Make the most of your vacation at **** Ker Helen to visit theArcachon marine aquarium and museum. Small in size, this picturesque museum-aquarium is nonetheless the oldest aquarium in the world. We tell you all about it!
The world’s oldest aquarium
It’s said to be aging, but it’s an unsuspected piece of history that stands near the Eyrac d’Arcachon jetty. It was built of wood in 1867 under Napoleon III, on the initiative of the Société Scientifique d’Arcachon. Today, it’s the world’s oldest aquarium still in operation in its original configuration! So don’t expect to visit a new-generation aquarium! The layout of the rooms is relatively old, perhaps a little old-fashioned, but that’s what gives the place its pleasant old-fashioned charm.
Discovering the underwater world of the Basin
The aquarium is entirely devoted to the marine fauna of the Arcachon Basin. In all, some twenty aquariums of all sizes, arranged in an arc, present the different species found in the Bay of Biscay and the Bay of Arcachon: sea bass, triggerfish, moray eel, sea bream, skate, octopus, anemone, starfish… But the highlight of the visit is the seahorse aquarium, which you could stare at for hours and never tire of. By the way, did you know that the Bay of Arcachon is home to Europe’s largest population of speckled seahorses? Despite scientific interest, very little is known about this unique fish. Yes, the seahorse is a fish! The only difference is that it doesn’t have scales, but bony plates. We’ll have the opportunity to tell you more about this horse-like little fish in a future article!
A small natural history museum
If you like the atmosphere of 18th-century cabinets of curiosities, this is the place to be! Upstairs, visitors will discover a small, timeless natural history museum, a little like a “Jules Verne”.
In the old wooden display cases and on the walls, you’ll discover a whole collection of naturalized animals, fish, birds and small mammals. Here, a dolphin skeleton, a whale jaw, a turtle shell; there, a shark fished in the port of Arcachon, an octopus in its formalin jar, shellfish from all over the world meticulously classified by country.
Another room, another atmosphere, with prehistoric tools and pottery found on the Gallo-Roman site of Lamothe, between Le Teich and Biganos. The last room is devoted to oyster farming on the Bay of Arcachon.
PRACTICE
- Address: 2 rue du Professeur Jolyet, 33120 Arcachon
- Open from February to November, every day except Saturday morning
- Prices: €6.70/adult, €4.30/children aged 4 to 12
photo © Annie T