National Aquarium of Cuba — Attraction in Ampliación de Almendares

Where else can you see a dolphin show (included in the price) for 10 CUC ($15 CDN)? So, go for the dolphin show (kids will love it), but don't expect anything else. The rest of the aquarium is a disaster of filth and crumbling concrete. There are probably more stray cats wandering around than there are fish. At the time of visit, the restaurant was closed. Most of the cement ponds were empty. There is no interpretive material in English. A large poster of the "commandante en jefe" promises a "brilliant future" for the aquarium, but they haven't achieved it yet.

Among the exhibits, the only worth seeing are the ponds with sea turtles. Some of the turtles are quite large, but the ponds are very dirty. There are about 20 very small and uninteresting fish tanks. No sharks, no crocodiles. Two sea lions.

If you look down from the sea lookout railing, you will see a shelf of Paleozoic rock stratum immediately beneath you embedded with hundreds of very large trilobite fossils (most about 4 inches long). This...

OMG 10 pesos (about 5 cents) to see dolphin shows. How come the review is not 5-star? I agree this place needs a lot more attention and contraction, but for this price, this is really 5-star. We visited the place at 11 and the dolphin show was at 12. So, we had time to visit aquariums and turtles. Turtles were a bunch of 6-7 that was not that exciting. However, between aquariums, there were many rare and interesting species. At least 20 kinds of them were amazingly eye-catching for me such that I haven’t seen a film or picture of them and I realized they are living species after seeing their movements. There were 2 alligators that have been kept in dirty and small aquariums which I didn’t like the way that they are kept. There was I believe one sea lion and 8 dolphins. We attend the dolphin show which was amazing and fun with good music and energetic reporter. I paid 100 pesos to touch dolphins and 1000 pesos to wear their clothes and...

The National Aquarium of Cuba is an experience that transcends a typical modern aquarium visit; it's a dose of local Cuban charm and passionate effort. Reviewers praise the sheer joy and incredible value, especially the lively and energetic dolphin and sea lion shows, which are an absolute highlight that brings out genuine delight in visitors of all ages. While some exhibits may show the strains of limited resources, the atmosphere is refreshingly genuine and focuses on environmental education. It is a place where you feel a heartfelt connection to the enthusiastic marine life and the dedicated staff, leaving you with a feeling of being a part of a unique, localized effort to celebrate the...