Belle Isle Aquarium

It’s a beautiful display, but more recently, I couldn’t help but notice how miserable nearly all of the animals look, and the highly limited space that many of them have.An electric eel is nearly as long as its tank. Many of the larger fish seem to be right on top of each other all of the time as they either float in a suspended position, or shuffle endlessly back and forth.Even a shrimp we saw seemed to be caught in a trance-like motion, doing the same thing over and over again without reason. I cannot imagine that animals would behave the same in their natural environments.I simply suspect that, despite the treat to be able to be this close to creatures, they do not belong so far removed from their natural environments and habitats.These are not domesticated animals, after all… they are highly evolved creatures completely outside of areas in and for which they have adapted.This is not an attempt to shame anyone; I’m not an animal activist or anything.I just feel that we should be thinking a bit more about these things and how we are ethically treating other living organisms.I suppose one note of irony is that, next door, the Conservatory is being majorly expanded to accommodate the growing plants, while next door, the Aquarium’s residents which, from what we understand, sustain significantly more evolved consciousness, remain in tiny little boxes without daylight and endless people passing by… I leave these comments here for your consideration.Thank you for reading.

This aquarium has some rare fishes that I never saw. And also this is a free aquarium. This is a small place and well maintained. It can be become crowded but it’s fun for kids and adults to visit.

What a great place to visit! The Aquarium is very cool. Lots of different fish to view along with small notations of the species particulars of them. Mostly freshwater fish but there are some tank displays with saltwater species including an octopus! There is no entrance fee but donations are suggested to help maintain the cost of running the facility. Also, lots of sights to see & parks on the island that hopefully will be restored to benefit the community outdoor activities.

What a wonderful place to visit. Cute little aquarium awesome water friends to check out with information about them. The building is beautiful as well. It's free to get in too. They do take donations and please donate so they can keep this wonderful place going.

This was so great for the price"! It's donations ($5 pp suggested) they take cash and have the tap pay option also. It's a small place but lots to see for the size. The building is really old

Had not been to this aquarium in a long time. When I arrived, it brought me back to the days of old. Everything had been restored, the place was crowded and bright. The Dosens were knowledgeable, and all of the tanks were filled with some awesome fish. The restoration of this location was definitely worth it.

This is a must stop when visiting Belle Isle. MR. O. WHITE was very knowledgeable and thoroughly answered our questions about the snapping turtle. He shared cool information about how it's tongue resembles worms. When other sea creatures see it, they dive in and become a meal to the turtle!!! Awesome!!!

This beutiful Aquarium situated inside Belle Isle Island. The Aquarium has no entrance fee, but encouraged to make a donation which will go to saving marine life. Belle Isle entrance need a pass, day pass is $11Got a nice and clean washroom and water fountain. Staffs were very friendly. Great Place for kids. We enjoyed very much.

Super fun. Beautiful displays. Donations are welcome and recommended to keep the aquarium open. Good variety of aquatic life! Fun for the kids.

Always a great visit. It brings back childhood memories every time, and you can't beat the fact that it's FREE! They do accept donations, so we always make sure to drop a few dollars their way. We always make a day of it visiting the aquarium, the conservancy and the nature center.