It’s been over eight years since I’ve been to the Shark Reef Aquarium at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. A visit to this aquarium was actually a tourist activity that was part of my very first ever trip to the Las Vegas Valley back in 2017 before I moved here, back when I was invited by Blizzard Entertainment to watch Heroes of the Dorm, a collegiate Heroes of the Storm tournament, live in the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

A friend and I were walking around the Strip yesterday afternoon in the area of the Mandalay Bay, and we noticed that the aquarium had discounted US$25.00-per-person admission in celebration of its 25th year. She hadn’t been inside before, and it had been a very long time since I’d last seen it, so we decided to check it out.

The aquarium was pretty similar to the vague memories I have of being there last time. It has a temple theming in the hallways with an assortment of fish, reptiles, amphibians, and other sea creatures in various enclosures throughout. There are a couple interactive experiences, and the iconic fully-surrounding tank tunnel is still around, but otherwise, it was a fairly straightforward and small aquarium.

I think this is a decent spot to check out if you want a break from the Las Vegas bustle, and especially if you’re feeling extra dry from the low desert humidity and want to give your skin a chance to ambiently rehydrate. However, otherwise, there wasn’t anything too incredible about it, and many other zoos and aquariums I’ve been to have had better value for the money, even with Shark Reef’s current discounted tickets.

Here are some photographs I took in the aquarium: