Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo

Dubai Mall’s most mesmerising sight is this gargantuan aquarium where 33,000 submarine beasties flit and dart amid artificial coral and behind the ‘world’s largest acrylic viewing panel’, as recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Sharks and rays are top attractions, but other crowd-pleasers include a Sumo-sized giant grouper and massive schools of pelagic fish. You can view quite a lot for free from the outside or pay for access to the walk-through tunnel. A highlight here is a darkened cave where you can go nose-to-nose with dozens of toothy sharks. If that’s not close enough, don a wetsuit and join a dive instructor on a shark dive (Dh625 if PADI-certified, Dh825 if uncertified). Don’t worry, all sharks are kept on a closely monitored feeding schedule to keep their predatory behaviour in check. If that’s too thrilling, hop on a glass-bottomed boat for a glacial float (Dh25). Upstairs, the very worthwhile Underwater Zoo journeys through three eco-zones: rainforest, rocky shore and living ocean. There are lots of rare and interesting denizens here, including air-breathing African lungfish, cheeky archerfish that catch insects by shooting water, spooky giant spider crabs and otherworldly sea dragons. Budget at least half an hour for both the tunnel and the zoo.