Encuentros con Tiburones y Rayas Irukandji
📍 Localización y contacto
📷 Fotos del Encuentros con Tiburones y Rayas Irukandji
ℹ️ Información
Marine-life conservation center offering snorkeling & feeding sessions with rays & sharks.
¡Bienvenido a Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters, un destino fantástico para los entusiastas de la vida marina! Aquí, puedes disfrutar de una experiencia práctica notable con una variedad de criaturas marinas, incluidos tiburones y rayas. Nuestro personal apasionado y conocedor se dedica a garantizar una experiencia memorable para cada visitante.
- Experiencias Interactivas: Involúcrate estrechamente con los animales, desde tocarlos y alimentarlos hasta disfrutar de charlas informativas por parte de nuestro personal, lo que mejora tu comprensión y apreciación de la vida marina.
- Cotizaciones Privadas: Ofrecemos varios encuentros únicos que incluyen sesiones de snorkel que te permiten acercarte aún más a las criaturas en amplios lagos llenos de más de 740 animales marinos de al menos 90 especies diferentes.
- Actividades Amigables para la Familia: Irukandji es perfecto para familias, brindando un ambiente amigable donde niños y adultos pueden aprender y conectarse con la vida marina de manera segura.
- Esfuerzos de Conservación: Nuestra instalación está comprometida con la conservación marina y ofrece un ambiente seguro tanto para los visitantes como para las criaturas, centrándose en el bienestar de todos nuestros habitantes.
- Amplio y Accesible: Ubicado en 4 hectáreas, nuestros lagos están diseñados con cuevas y refugios para los animales, asegurando su comodidad mientras te permiten tener una experiencia extraordinaria.
Estamos inmensamente orgullosos de los comentarios positivos de nuestros visitantes, quienes a menudo destacan las interacciones notables con los animales y la actitud cuidadosa de nuestro personal. Ya seas una familia que busca un día divertido o un entusiasta de la vida marina que desee aprender más, Irukandji promete una aventura única y educativa.
🕒 Horario de apertura
- DOMINGO: 9H-17H
- LUNES: 9H-17H
- MARTES: 9H-17H
- MIéRCOLES: 9H-17H
- JUEVES: 9H-17H
- VIERNES: 9H-17H
- SáBADO: 9H-17H
🎟️ Compra tu entrada
🗣️ Encuentros con Tiburones y Rayas Irukandji: Opiniones
Experiencia fantástica: Brilliant Family Adventure! Highly recommend.
Experiencia negativa: Extremely lame experience unless you're under 8 years old or have never had any marine/water experience. I've interacted with more fish at a boat ramp. Two crowded ponds. You'll have to pay for the wetsuit experience, to experience anything. So you might as well buy a snorkel and have your own experience in the real ocean. Picture of the often closed sections. On the bright side I requested a refund and they were happy to provide one. I would recommend if you have young children, otherwise not.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for taking the time to leave us feedback. As I mentioned to you as you left today, we are an aquarium with a purpose and take all feedback seriously as a part of our ongoing commitment to improve.
We’re truly sorry that your visit didn’t meet your expectations. It’s especially disheartening to hear that a negative experience overshadowed our conservation message — that responsibility sits with us, and we sincerely apologise.
Yes, you are absolutely right. The staff move around the lagoons, opening different sections to feed, to allow the animals to get some human free rest time throughout the day. Their health and well-being is our number one priority. That is why we monitor our capacity (number of people on site at a time) and stagger entry times.
In addition to allowing the animals to have rest time, we also have small, personalised encounters that are conducted at set session times throughout the day. The image you have attached is a photo of our Little Ray Cuddle in progress- an encounter that allows no more than 6 guests maximum, for an intimate experience with our friendly rays. It runs for 20mins.
I will be sharing your feedback with the team, as it’s clear we fell short during your visit, and we’ll work together to ensure feeding times and experiences are communicated more clearly in the future.
We hope you might consider giving us another chance, perhaps outside of school holidays if you’re hoping to avoid peak periods.
We wish you all the very best and thank you again for your honesty.
Thanks Peter.
Kind Regards
Jess and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Very talented and passionate staff. Educational and fun experience. We loved meeting mango the fish, feeding the stingrays and sharks.
Experiencia negativa: Great experience for the kids. Shockingly rude and aggressive staff. Which is a shame. What a let down for such a good cause.
Experiencia fantástica: Perfect activity for a hot day and amazing experience with all those rays and sharks. Staff friendly and informative. 10/10
Experiencia fantástica: This is an amazing experience. Definitely worth going.
Experiencia fantástica: You’ll be greeted by super friendly & kind people throughout this place. Everyone is happy to chat, help & have a little laugh. Make sure you get the Add on Discovery pass to get deeper in the water & experience & interact with Marine animals. The sharks, rays & fish are so gentle & staff are always around to guild you how to feed or touch them to be safe & not hurting them. The water is not too deep as long as you stick to the permitted access areas so kids who don’t know how to swim will be find. We were lucky to meet this beautiful baby Bamboo shark who was born in that morning. Bamboo sharks lay eggs & this one was hatched a few hours prior & he was just beautiful. Make sure you meet Lorenzo, the huge ray with this incredibly beautiful pattern on him. Bamboos were our favorite & loved them just randomly coming up to us for a little pat. Also keep your eyes around for Mango, the yellow fish looking exactly like a mango double the size though. Mango is where the sharks are. There are plenty of on site parking, lockers & towels. Lockers don’t have padlocks but I found it safe & we got all our belongings back safe & sound. I highly recommend advanced booking especially in school holidays but you can also give them a call & check for their capacities & availability. We had so much fun at this place. It was our first time visiting it & surely won’t be the only time. Only a couple of hours away from Sydney. Highly recommended for both adults & kids.
Experiencia fantástica: Amazing! My son and his friend had “the best day ever” .. The staff are so knowledgable and super friendly. Experience in the wetsuits is a Must!! Would definitely recommend visiting.. fantastic experience A++++
Experiencia fantástica: Bold dreams create reasoning. Nice place home to sharks and rays. This is not it ether, it’s set to expand even more in the next 15-20 years.
Experiencia fantástica: Nice staff and kids had a great snorkelling experience. Snorkelling is a must do here.
