The Tropical Aquarium Hamburg is a marine ecosystem in a very small space. The refuge under the tropical house in Hagenbeck's zoo can get pretty big when it needs to be cleaned. And who is allowed to climb into the aquarium tanks? I watched animal keeper Heidi Rohr cleaning the shark tanks at Hagenbecks Tierpark Aquarium.

I enter the jungle – right in the middle Hamburg. The security door opens and a strange world appears before the visitors: The temperatures are tropically humid and hot, so that the sweat of an average Central European man quickly drips from the forehead. Savages animals scream in the rainforest vegetation and as soon as you have entered the above-water part of the tropical aquarium, a pack of lemurs look at you with big, googly eyes.

From then on it goes downwards, forwards, sideways - up and down stairs, past all kinds of creepy crawlies, fish and reptiles to the lake with the four impressive Nile crocodiles - and Hamburg's only waterfall. The spectators at Hagenbeck are right in the middle of it all, rather than just there.

Down into the catacombs

We then go down into the catacombs so that you can look through the thick glass panes into the aquatic terrariums and discover some exotic fish species such as piranhas. A taste of what's about to come! Visitors go down into the dark basement to see the spiders, snakes and bats, some of which can only be seen in silhouette in the dimly lit corridors. Visitors now only have to turn a corner before they find themselves in front of the impressive panoramic glass of a meter-long coral tank.

Video – Impressions from the Hagenbeck Tropical Aquarium

Since I unfortunately didn't make a video of my visit to Hagenbeck's tropical aquarium, I picked out a video for you that gives you a nice impression of the aquarium.

Book your well-deserved vacation now!

Book your dream vacation now at favorable conditions on the renowned booking portal HolidayCheck – top rated by Stiftung Warentest (01/2024). Click and browse now!

Related Articles

Preparation is everything

Hagenbeck diver Heidi Rohr stands at the widescreen pool and prepares for her mission on the other side of the acrylic glass pane. The trained zoo keeper will immediately climb into the pool in full diving gear and do a big cleaning job to get the pool in shape.

Heidi loves this part of her job, which not only involves diving, but also dealing with all the animals in the zoo: “I always wanted to dive,” reveals the thirty-one-year-old from Hamburg: “I had just finished my training I also got my diving license directly privately.” But in case of doubt, the zoo also provides the training, because vacation replacements in particular also have to have a diving license because otherwise the pools get dirty pretty quickly.

And to prevent that, Heidi Rohr is now going behind the scenes. Diagonally to the left of the pool, behind a door, a staircase leads directly to the upper edge of the pool. The air here is stuffy, hot and humid, and the UV lamps that illuminate the pool shine bright blue-violet.

There is a ten-liter bottle next to the basin that Heidi won't strap to her back. Instead, the machine is connected to a hose extension so that the diver goes into the water without a bottle and only has the regulator in her mouth and the pressure hose in her hand.

Impressions from Hagenbeck's tropical aquarium

Below I have put together a small picture gallery with the photos I took in Hagenbeck's zoo. You can see quite well what it looks like around the aquarium.

Like dusting – only with sharks all around

Colleague Reiner Reusch is standing at the edge of the pool. The deputy director of the tropical aquarium assists the diver and is of course ready to intervene in an emergency. Safety is the top priority in underwater operations. However, the protection of the fragile flora and fauna is in no way inferior: “Not everyone is allowed to dive in the coral tank,” says Heidi Rohr, “you have to be very careful so that you don’t knock anything down and nothing falls.” The beginners would do the first thing The mission is initially let into the crocodile lake - but without the reptiles, which are locked up during the time.

Heidi lowers a ladder into the water and deftly shimmies past the ceiling structures into the water. She then begins to carefully remove suspended particles and residues from the surfaces with the water jet. Just like when dusting at home, the particles are distributed in the water, so that the diver briefly disappears in a cloud of underwater dust.

In this way, the animal specialist works her way across the entire tank, skilfully dancing around the sensitive corals so as not to break anything. The whole time she stands in front of the window under the suspicious gaze of visitors and of course her protégés in the tank, the colorful, tropical fish.

• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook
• YouTube
• TikTok

Follow me too Xing, TripAdvisor and Threads!

