odysseo in numbers and size: In total it covers 1,5 hectares - visit area is 5.500 square meters - 45 aquariums - 500 species - 2500 specimens.

After going up and down stairs and through tunnels around the aquarium, we can stand or sit here and just enjoy what we see. This aquarium is huge. But then, this is where the sharks are.

Surprisingly I spent more than two hours here! Unfortunately, my photos do not convey how beautiful and well-designed the aquarium is. I can only tell you that it is incredibly well done and I can only recommend a visit.