Experiencia positiva: When you need something to do for few hours with kids or elderly, this can be added to the itinerary. We had a good time getting hands on with the juvenile sharks and stingrays. Most certainly will not be able to touch the big guys unless you upgrade to the wetsuits, rest of the other packages are not worth it in my opinion. Staff are friendly and try their best to give us a chance to feed the animals.
Experiencia fantástica: Mason was great showing us how to feed all the different stingray and sharks. Had a really good time. Was happy with entry pass and Will go again.
Experiencia fantástica: So much fun would highly recommend great for adults and kids. Better on a day it’s not too hot the water was so nice also. And feeding the sharks and rays ect was so fun. I brought tickets at the venue staff were so friendly and accommodating. Definitely worth going.
Experiencia fantástica: Such a good experience! Kept my husband busy for a solid 2 hours Jokes aside, we had such a good time getting to know the different animals they have. Definitely a highlight
Experiencia fantástica: Awesome experience for a high school group, very interactive! The guide was incredible and had the students full attention. Well worth the trip!
Experiencia negativa: Do I think this is value for money, no . we booked for a specific time and then to find out school groups whilst we were ere there this would be ok if everyone could be catered for. when we entered there was no instruction on how it worked, the first feeding tank was closed. the acoustics in the enclosed tanks for talks was not good and the speakers not clear therefore. toilet facilities were woeful. if you don’t have high expectations you won’t be disappointed.
Hi Nick,
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We genuinely appreciate hearing from our guests, as it helps us continue to learn and improve.
We’re truly sorry that your visit didn’t meet expectations. At Irukandji, our purpose is to inspire understanding and care for our oceans through close, meaningful connections with marine life. It’s disappointing to hear that the experience itself overshadowed the conservation message we strive so passionately to share, and for that, we sincerely apologise.
When school groups are visiting, we do offer feeding presentations in the alternate lagoon to ensure other guests can enjoy space away from larger groups. I’m very sorry this wasn’t clearly communicated to you on the day — that was a miscommunication on our part.
We also acknowledge the limitations of our current speaker system and are actively working to find a more suitable solution that can withstand our unique saltwater environment.
Regarding our toilet facilities, we’re very sorry if you happened to visit them between scheduled cleaning checks. We do have three separate toilet facilities onsite, including an accessible toilet located at the front of our reception building. Your feedback has been shared with our team, and we will be reviewing the frequency of our checks to help ensure this doesn’t occur again.
We would love the opportunity to welcome your family back and provide the experience you deserve. If you’re open to it, I’d be happy to arrange a gift card for a return visit. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected].
Once again, I’m very sorry for your experience Nick, and thank you for bringing this to our attention. We hope you’ll consider giving us another chance to share the true Irukandji experience with you.
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas.
Kind Regards
Jess and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Stingrays friendly aswell as the staff
Hi Graham,
Thank you for the rating and for recognising how friendly our stingrays and staff are! Our stingrays adore all the well deserved attention they get
We hope to welcome you back soon!
Kind regards,
Jemma and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: We went for the explorer pass where you get a wetsuit and wade deeper in. My kids didn't want to leave, and my wife made life long friends with a particularly friendly eagle ray. Fantastic time all round.
Hi Jamie,
Thank you so much for the lovely review.
It was such a pleasure to welcome your family to Irukandji. We are all thrilled to hear that you had such wonderful experience.
Our Eagle Rays are so affectionate and friendly, and by the sounds of it; made a real impression on your wife.
We hope you can visit us again, sometime soon.
All the very best.
Kind Regards
Jess and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: A fabulous experience that just keeps on giving. My 2 daughters (13 and 24) did the Ray Snorkle experience and our host was fantastic. So informative, the most amazing friendly rays and reef sharks. Because the girls were in wet suits for this experience they were then able to be in with the reef sharks, cuddling them and feeding them in the deeper water. Everyone team member was super excited to be working there, friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely worth paying the extra to do these experiences. Even with my normal admission I was able to feed rays and sharks, touching them is easy due to them being so friendly and seeking our attention. Worth every cent and would highly recommend.
Hi Nicola,
It always warms our heart hearing how much people love our experiences, learn from our team and adore our beautiful sea life. Thank you for the support and considerate words about our aquarium, it's incredible knowing that our efforts are being recognised. We find that all interactions with such majestic animals really shows how gentle and pure they truly are, and we want all to experience it!
We hope you are able to visit us again soon.
Kind regards,
Jemma and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: It was our first time there with four children and We had an awesome time - ended up spending full 3 hours there. A staff member named 'Cyrus' in Tropical Lagoon is an absoulte star who had been so patient with four children and made sure each child is safe and having fun - he called the sharks and fishes near children and introduced, our children loved a yellow puffer fish named 'Mango'. We will definitely visit again to meet beautiful sharks and rays :) Thank you, Cyrus. See you again!
Hi Claudia,
Thank you for the review and the sweet words about your experience as well as your interaction with Cyrus! We will be sure to pass along the message to him. It's wonderful to hear that you and your children got ample time with our gorgeous critters and adored a fan favourite, Mango.
We look forward to welcoming you all back to Irukandji in the near future.
Thank you for the support!
Kind regards,
Jemma and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia negativa: Disappointing Experience I’m extremely disappointed with my visit here. The ticket prices are ridiculously high, and the actual experience is nowhere near what’s advertised. The place looks far better in pictures than in reality it’s honestly not worth the money at all. I left feeling completely let down and frustrated. Save your time and money. I would not recommend visiting this place, especially at these outrageous ticket prices.
Hi Nisha, our records indicate that you did not visit our site at 2 Jessie road Anna bay, and you may have reviewed the wrong aquarium. However, should our records be wrong. We appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback, as we are dedicated to finding ways to improve. I am incredibly sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations and I would love discuss this with you further if you would like to reach out via [email protected] or (02) 4982 2476.
We are an interactive aquarium with a mission, to share our knowledge of over 750 marine animals comprising of 90 species, and to create awareness of the challenges marine animals face in the world today.
Hopefully you may find the time to visit and review us. In brief this is who we are.
With our general entry pass ($41 per adult, $25 per child), including the food to feed the animals, we provide you the opportunity to interact and feed our animals in both our lagoons and multiple nurseries, (5 in total), with the option of attending our shows that run concurrently at specific times, throughout the day, shark, ray, turtle and a guided teleost tour at the end of the day, starting at 4 and ending at 5 pm. All conducted by highly qualified and passionate staff. Most visitors who choose this base option would spend at least two to three hours with us.
