Consistently named one of the top aquariums in the United States, the New England Aquarium is now even better. After a 10-month, top-to-bottom $17.3 million re-design, the aquarium’s four-story giant ocean tank is home to more than 2,000 tropical fish, sharks, sea turtles and other aquatic animals.

Boston’s new coral reef — one of the most bio-diverse in the world — boasts 140 different species thriving in a habitat designed to replicate a what a pristine reef would have looked like in the days before Christopher Columbus stepped foot on the North American continent.

In addition to the Giant Ocean Tank, aquarium guests also get up-close-and-personal with small sharks and stingrays in the Trust Family Foundation Shark and Ray Touch Tank, the largest of its kind on the American East Coast. California sea lions and Northern fur seals are always entertaining in the New Balance Foundation Marine Mammal Center. The penguin exhibit featuring frolicking African, rockhopper, and little blue penguins is also a top draw.

One of the aquarium’s most incredible experiences is a whale-watch cruise to Stellwagen Bank.  America’s only whale feeding sanctuary, just 25 miles east of Boston, Stellwagen Bank attracts humpbacks, minkes, and finbacks as well as dolphins and sea birds.

“As we approach a half century of being a top tourist attraction in New England, it is very exciting to know we have so much more to offer in an ever-changing world where we can actively instruct the public on how to do their part to help the oceans survive,” said Bud Ris, president and CEO, New England Aquarium.

You may also like:

Boston: By Land And By Sea

Spa: Chuan Body + Soul, Langham Boston