Holy Macarol!!

So, everyone here says that you have to check out the Dubai Mall while you are staying in Dubai. It is certainly a site to behold with four stories, a full grocery store, an ice skating rink, and yes, even an unbelievable aquarium. Yesterday, we got the chance to check out this absolutely amazing aquarium. From the outside, you are awed by its enormous size extending up several floors with a star-gazers roof above. The tank actually holds 8,000,000 gallons of water....yes....that's 8 MILLION gallons of water. You can hardly believe your eyes as you stand next to this massive tank containing 13,000 different types of fish species.

The boys were already in awe, but for just about $5, you can walk through a tunnel within the center of the aquarium. As we began walking, the boys were darting about looking at all the different fish, when we happened upon Ahmed, who is one of the marine biologists helping the visitors. He walked the entirety of the tank telling us about each species, the individual fish and plant life, and so much more.

We found out that there are 36 full sized sand sharks swimming right above and beside us with their four rows of teeth! However, don't be scared, they are fed a steady diet of raw fish every day at 4pm. Also, you will see three enormous fish called groupers, which are the largest fish in the tank at nearly 8 feet long and over 800 pounds. In order to keep these massive fish alive, they must be fed over 30 pounds of tuna each day.

The whole experience was absolutely amazing! Dillon rushed from the tank so excited he could hardly contain his enthusiasm. It seems that a trip to the mall wasn't just a boring shopping day, but a lesson in marine life while standing within an indoor ocean!