Our lagoons and nurseries are spaciously located on 4 hectares of land.
Our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon, and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our animals reside in excess of 3 million litres of marine water.
Our unique discovery pass, (self-guided), offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon to expose you to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided.
Additionally, we offer numerous private guided encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available.
Kind Regards
Len and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia negativa: Complete waste of time. Paid close to $100 and spent 20 minutes in the water with my kids trying to feed and pat a ray with not one coming anywhere close to us. Moved over to the shark pool and was the same situation there. We spent 10minutes in the water trying to pat and feed a shark and not one came close to us. The staff then closed off the pool and told us there was no more feeding until later. Remaining staff walking around are not helpful at all when asking questions about feeding. Would not recommend coming here. There are a few other shark and ray centres nearby, I would try them first before coming here.
Hi David,
We appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback, as we are dedicated to finding ways to improve. I am incredibly sorry that your experience did not meet your expectations and I would love discuss this with you further if you would like to reach out via [email protected] or (02) 4982 2476.
Yes, the staff do move around the aquarium and conduct feeding sessions at different tanks/lagoons at different times. This is to allow the animals to have rest time throughout the day, while also enabling our guests to meet and interact with other animals. I am sorry to hear that this was not adequately explained to you during your visit.
Our mission is to spread conservation awareness in an attempt to change the world one shark at a time. It breaks out hearts that we fell short and this impacted your experience, and as such, our message was lost.
I hope you may consider giving us a second chance and I look forward speaking to you soon.
Kind Regards
Jess and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely perfect experience. The staff are so friendly and passionate about what they do. The animals are looked after. Every second i was there, there was a staff member there to help me out and tell me some fun facts about the different animals. Will definitely be back.
Hi William,
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a kind review. I will be sure to share it with the team as I know that all the staff will be thrilled to hear that they played a role in your memorable experience.
We are all so passionate about our beautiful animals and about spreading awareness surrounding marine conservation, and it truly warms our hearts to hear that our mission is coming across in experiences such as your own.
We have big plans to expand over the coming years, so I hope you will be able to visit us again and follow our progress.
Take care and all the best.
Jess and the
Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Great family activity. Definitely worth getting the wetsuits so you can get up close. Never knew rays were so cute and affectionate. All the staff were lovely, super friendly and knowledgeable. Just a brilliant day out.
Hi Joe,
Thanks a million for the awesome review! We’re so glad you had a brilliant day out with us and yes, rays really are the cutest and most affectionate little sea pancakes
We love hearing how much you enjoyed getting up close in the wetsuits and connecting with our friendly team. Your kind words and support help us keep driving our conservation efforts forward, protecting these beautiful creatures and sharing their magic with more families every day.
Hope to sea you again soon!
Ryan and Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Incredible experience getting up close with such beautiful creatures, made even more amazing by the passionate, knowledgeable and friendly staff. Without exception, the staff were all amazing and had endless patience for all the kids (including ours). We did the little ray cuddle because we have younger kids which was definitely worth it.
Hi S White,
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear that you and your family had such an incredible time with us, especially during the Little Ray Cuddle experience. Our team is passionate about what we do, and it means the world to know that it made your visit extra special.
Your support truly helps us continue our mission of marine conservation and education. Every visit, every kind word, and every smile shared helps us protect and care for the amazing marine life we all love.
We hope to welcome you and your family back again soon for more unforgettable moments!
thanks,
Ryan and Irukandji Team
Experiencia negativa: I was refused entry because I had my accredited assistance dog with me. I was advised that there was a risk that my dog would spread an unknown bacteria to the stingrays. Neither I or my dog was going anywhere near the stingrays or the pools and any kid touching everything and anything before feeding the rays could spread bacteria. The staff were polite about it but I'm still disappointed, I see no reason why I couldn't stand in the corner or away from the pools so I could watch my kids enjoy the experience. The Disability Discrimination Act is there for a reason.
Hi J
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re truly sorry to hear that your visit was impacted in this way, and we completely understand your disappointment.
At Irukandji, we deeply value inclusivity and accessibility, and we sincerely regret that we weren’t able to accommodate you and your accredited assistance dog on this occasion. While our team acted out of concern for the health of our marine animals, we acknowledge that this situation could have been handled with more flexibility and sensitivity especially in ensuring you could still enjoy the experience with your family from a safe and respectful distance.
We take the Disability Discrimination Act seriously and are currently reviewing our policies and procedures to ensure we uphold both our commitment to animal welfare and our responsibility to provide an inclusive environment for all guests.
Our wonderful admin team has reached out to you directly, and we genuinely hope to connect and find a way to make this right. Your feedback is invaluable, and we’re committed to learning from it.
Warm regards,
Ryan
Experiencia negativa: This is my 2nd time at the Irukandji. Years ago it was a great place, however it has become a place of wasting of time and money. Especially, if you have purchased general tickets, you won’t be treated well or given enough chance for the encounter. Nothing much to experience, just 2 ponds now. 3-4 years ago, it was a different story.
Hi Nipuna,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. We’re truly sorry to hear that your recent visit to Irukandji didn’t live up to the wonderful experience you had years ago. That’s never what we want for our guests—especially during the school holidays when families are looking to create special memories.
We understand how disappointing it must have felt not to receive the same level of interaction or access with a general ticket, and we’re actively working on ways to improve the experience for all our visitors, regardless of ticket type. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and helps us reflect on how we can do better.We’d love the chance to welcome you back and show you the magic that made your first visit so memorable. Please feel free to reach out to us directly if you decide to return we’ll do our best to make it a more fulfilling experience.4982476 or [email protected]
Warm regards,
Ryan
Experiencia fantástica: We visited during school holidays. It was great - a wonderful opportunity for my 5 year old to connect with his favourite animal (sharks). The habitats looked good and well-maintained, and all the staff/carers knew their stuff, were friendly and provided lots of information about each animal.
Hi Elise,
Thank you so much for your lovely review.
The team at Irukandji is so glad to hear that your 5 year old enjoyed their time with us. It brings us such joy to see children connect with their favourite animal- especially Sharks! We will be sure to share your kind words with the rest of the team- they will be thrilled to hear that they played a role in your positive experience.
