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Three species of penguins – Rockhopper, Little Blue, and African – compete for space on the central island and take dips in the surrounding pool.

A vibrant Pacific coral reef thrives beneath intense lighting that ensures the fragile coral’s survival. Corals house small plants in their tissues that require light to carry out photosynthesis.

Offering a veritable cross-section of a Caribbean reef, the Giant Ocean Tank packs tortoises, sharks, moral eels, brightly colored tropical fish and scores of other species into the 200,000-gallon (900,000 liter) tank.

The Simons IMAX Theater shows large-format 3D documentaries, featuring digital surround sound and plenty of breathtaking, you-are-there cinematic moments. Education with an adrenalin rush.

Harbor seals swim, feed, and play in specially designed tanks outside the aquarium. All have either been born in captivity or rescued and deemed unfit for release into the wild.

Temporary exhibitions on the ground floor highlight a particular region of the aquatic world. Exhibitions have included “Living Links”, which features species from a South Pacific coral reef.

The aquarium’s extremely popular whale watch ships (Apr–Oct only) provide an unparalleled glimpse into the life cycles of the world’s largest mammals. Voyager II and III steam well outside Boston Harbor to the Stellwagen Bank, a prime feeding area for pods of whales.

For about half an hour you can witness these 850-pound (385-kilo) behemoths whipping through the water, jumping onto the pool deck, and even kissing lucky onlookers.

Providing an interesting counterbalance to the aquarium’s seaward slant, this exhibit gives freshwater fish their due. In addition to piranhas, electric eels, and local salmon, it boasts intriguing studies of endangered freshwater habitats from the Amazon to North American temperate forests.

For those not content to merely gaze at fish behind glass, the Edge of the Sea tidepool exhibit puts marine life at visitors’ fingertips – literally. Inside a ground-level fiberglass tank, the New England seashore is recreated in all its diversity.