The Ocean Voyager tank holds the whale sharks and measures 6.3 million gallons

The Ocean Voyager exhibit at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta is the tank where the whale sharks live. It holds 6.3 million gallons of water, making it one of the largest aquarium tanks in the world. The tank is 233 feet long, 161 feet wide, and 53 feet deep. To put that in perspective, it's roughly equivalent to 9 Olympic-size swimming pools stacked together.

The whale sharks are not alone in Ocean Voyager. The tank also holds manta rays, sea turtles, groupers, jacks, and dozens of other species that share the same water column. The exhibit opened in 2005 and was specifically designed to recreate the open ocean environment where whale sharks naturally live.

Key Takeaways

  • Ocean Voyager holds 6.3 million gallons of water and measures 233 feet long, 161 feet wide, and 53 feet deep.
  • The tank is home to multiple whale sharks along with manta rays, sea turtles, and large fish species that coexist in the same exhibit.
  • The Georgia Aquarium's whale shark tank is one of the largest in the world and was built specifically to house these massive animals.
  • The depth of 53 feet allows the whale sharks room to swim vertically, which is important for their behavior and health in captivity.

How the tank compares to other large aquarium exhibits

Ocean Voyager is the largest tank at the Georgia Aquarium, but it is not the only massive exhibit there. The Tropical Diver tank holds 164,000 gallons and houses smaller tropical fish. The Cold Water Quest and Beluga whales exhibits are also substantial, though they hold far less water than Ocean Voyager.

Globally, Ocean Voyager ranks among the top five largest aquarium tanks. The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan has the Kuroshio Sea tank, which holds 7.5 million gallons and is larger. However, Ocean Voyager remains one of the most visited and well-known large tanks because of the whale sharks and the variety of species living together in it.

Why the tank needs to be this large

Whale sharks are the largest fish species on Earth. Adult whale sharks can reach lengths of 40 feet or more, though the ones at Georgia Aquarium are somewhat smaller. A tank of 6.3 million gallons is necessary to give these animals enough space to swim and exhibit natural behaviors. The width and length allow them to move in straight lines rather than constantly turning, which matters for their physical and mental well-being.

The depth of 53 feet is equally important. Whale sharks naturally dive and rise through the water column as they feed and move. A shallow tank would restrict their ability to do this. The Georgia Aquarium's designers understood that housing such large animals requires not just volume, but the right shape and dimensions to mimic their natural environment as closely as possible.

What you see when you visit the whale shark tank

When you stand in front of Ocean Voyager, you are looking through an acrylic panel that is 2 feet thick. The main viewing area gives you a direct view of the whale sharks as they swim past. The tank is designed so that the whale sharks and other large animals pass through your line of sight regularly, though they do not perform on a schedule.

The exhibit also has an upper-level viewing area and a tunnel section where you can see the animals from different angles. The lighting in the tank is designed to show the whale sharks' spotted pattern clearly. You will see the whale sharks feeding on plankton and fish eggs during certain times of day, and you will see the manta rays gliding through the water alongside them.

How the tank is maintained and filtered

A tank holding 6.3 million gallons requires industrial-scale filtration and water management. The Georgia Aquarium uses a combination of mechanical and biological filtration to keep the water clean and safe for the animals. The system includes large sand filters, protein skimmers, and UV sterilization. Water quality is monitored constantly, and the staff tests for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, salinity, and temperature multiple times per day.

The tank is not drained and refilled. Instead, the filtration system continuously cleans and recirculates the water. The aquarium also performs partial water changes regularly to maintain water quality. The entire system is backed up with redundant pumps and filters so that if one component fails, the others can keep the tank running while repairs are made. This level of maintenance is necessary because a failure could harm or kill the animals living in the tank.

The cost and engineering behind Ocean Voyager

The Georgia Aquarium cost approximately $290 million to build when it opened in 2005. Ocean Voyager was the most expensive exhibit to construct because of its size, the acrylic panels, the filtration system, and the structural engineering required to hold 6.3 million gallons of saltwater. The weight of the water alone is roughly 52 million pounds, so the building's foundation and support systems had to be engineered to handle that load.

The acrylic viewing panels are custom-made and are among the largest in the world. They had to be manufactured, transported, and installed with extreme precision. Any flaw in the acrylic could lead to a leak or structural failure. The filtration and life support systems are equally complex, with miles of piping, dozens of pumps, and computerized monitoring systems that run 24 hours a day.

How the whale sharks came to Georgia Aquarium

The Georgia Aquarium's whale sharks were collected from the wild in 2005 and 2006. Four whale sharks were brought to the aquarium to populate Ocean Voyager. This was controversial at the time because whale sharks are a vulnerable species, and capturing them from the wild raises conservation concerns. The aquarium has since worked with marine biologists to study the animals and contribute to scientific knowledge about whale shark behavior and health.

The aquarium has not added new whale sharks in recent years, and breeding whale sharks in captivity has not been successful. The current whale sharks at Georgia Aquarium are now in their late teens or early twenties in terms of age, which is still relatively young for a whale shark. The aquarium continues to provide them with care and monitoring, and the exhibit remains one of the most popular attractions at the facility.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many whale sharks are in the Georgia Aquarium tank?

There are four whale sharks living in Ocean Voyager. They share the tank with manta rays, sea turtles, groupers, jacks, and other fish species. The tank is large enough that the different species can coexist without excessive competition or stress.

Can you see the whale sharks from multiple viewing areas?

Yes. Ocean Voyager has a main viewing area with the large acrylic panel, an upper-level viewing area, and a tunnel section where you can see the animals from below and the sides. Different viewing angles give you different perspectives on the whale sharks and the other animals in the tank.

How deep is the whale shark tank?

Ocean Voyager is 53 feet deep. This depth allows the whale sharks to swim vertically and dive through the water column, which is important for their natural behavior. The depth also accommodates the other large animals in the tank, such as the manta rays.

Is the water in the whale shark tank saltwater or freshwater?

The water is saltwater. Whale sharks are ocean animals, so the tank is filled with salt water that mimics the ocean environment. The salinity, temperature, and other water chemistry parameters are monitored and maintained to keep the animals healthy.

How often do the whale sharks eat?

The whale sharks are fed regularly, though the exact feeding schedule varies. They are fed a combination of plankton, fish eggs, and other foods that match their natural diet. The aquarium staff observes the animals' behavior and adjusts feeding based on their needs and appetite.