Please keep an eye on our progress, as we have plans to expand over the coming years.
All the best.
Kind Regards
The Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: Great experience for the kids to get up close to sharks and rays. Very friendly staff. Definitely take the option to get a wetsuit, you can get much closer to the action.
Hi R H,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your feedback. We are thrilled to hear that your family enjoyed their experience and connected with our amazing sharks and rays. At Irukandji, our mission is to inspire love and respect for the ocean by creating meaningful, hands-on experiences with marine life- so its incredibly rewarding to hear that your visit reflected that.
We hope you can visit us again soon!
All the best.
Kind Regards
The Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: We had the best time at Irukandji. It was great for every age group in our family. My 8 yr old said snorkelling with the zebra sharks made it the best birthday ever!
Hi Melissa
Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re absolutely thrilled to hear that your family had such a great time at Irukandji, and especially that your 8-year-old had the best birthday ever snorkeling with our zebra sharks, that’s what magical memories are made of!
It’s incredibly rewarding to know that our experience was fun for all ages. Your support and enthusiasm truly motivate us to continue our mission of understanding and protecting marine life. Every visit helps us raise awareness and make a difference.
We hope to welcome you back again soon for more underwater adventures!
Warm regards,
Ryan
Experiencia positiva: good place for kids.
Dear Pradeep Kumar,
Thank you so much for taking the time to review us. Without the support of our community and the visitors who walk through our doors to learn about marine life, we wouldn't be able to carry out our vital work—research, rescue, and release. Your engagement helps us continue connecting people to the wonders of the ocean and its incredible inhabitants.
Thanks again, and wishing you all the best.
Warm regards,
Ryan
Experiencia fantástica: I enjoyed the experience. Thank you.
Dear Adrian,
Thank you so much for your feedback—and for taking the time once again to share your experience with us. Your continued support means the world to our team. Every visitor who walks through our doors brings energy and purpose to what we do, and your engagement helps fuel our mission: to explore, protect, and celebrate marine life through research, rescue, and release.
It's voices like yours that inspire us to keep pushing forward, deepening our impact, and connecting more people to the incredible beauty and importance of our oceans.
Thanks again for being part of this journey. Wishing you all the very best.
Warm regards,
Ryan
Experiencia negativa: The man who greeted us was rude we will never go back.
Wow Allison, I am not sure you visited our interactive aquarium, we are located at 2 Jessie road Anna Bay. If you did visit us please reach out to us.
All of us at Irukandji shark and ray encounters, are passionate and motivated in our purpose.
It saddens us when we fail to provide an awesome experience as it minimises our mission to share our knowledge of our animals (in excess of 750 comprising of 90 species), and ability to create awareness about the challenges ocean animals face today.
Experiencia fantástica: Highly recommend a visit! We had a fantastic day and spent a lot more time here than originally planned. We booked the zebra shark encounter, but as it was a quieter day the owner asked if we'd mind moving our encounter time to a slightly later slot to have an exclusive experience. The he threw in the little ray cuddle experience for free so we werent waiting around. Although after our Ray experience he came over as he accidentally double booked our early afternoon zebra shark slot so that was pushed back again to late afternoon BUT we then got given the reef shark encounter for free as well! Highly recommend all 3 encounters. We had an awesome time. We couldnt possibly pick a favourite! The self discovery is also well worth it if you don't want dedicated encounters pr the times don't suit. You still get up close with the creatures and participate in feedings. Staff are friendly and passionate about the work they do. The animals are clearly very happy and well cared for. The animals always have space to move away if they don't feel like interacting, nothing is forced, which is very important to us when considering places for animal encounters.
Hi Jennai, so sorry for the confusion from our end. Thank you for the opportunity to share our awsome species with you.
Experiencia fantástica: We had such an incredible experience! We were able to feed the stingrays and even pat the sharks. My son had the best time and still can’t stop talking about how he got to pat a shark! The receptionist was so welcoming, friendly, and he made sure we were well informed before starting. Overall, such an exciting and memorable experience – highly recommend!
Nadia thank you so much for your support, review and the opportunity to share our knowledge and the challenges these animals face in the oceans.
Experiencia fantástica: Excellent experience! Educational and fun. The staff are friendly and helpful.
Thank you for your motivating review and support. Such reviews cement our dedication to share our knowledge of the challenges marine animals face in the oceans today.
Experiencia fantástica: We spent the whole day here and we had a fantastic day we will be back i advise to get the wetsuit to fully enjoy your day ❤️
Thank you for the opportunity to spend the day with you and your support. This is rewards us and provides us the opportunity to share our knowledge of all our animals and species, (plus 750 animals comprising of plus 90 species), and the ever increasing, challenges marine animals encounter.
Experiencia fantástica: I promised myself I must not forget and do this review bcd I rarely leave them. My teenage children and I visited on July 2025 and were welcomed with a series of thoughtful alterations to meet our tight schedule. Beginning with accommodating our private shark swim on a short notice , followed by accompanying us with professional care throughout the whole experience. Plus getting discounted ticket rates. The activity of shark swimming (not in an aquarium tank) is an uncommon experience solely reserved to this park thanks to their inventive implementation of this magical encounter concept. The pools were transparent clean, the animals vibrant and healthy, the park team were first and foremost caring towards their animals which should be the basis of encounter park etiquette. We enjoyed immensely, this family owned, one of a kind experience. Thank you Irukandji.
Wow!, thanks for this heartening feedback, and the opportunity to share our animals, passion and knowledge with you.
Experiencia fantástica: i love stingrays!! they're my favourite underwater creature so this experience was perfect for me. The guys (both human and ray) in the Ray pools were very friendly and educational. Really enjoyed the talk at 12:20pm, learned lots of new things. I didn't know Rays could asexually reproduce! I really liked that the feeding is included in the price, it was very nice to just get handed more food unprompted. Most places would charge extra for that. Anyway good experience overall and I LOVE STINGRAYS!!!
Hi Noah, thanks for your feedback. Your review rewards our efforts to inform visitors about our 470 animals from over 90 species, as well as the opportunity to highlight the challenges marine animals face in the wild today.
