Tour of the Cala Ganone Oceanarium in Orosei.
The Oceanarium, opened in July 2010, has 40 aquariums, of which 15 are for acclimatisation and care, 24 exhibits with typical Mediterranean species and one dedicated to the ichthyofauna of tropical seas. In total, about 300 species are housed, totalling about 2,000 specimens.
There is also a tactile tank where visitors can touch stingrays, hermit crabs and starfish.
The length of the tour is about 200 metres and the average visit lasts about 40 minutes.
The Cala Gonone Oceanarium is a work of modern architecture, located in an area of considerable landscape interest, among centuries-old olive trees and lush Mediterranean plants.
The structure, designed by architects Peter Chermayev (his designs for the Boston, Lisbon and Genoa Aquariums) and Sebastiano Gaias (Tarrosa Service Centre, Ghilarza Art Museum, Nivola Museum), has a beautiful view of the Gulf of Orosei.
The exhibition route, centred mainly on the Mediterranean Sea, is made up of 25 pools dedicated to the marine ecosystems of Sardinia and is completed thanks to a tropical section and a fun tactile zone. Since 2016, the Oceanarium, which is also a zoological garden, has been recognised by the Ministry of the Environment as a structure with a high level of animal welfare, in accordance with the rules specified in the Zoo Law.
For this reason, they were entrusted with two animals in distress: a magnificent Caretta turtle that was left blind after coming ashore due to swallowing rubbish, and a fox that was the victim of a forest fire. Both animals cannot be re-released into the wild and have become formidable witnesses to the environmental damage caused by certain human behaviour.
The Oceanarium, since its opening in 2010, has been actively involved in promoting issues related to the protection of the marine ecosystem, informing through various installations along the exhibition route about issues related to the presence of waste in the sea, sustainable consumption, and the protection of biodiversity. A green aquarium that uses recycled materials such as granulated glass and low-energy systems.