Follow me on Instagram now

stick with Travel Blog Just-Wanderlust.com and @strandkind_co always up to date and just follow me on Instagram!

And who is allowed to climb into the pool with the sharks and rays?

Activities in the water are strictly regulated at Hagenbeck: apart from the zookeepers, who are specially trained for their underwater activities, no one is allowed into the aquariums. And only the most experienced employees are allowed into some pools. The coral basin and the large atoll with the sharks and rays are for the absolute professionals, because the container is enormous: 1,8 million liters of water form a water column nine meters high.

Towards one side, a huge panoramic window separates the marine life from the auditorium. The immensely large, transparent, curved surface was manufactured in three pieces in Japan, shipped to Hamburg and only assembled on site.

The dimensions are really enormous, so that a person appears like a miniature in front of them: “We once had someone who was afraid of heights,” says Heidi Rohr, “who couldn’t dive with the sharks. The pool is nine meters deep and he just couldn’t cope with it.”

The safety precautions are also higher here: the divers only go into the water in pairs - one cleans and one protects, because some of the sharks can get a little curious. “The zebra shark in particular likes to take a closer look at what we are doing in its territory. And the purple ray likes to suck on you,” says Heidi Rohr.

Facts and information about the Hamburg tropical aquarium in Hagenbeck's zoo

The Tropical Aquarium Hamburg in Hagenbeck's zoo brings a tropical underwater world into the middle of the metropolis. The complex spans 8.000 square meters across four levels and houses both dry and underwater areas. Visitors can experience over 14.300 exotic animals from almost 300 different species up close in the tropical aquarium.

Opening hours

The Tropical Aquarium is open daily from 9am to 18pm, with the exception of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve when it is open from 9am to 13pm. Admission prices start at 14 euros for adults and 10 euros for children. There are discounts for families and groups. Visitors can either visit just the zoo or the tropical aquarium, or experience both with a combo ticket.

Opening times and prices may change at any time. I would take another look directly at Hagenbeck before visiting.

How to get there

Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg is easy to reach by car via the A7 (Elbe Tunnel). The Stellingen exit leads directly to the park. There are also numerous free and paid parking options. Alternatively, visitors can also use public transport: the subway line U2 and bus lines 22, 39, 181 and 281 lead directly to Hagenbeck Zoo.

Features

The Tropical Aquarium Hamburg is characterized by a few special features. In addition to the underwater area, there is also a land part where ring-tailed lemurs, lizards and Nile crocodiles live. Hamburg's only waterfall also awaits visitors. One of the main attractions is the Shark Atoll, where visitors can marvel at sharks and rays through a six-meter-high acrylic glass pane.

About Hagenbeck's zoo

Tierpark Hagenbeck is the only large zoo in Germany that is completely family-owned and is operated without regular state subsidies. The park covers an area of ​​19 hectares and is home to 140 animal species with a total of 1.400 animals. The tropical aquarium, which opened in 2007, houses 350 animal species with around 14.300 animals.

The park has a network of paths more than six kilometers long and offers a variety of outdoor enclosures and plants from all over the world. The former main entrance to the zoo is an impressive building and is now a listed building.

You can find more information about the Tropical Aquarium Hamburg and Hagenbecks Tierpark on the official website: www.hagenbeck.de

Related Articles

Will underwater robots take over the job in tropical aquariums in the future?

The diving zookeeper is not afraid that underwater robots will take over her job in the future: “They’re already doing that! The acrylic glass panes in the pools are cleaned by window cleaning robots. Every three to five months the machine travels over the transparent surfaces and provides a fresh view.” The work is incredibly varied: “I don’t go into the water every day. Above all, I love working with the animals – there is so much to do that you never get bored.”

It takes many hardworking hands and a lot of effort to ensure that viewers are amazed by the colorful corals and exotic marine life during their visit to the tropical aquarium. But the effort is worth it: This compressed marine ecosystem - the underwater world in a nutshell - raises the awareness and understanding of the concerns of the maritime environment in visitors large and small.

Have you already been to the tropical aquarium in Hagenbeck's zoo or are you planning a trip to the zoo? Share your experiences in the comments.