Experiencia fantástica: Amazing experience! Staff are lovely and welcoming. Animals are interactive and beautiful. So relaxing entering the water with them moving around you. Highly recommend, better than I imagined
Hi Chiara thank you so much for your rewarding review and support. Such reviews continue to motivate us and strengthen our passion for the marine world.
Experiencia fantástica: We had a great time. Very interesting and the staff were very helpful and knowledgeable, especially Bailey. Thoroughly recommended!
Hi Roy thank you for your encouraging review and support. Such reviews motivate us in pursuing our cause. To share our knowledge of our animals and the challenges marine animals encounter today.
Experiencia fantástica: Emotionally magical, even a little magical. From the first dip, wading into the lagoon with rays gliding beneath your feet and sharks swimming curiously around, the experience feels like gentle ocean companionship. The animals are unusually friendly—rays are playful and seem to come for pats, and zebra sharks feel more like new pals than wild creatures. What truly shines is the staff. Passionate, patient, and ready to share stories of each creature, they elevate the experience with warmth and knowledge. Kids and adults alike light up when they hear the sharks' names or feed them with provided sticks—never hand‑fed—creating memorable connections. Crowds can peak during school holidays, making feeding sticks in shallows quickly get claimed, but advance bookings help avoid disappointment. Those who suit up swim even closer—watching rays swirl at ankle level, kids squeal with delight, and families bond over these small moments. Notes of criticism appear now and then—some visitors felt the environment a little staged, or food for feeding was too sparse during busy times —but many others would recommend it as a highlight of their Australian travels .
Hi Mohammed, thank you for your positive detailed feedback. Reviews like yours motivate us and our mission intensely.
Experiencia fantástica: Ein zunächst unscheinbarer Ort, den wir fast übersehen hätten. Wir sind beeindruckt vom Engagement der Staff-Mitglieder und den Möglichkeiten mehr über Rochen, Haie und Schildkröten zu erfahren. Ihr solltet auf jeden Fall ausreichend Zeit für die Fütterung der Tiere und das Streicheln einplanen. Beim nächsten Mal in der Gegend gerne wieder!
Hi Julia, thank you for your review and support. This feedback inspires our commitment to educating visitors about our 470 animals across at least 90 species, while also highlighting the challenges currently facing marine animals worldwide.
Experiencia fantástica: What an amazing experience! Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters completely exceeded our expectations. The staff were so welcoming and knowledgeable. Getting up close and personal with the rays and sharks was absolutely unforgettable my kids were in awe the entire time. It was both exciting and educational and we all walked away having learned so much. The animals are clearly well cared for and the entire experience felt very safe and respectful of the marine life. Such a unique and memorable day we’ll definitely be back!
Dear Tenika,
Thank you for your thoughtful review and support. Feedback such as yours affirms our commitment to educating visitors about nearly 500 animals across at least 90 species, while also highlighting the challenges currently facing marine animals worldwide.
Experiencia fantástica: Faj ĺudia. Zálladný listok bol.fajn.
Hello Marek, thank you for your review and support. We appreciate the opportunity to provide information about our collection of over 740 animals, representing 90 species, and to share the challenges faced by marine animals in the ocean today.
Experiencia fantástica: Great place, very nice staff and wonderful animals, so friendly ! We really enjoyed the day there, especially the tropical pool with the sharks. The water was not cold with the wetsuit so it is worty even during the winter. Thank you
Hi Maia, thank you for your review, support, patience and understanding. Such reviews continue to motivate and inspire all of us.
Experiencia fantástica: Our three children had such an amazing time and learnt so much at Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters. The staff were incredibly passionate and knowledgeable and took the time to talk to us about the animals and their important work. We had to leave because we had another booking but were kindly given the option to return before closing. The kids didn’t want to leave at all. Such a wonderful experience. If we were more local we would definitely be buying annual passes. Highly recommend this place.
Hi Fiona, thank you for your thoughtful review and support. We're glad to know we've succeeded in sharing our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species and raising awareness about the challenges marine life faces today.
Experiencia negativa: Over-priced. We had 5 teens to entertain who very quickly got bored. The acoustics are so bad that we couldn’t hear anything the guide was telling us about the sharks. So a bit of a waste of time for us.
Hi S O’L, thanks for your review, feedback and support. We take all feedback seriously.
It saddens us when we fail to provide an awesome experience as it minimises our mission to share our knowledge of our animals, and ability to create awareness about the challenges ocean animals face today.
We apologise for the inferior sound quality you experienced in the tropical lagoon, I can assure you we are constantly working on it with the experts, it is challenging due to the water body and thermally insulated unique building.
With our general entry pass ($41 per adult $25 per child), including the food to feed the animals, we provide you the opportunity to interact and feed our animals in both our lagoons and multiple nurseries, (5 in total), with the option of attending our shows that run concurrently at specific times, throughout the day, shark, ray, turtle and a guided teleost tour at the end of the day, starting at 4 and ending at 5 pm. All conducted by highly qualified and passionate staff. Most visitors who choose this base option would spend at least two to three hours with us.
Our lagoons and nurseries are spaciously located on 4 hectares of land.
Our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon, and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our animals reside in excess of 2 million litres of marine water.
Our unique discovery pass, (self-guided), offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon to expose you to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided.
Additionally, we offer numerous private guided encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available.
Experiencia fantástica: Such a friendly and intelligent staff. Must visit place. One’s in a lifetime experience.
Hi Ruchi, thank you for your great review and support. Your feedback motivates our staff and rewards our purpose to raise awareness about the challenges marine animals face today.
Experiencia fantástica: There is an outdoor and an indoor pool. The indoor pool is warm even in winter. Highly recommend visiting. The sharks and rays are very friendly and inquisitive and would swim up to you. It's quite a magical experience.
Hi Welhan, thank you for your support. Such rewarding reviews continue to inspire our mission of creating awareness about the challenges all marine life faces in the world today.
Experiencia fantástica: Fantastic place the staff are lovely and very informative. We learnt so much in the short time we were there can’t wait to come back.
Hi Maddy, thank you for your review and support. Your comments contribute to our goal of sharing knowledge and creating awareness about the challenges marine creatures face today.
Experiencia fantástica: The whole family had a fantastic hands on experience with the assortment of sharks and rays. Staff were very friendly, informative, enthusiastic and helpful which made the overall visit well worth it.
