National Aquarium of New Zealand

We had a really good time visiting the National Aquarium in Napier. It’s definitely a spot that engages both kids and adults, and there is plenty to see. The Little Penguin enclosure was the absolute highlight—make sure you catch the feeding times because the commentary is hilarious, and the guided tour was excellent and very informative. I was also impressed by the tank setups; the aquatic plants are incredibly lush, and the collection of dinosaur fossils and shells was a cool, unexpected history lesson. However, I have to say I was a bit disappointed regarding the sharks. I was really looking forward to seeing them, but they weren't on display during our visit, which was a letdown. Even with that missing piece, it’s still a wonderful experience and a must-visit if you are in the area.

We had a lovely time here. Though the venue is small it offered a wide variety of things to see and enjoy. The day was packed with visitors which made the feeding viewings very busy but still worth it for sure. We saw the penguins and the aquarium divers feeding. The staff were really helpful. The location was clean and fresh. Good information 👍

Great aquarium! Exceeded expectations, such a huge variety of different aquatic animals and others. Staff were super friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend for anyone.

Stepping into the National Aquarium of New Zealand was an absolute delight! 🐠 The diverse marine life on display offered a fascinating glimpse into underwater ecosystems. I was particularly impressed by the vibrant coral reefs and the majestic sharks gliding through the tanks. Exploring the interactive exhibits provided an educational and engaging experience for all ages. It's a must-visit destination for anyone interested in marine conservation and the wonders of the ocean. I highly recommend dedicating a few hours to fully appreciate this incredible institution.

The aquarium was very nice but small. It took us less than an hour to see all the exhibits. There are frequent penguin and fish feedings throughout the day, which are fun to see.

Enjoyable and educational place to spend some time. We live out of town and make sure to visit every few years. We always enjoy ourselves. The staff are friendly. The facility is well maintained, with clear signage, good sized corridors, adequate toilets, a café and gift ship. The displays are clean and it is easy to see the occupants. This trip we particularly enjoyed seeing the kiwi and the penguins. We visited on a week day and it was not too busy.

Loved the experience! We were able to see the penguin being fed and fishes being fed by divers. It was a small aquarium and not complete. We were expecting octopus, squid or baby sharks but maybe the ecosystem of the water is not suitable for those. I'm prolly just dreaming. Lol. But I was happy with the stingrays! Too bad we were not able to see kiwis 😭

Nice little aquarium. Well laid out and great displays. We really enjoyed the korora little blue penguins. The dinosaurs are not needed, although we liked the display about the kiwi paleontologist, Joan Wiffen. An aquarium didn't seem the place for it, but it was still a well-done corner display.

They opened early for the cruise ship, before 9:00. Admission was $25 reduced for students, seniors and children. There was a large café and gift shop, we left our umbrellas and raincoats in a locker and followed the arrows. The building is accessible to the handicapped. It was very dark inside, I was bumping into things. We spent an hour here. Walked around in the dark to the Kiwi inclosure and waited patiently. Later in the morning the lights were turned off and both nocturnal kiwis began to move around. The foot tall blue penguins were very active as they glided through the water. They have 16 rescue penguins, we saw the 9:30 feeding, A lot of the fish reptiles are not native to New Zealand & not particularly interesting for us. The aquarium filled very quickly with small children.

I visited the National Aquarium of New Zealand on a cruise excursion. Upon arrival, I noticed how crowded this aquarium was. I'm unsure if it was because of the day we went when several cruise ships were in port or if this was normal. The aquarium is very small and you can see everything within hours (or if you're like me and hate crowds, within 20 minutes). I loved the kiwi area but I didn't stay long because of the amount of people. It was amazing to see kiwi for the first time so that was a huge highlight. The aquarium was clean and the bathrooms were as well. The gift shop was extremely small. I decided to leave early and just hang out by the beautiful ocean that the aquarium is next to. All in all, I'm glad I visited but I don't see myself coming back.

This place is a waste of time and money. There's construction going on right now and a large part of the facility is closed. Also no bathroom because that part is under construction also. Wtf! - Also, the place is tiny and doesn't have much to see. For $20, you can't even go use the bathroom! Lame!

Love this place -- sooo much more than an aquarium. They also show the geology of NZ, dinosaurs of NZ, and a small display of what you need in a survival pantry for two weeks. Walking distance from the cruise ship but you can take the city shuttle bus or hire a vintage car to give you a ride

It's very very small, but fine for 1-2 hours. I probably read every word in the place in about 2 hours. There's a dinosaur room, a few tanks of fish from around the world, a cool kiwi tank, a great tank of little penguins that is open to viewers and the Penguins get within a foot or 2. The big exhibit is the moving walkway under a tank of reef fish and pelagics, including a bunch of little sharks, 1 big shark, and one ray. It looked from the signs like they have a rotating set of creatures in the various tanks--for example, the big tank had a sign about eagle rays, and I definitely didn't see one. They used to offer dives in the big tank but tourism rules changed in 2015 or so and now try only offer snorkeling, which would still be cool with all the Sharks. The staff was friendly and helpful. The price was a bit high, but there's not all that much to do in the area. Also, I was nearing the end of my trip and hadn't yet seen kiwi or Penguins in New Zealand, so it was worth the cost to make sure I saw them. It was very lowkey, not crowded, and thoughtfully and nicely done, and I'd recommend it as a place to visit once. There's plenty of free street parking right outside.

I'm kind of on the fence about this place, but I'd have to give it a pass. Given how the Aussies and Kiwis are such aquatic creatures, I kind of expected this to be a little more opulent. I mean, it's the NATIONAL aquarium, you know? Anyway, it looks pretty homemade when you walk through, complete with plenty of grammatical errors and unprofessional looking clippings of things. That being said, there are a few stars of the show, like the cute little penguins that are doing aerobics routines in the water together. There's a shark and ray tank with a moving conveyor belt to stand on, but given how the conveyor belt groans beneath your feet, you begin to ask yourself if you really needed to eat French fries for the fifth day in a row. I'm not sure what someone was talking about when referencing that you can't use the restroom... it's definitely there and works just fine.

This is a good aquarium right on the ocean in Napier. It's not too big but has some nice tanks with all kinds of fish and other critters. In the lower levels they have a dark room with a big enclosure and they have kiwi waking around in it. A good way to spend a couple of hours. You can also find a geocache behind the building.

This is a nice way to spend an hour or two and find out about the sea life around New Zealand if you have extra time. They also have a kiwi house in the aquarium. I also found it very interesting learning about the fossils found in the area.