The Dallas World Aquarium

The Dallas World Aquarium is an aquarium and zoo that is open to the public. It is located in downtown Dallas' West End Historic District. It is part of a worldwide cooperative breeding program that houses endangered and threatened animals. Since 1997, it has been an accredited member of Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is also a member of World Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

The aquarium opened in October 1992 in an old warehouse from 1924 that had been renovated and rebuilt inside. "The Orinoco - Secrets of the River" was opened in 1997 in an adjacent warehouse. It had been similarly gutted and transformed. The alley between the buildings became the division between saltwater and freshwater exhibits. It purchased the lot behind the original warehouse in May 2000 for its first new construction, The Mundo Maya. This exhibit opened in August 2004. Ben Crair of The New Republic wrote an expose in 2015 that exposed the darker side to the zoo.

The aquarium's upper level is an artificial replica of the Orinoco Rainforest. The rainforest is an aviary with birds such as scarlet-ibis and toucans free flying. Visitors can see the only public display in America of Antillean manatees and three-toed slotshs. They also see other animals like electric eels and caecilians.

Lower levels house aquaria that include fish, jellyfish, coral, anemones, jellyfish and other sea creatures from around the globe. The 10 main tanks showcase the aquatic life from Japan, Sri Lankan, British Columbia, Sri Lankan, Fiji, Palau and Southern Australia. A large tank featuring a tunnel measuring 40 feet (12 m) in length, where visitors can see fish from the continental shelf swimming around it, is also on display.

The aquarium is part of a partnership between local corporations and the Dallas Public Schools district. Many of its employees are also full time students at the School of Business and Management of the Yvonne A. Ewell Townview Magnet High School. The school offers a work-study program that teaches the next generation real-world business skills and practices. This joint venture is part of a work study program.

Photograph of the underside of a shark taken from the Dallas World Aquarium's under-tank tunnel