Hi Axe, thank you for taking the time to review us, your feedback and support. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: My partner and I had a surprisingly good time at the shark and stingray encounter. Looked a bit small from the outside but bigger than we thought. Highly recommend forking out a little extra to hire the wet suits cause being in the midst of the sting rays was the highlight. Special mention of Zuzu who brought great energy to our experience.
Hi Norris, thanks so much for your review, support and feed back. Yes it is a lot bigger once you are in there, with over 3 million litres of water, spaciously spread out over 4 hectares of land.
Our animals reside in two specialized large lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. The same applies to our multiple nurseries housing our young animals.
Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: We had a wonderful time at the aquarium! The experience of paddling stingrays and having a shark sit on our legs was truly amazing—something we'll never forget. Not sure why some people say there are not many sharks or stingray at the tropical lagoon, we met many of them and they swim around us just like pets! We also had the chances to feed the stingray and sharks (no extra cost) while waiting for our reserved experiences. BTW I totally understand why you have to make reservation in advance, because their friendly guides spend a lot of times to share information about these marine animals and make sure all of our questions are answered. The staff and owner were so friendly, helpful, and clearly care deeply about the animals. Their warm and welcoming attitude really made our visit extra special. Thank you for such a unique and memorable experience! 特別感謝一位會說中文的保育員, 特別照顧小朋友, 也很貼心地希望我們可以有充分的體驗. 希望下次有機會再造訪這裡!
Hi Candy, thank you for your extensive and motivating review, support and feedback.
Yes our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. The same applies to our multiple nurseries housing our young animals.
Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Awsome experience, knowledgeable friendly staff who run the place well. Kids loved it, interactions with many different rays and sharks. Will definitely be going again.
Hi Steve, thank you for your review, feedback and support. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Fantastic!!
Hi Owen, thank you for your review and support. Your inspiring comment makes our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: My husband and I did the Little Ray Cuddle. It was so fun! A staff member sat in the shallow with us and as she fed the stingrays they literally sat on our laps. I was impressed with how friendly the stingrays were plus how knowledgeable our staff member Micaela was. I highly recommend and would do it again in a heart beat!
Hi Samantha, Thank you for your review, feedback and support. Our spacious set up on 4 hectares of land was planned some 11 years ago. Commencing with this planning in 2019, we are proud to have completed 2 phases of 4 planned phases. Your little ray cuddle, is one of many private encounters on offer, in both our warm all weather tropical lagoon and our temperate lagoon. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: this place is so well set-up. it's very interesting and informative. children and adults alike would learn a lot about sting rays.interaction with the rays is so cool
Hi Jamie, Thank you for your review, feedback and support. Our spacious set up on 4 hectares of land was planned some 11 years ago. Commencing with this planning in 2019, we are proud to have completed 2 phases of 4 planned phases. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Amazing place, fun and interactive. Tour guides are informative and funny. Will definitely be back :)
Hi Sasha, Thank you for your review and support. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: This was a fantastic opportunity to be interactive and up close with sting rays and sharks. We got to feed the animals and touch them. The staff were very passionate, proud and informative on their talks on these creatures. I learnt a lot of interesting information. If you are keen, (i wasnt), you can get in the water with the sting ray, sharks and turtles. This place exceeded my expectations and I would go back again. There is plenty of parking and easy to get around. There is even space to take a picnic lunch and sit in the grounds.
Hi Rite thank you so much for your motivating review, support and awesome photo's showing in part our general entry experience. So inspiring for all of us.
Experiencia fantástica: I had another activity booked for the day that was canceled because of weather. The Shark & Ray Encounterswere still open, so I checked it out. So happy I did. The place is small and unassuming but the experience i had was one of the best yet! All because of the way the staff is and how they run everything. I payed for some snorkeling experiences. Everything was upfront and covered. Didn't have to pay extra for anything else. The staff was super friendly, personable and played back. I felt like I was just hanging out worth friends the whole time that knew SO much about marine life. These guys love what they do and it shows. I swear, you learn more from chatting it up with mates then you do from sitting and listening to experts rifle off facts. I learned do much. I got to sit and feed stingrays and sharks. Stingrays were sitting on my lap and even blowing me kisses underwater. One even sucked on my pinky toe. Sharks felt like sand paper and were not intimidating to swim with at all. I could have stayed and hung out with the rays all day. 1 (of many) fun facts I learned are that stingrays are smarter then dolphins.and they have soo much character and personality it blew my mind! Go and check it out for yourself. ZOOZOO (probably spelled wrong) was then man and the one assisting in feeding the rays. Again top notch, so much fun and I'm happy that my other plans were canceled and I found this place! WHOOP WHOOP!
Hi Jake thank you for your rewarding and motivating review. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: An amazing day out! Staff are passionate about what they do and it shows. Highly recommend.
Hi Suzanne, thank you for your review, support and feedback. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Great experience and friendly staff! Zuzu was very knowledgeable about the stingrays and had a great show with lots of facts!
Hi Toni, thank you for your review and support. Much appreciated by all of us.
Experiencia fantástica: This place is absolutely AMAZING! Great work they do saving these animals. Staff are super friendly & knowlageable. Highly recommend
Hi Fraser, thank you for your motivating review, feedback and support. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia negativa: $91 to visit but value for money compared to the one in bobs farm just couldn’t compete. There’s two active pools with sharks or stingrays, and two tiny tubs with more stingrays and that’s the whole joint. Wish I knew so I didn’t waste my money or time.
Hi Aaron. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals comprising of 90 species. With our general entry pass, which appears you purchased (1 Adult plus 2 children costing $91 this includes the food to feed the animals), we provide you the opportunity to interact and feed our animals in both our lagoons and multiple nurseries, (5 in total), with the option of attending our shows that run concurrently at specific times, through out the day, shark, ray and turtle shows. Most visitors who choose this base option would spend at least two to three hours with us. Our lagoons and nurseries are spaciously located on 4 hectares of land. Our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon, and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our animals reside in excess of 2 million litres of marine water. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are well-received and appreciated by our visitors. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available. It deeply saddens us when visitors have a disappointing experience, as we miss the opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these marine animals in today's oceans.
Experiencia fantástica: It was so much fun. Me and my kid had a fantastic time. The sharks were a good introduction to the place. Then, it was time for the shark talk. It was very fascinating to hear about. After the shark talk, we went to the temperate lagoon. My child loved the temperate lagoon. He fed lots of stingrays. One even went on my child's lap. 5 stars, no doubt.
Hi Natalya, thanks for your motivating review, support and feedback. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: My son and I had the best time great people loved it best birthday present every
Hi Chad thanks for your review and support. Your positive reward, makes our purpose so meaningful. Great to hear about the birthday present.
Experiencia positiva: Was a really good day out. We did the wetsuit upgrade and had plenty of time in the tanks with the sharks and stingrays. We cuddled so many stingrays and fed so many different species. I wish the beautiful turtle and big rays came out but that's animals for you they pick and choose don't they. We had a really good day and can't wait for the next phase or upgrade to come.
Hi Dannii, thank you for your rewarding review, support and feedback. Yes our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. The same applies to our multiple nurseries housing our young animals. With time our special turtle “Patricia” is becoming less shy and heaps more interactive since you visited. She is spending more time out of her cave of choice. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: I highly recommend this for families or anyone looking to learn about sea creatures. The keepers we met were so caring and passionate about the animals and taught us what foods and products to avoid to be more sustainable. It was a highlight of our trip to the area.
Hi Anna, thank you so much for your motivating review and support. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: 10 out of 10!!! I absolutely love this place! All the sting rays and sharks are so adorable . The staffs are very friendly. I love how they don't force all the animals to show up to the guests if they don't want to. It's a good place to spend time with your partner or family.
Hi Picha, thank you for your rewarding review, support and feedback. Yes our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. The same applies to our multiple nurseries housing our young animals. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Amazing facility, staff and inclusions with the general entry pass!
Hi Paige, Thank you for your review, support, and feedback. It was our pleasure to provide you with an interactive journey while sharing our knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today through your general entry pass.
Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely fantastic experience. Great welcome, staff were all really friendly and welcoming. Rays were just lovely and to have them swimming around and over you was incredible. Really good half days entertainment and education. Great value for money too.
Dear Giles, Thank you for your valuable review, support, and feedback. Encouraging comments like yours make our mission of sharing knowledge about our collection of over 740 animals from at least 90 species, as well as highlighting the challenges facing marine life today, truly worthwhile.
Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely loved the experience, worth every single cent!! Highly recommend the discovery pass :)
Hi Alison thank you for your review, feedback and support. Such rewarding, reviews inspire us further, in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia fantástica: my partner and i went yesterday and ended up snorkelling with the sharks. the lady at the front counter seriously went above and beyond to make us comfortable, even going as far as sizing us ourselves. as a bigger girl it seriously meant the absolute world to me :)). couldnt recommend enough
Oh Tenae- You were both such a pleasure to welcome to Irukandji! I am so glad you decided to do the Reef Shark Snorkel and I am absolutely thrilled to hear that I made you feel so comfortable. Thank you for the kind words- you have made my day. Hope you can visit us again, next time you are in Port Stephens. All the best. Jess and the Irukandji Team
Experiencia fantástica: My partner and myself visited this beautiful centre yesterday and absolutely loved every minute of it. We pre booked a little ray cuddle for midday but decided to come up earlier so we could explore the park before our booking time. When we arrived we were greeted by a super friendly staff member who explained the different processes that we could be involved in throughout the day. It’s really important to remember when booking that this place isn’t sea world, it is a peaceful rehabilitation centre where you can interact with some beautiful creatures and learn about their species and conservation. We were not disappointed at all. All the staff that we encountered throughout the day were beyond friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Due to the fact that we had booked an experience, we were given wetsuits to put on when we first arrived. We were a bit sceptical at first because it was a very hot day and we were worried about wearing them for the next couple of hours but it was completely worth it. We were able to sit in the water with both the sharks and the stingrays and interact with them further than other patrons who were not in wetsuits. So highly recommend upgrading to wetsuits for a more personal experience with the animals. All the animals loved coming over for a gentle pat and even spent a lot of time in the shallows so other patrons without wetsuits were also able to feed and pat them. All in all we had an amazing time at this centre and enjoyed learning about the conservation and protection of the animals whilst being able to interact with them one on one as well. Definitely recommend visiting outside of school holidays as it is far less crowded, at times we were the only people interacting with the animals which made the whole experience so much more one on one and personal. Thank you so much team!
Hi Emma Your heart warming review, feedback, and support are greatly appreciated. Such rewarding, motivating reviews inspire us further, in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia fantástica: Truely wonderful! The experience was amazing! The staff are kind, knowledgeable and the animals are looked after well. If you want a life enriching experience give this ago. I will 100% be attending again.
Hi Danielle. Ever so grateful for your rewarding review, feedback, and support. Such reviews inspire us further in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia fantástica: Totally loved this experience. So good to be up close touching and feeding small sharks and stingrays. Good fun for all ages, though it could work out expensive for a family. The staff who give the talks are very knowledgeable and make it all the more interesting. I learnt a lot.
Hi Virginia, thank you for your review, support and feedback. We are pleased to have met your expectations. Reviews like yours are both rewarding and motivating for our team. They further inspire us to share our knowledge and raise awareness about the challenges that marine creatures face in the ocean today.
Experiencia fantástica: Staff was so good, helpful and hillarious. They were very kid friendly and very kind to us, who were first time did the snorkel with sharks and stingrays so we were quite skeptical and scare, but we really enjoyable after all and really want to come back. The sharks and stingrays were very friendly and it well suited for kids. Make sure if you bring your kids you would be with them.
Hi Hermione, thank you for your review, support and feedback. We are pleased to have met your expectations. Reviews like yours are both rewarding and motivating for our team. They further inspire us to share our knowledge and raise awareness about the challenges that marine creatures face in the ocean today.
Experiencia negativa: We visited Irukandji about 2 years ago and we had a great experience. There were lots of stingrays and we could go in the water, feed and pat them. That's why we came back. But this time we left a bit disappointed. We bought general admission tickets for a family of 5 which I thought is quite overpriced to pet a couple of small stingrays and a couple of small sharks. Although the staff were really nice and knowledgeable, there were to many rules.. firstly when they were doing the talk we couldn't step in the water, then when feeding started we had to go to the side of the pool were there weren't any stingrays because we didn't pay for the wetsuits. So we went to the shark centre and again there were only 3 small sharks and one small stingray that weren't very hungry. My kids couldn't sit in the water and were told they need to wear a tshirt (it was a really hot day). Management needs to be a bit more flexible with their customers. We found that the experience this time was overpriced and not very exciting. Wouldn't recommend.
Hi Lu, thanks for your review, support and feedback. We take all reviews seriously and improve as appropriate. We subsequently further reduced our maximum capacity, mostly for the benefit of our animals, with the spinoff of improving the journey we offer our visitors. Most of our multiple activities run concurrently, and we have also changed our show times to run concurrently, at each of our lagoons, reducing the congestion you may have experienced. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals comprising of 90 species. Sorry you felt there were too many rules, I can assure you they are in place mostly to protect our animals, and to provide you with a safe journey. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are generally well-received and appreciated by our visitors. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available. It deeply saddens us when visitors have a disappointing experience, as we miss the opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these marine animals in today's oceans.
Experiencia fantástica: A highlight of Port Stephens and the team do phenomenal work in rescue and rehabilitation of the local marine life injured. The new facility is slowly coming along, but even at this stage the experience with the marine animals is wonderful. The team of marine biologists are more than happy to share their knowledge and educate you. I have been here three times already and will come back for many more, happily supporting the facility.
Hi Christopher, an awesome thank you for your heart warming review and continued support. We are pleased to continue meeting your expectations. Reviews like yours are both rewarding and motivating for our team. They further inspire us to share our knowledge and raise awareness about the challenges that marine creatures face in the ocean today.
Experiencia fantástica: An amazing time feeding the rays and being helps ex with over coming my fear of sharks.
Hi Nicole, thank you for your review and feedback. We are proud to have provided you with an amazing time . Reviews like yours are both rewarding and motivating for our team. They further inspire us to share our knowledge and raise awareness about the challenges that marine creatures face in the ocean today.
Experiencia fantástica: This is a long review so I'll try and break it down a bit. Which shark and ray centre to visit?: We tossed up between this place and another shark and ray centre in the area. Ultimately, we decided to go here and don't regret our choice. While I can't comment on the other attraction, we certainly enjoyed ourselves here. Prices were fairly comparable between the two parks with the options we were looking at, so our decision was based primarily on which park we thought was more humane based on pictures and reviews alone. I'd encourage anyone reading this to similarly inform their own choice. Which ticket type?: I definitely recommend purchasing a discovery pass, which gives you wetsuit hire and allows you to get a bit closer to the sharks and rays. While you could still enjoy yourself with a basic entry ticket, I felt that we had more opportunity to get up close with the sharks in particular, and especially the big shovel nose ray in the shark tank which you wouldn't be able to touch without a wetsuit because it only swims in the deeper water. We didn't do any of the encounters, but from what we observed I don't necessarily see the value in them and we didn't feel like we were missing out. What time to visit?: I'd recommend heading to the park first thing in the morning. We booked for 10.20am, and found that by that time the park was already getting a bit busier. Although still not too busy, we definitely noted a peak between 10am-2pm. After 2pm it got a lot quieter. Also, by lunch time some of the sharks were feeling either pretty full and not eating the food offered, or had had enough human attention and had gone into hiding. How long?: The park isn't big and you could easily get through it in around 2 hours, but we ended up spending a good 4 hours or so there as the kids just loved being able to pat the sharks and rays, so we regularly went back and forth between the various tanks, which wasn't a problem. The staff: All the staff were friendly and knowledgeable, and their scheduled talks were informative. They're engaged in their work and passionate about what they do. All the animals looked well cared for and the enclosures were clean and well maintained.
Hi Dan. Thank you for taking the time to provide a detailed review. We are pleased to have met your expectations. Reviews like yours are both rewarding and motivating for our team. They further inspire us to share our knowledge and raise awareness about the challenges that marine creatures face in the ocean today.
Experiencia positiva: We bought general entry and kids enjoyed feeding the sting rays. Shark feeding wasn't that great. The person talking couldn't be understood because of the poor sound quality and acoustic in that space. There is a small play space, cafe.
Hi Nidhi, thanks for your review, feedback and support. Sorry you had a substandard experience feeding the sharks, this is not typical, however can occur in our lagoons. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they mostly choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. These lagoons including the nurseries house in excess of 740 animals and at least 90 different species. I can assure you we are overcoming the speaker sound challenge in the tropical lagoon.
Experiencia positiva: It was worth visiting this place. I enjoyed swimming with sharks and sting rays. You get feed them and pat them too. Kid friendly. Booking in advance is recommended.
Hi Anastasia, thanks for your review and feedback.
Experiencia negativa: We came here on a recommendation over another centre in the area. What is offered on the website is somewhat different to my experience today. We paid the extra for the discovery pass, which in reality gives you a wetsuit. The shark experience was not an experience, we stood feet deep into the water for 15 mins whilst they talked about sharks and that was it, we managed to catch a glimpse or two of the bigger sharks. The other side was full of people not on the discovery experience feeding the sharks, which meant us in the water did not get to even see one let a lone feed them. It was very disappointing. The stingrays, again we sat on the edge of the water and listened to a speech about stingrays which is fine but much of the info talking about chip shops and other products we had already heard. We then went to feed the stingrays but personally I felt there were far too many people there, the rays just sauntered past us with only a few of us managed to stroke them and actually get close. Again, a little disappointed at this. Finally we walked round the shop at the end, we wanted to know the price of the blue turtle bags, the lady on the tills was on the phone talking to what sounded like a friend/family member, it was not a booking, after a few mins we just left and that was that. This was an over expensive trip out. For kids it's probably great but adults it's not one bit exciting and I would not return.
Hi Ben, thanks for review, support and feedback. We take all reviews seriously and improve as appropriate. We subsequently further reduced our maximum capacity, mostly for the benefit of our animals, with the spinoff of improving the journey we offer our visitors. Most of our multiple activities run concurrently, and we have also changed our show times to run concurrently, at each of our lagoons, reducing the congestion you experienced. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals from at least 90 species. We apologize for not adequately explaining the journey options available to fully benefit from the discovery pass. Our reception staff typically detail the journey options available. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they often choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are generally well-received and appreciated by our visitors. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available. It deeply saddens us when visitors have a disappointing experience, as we miss the opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these marine animals in today's oceans.
Experiencia fantástica: My kids loved snorkling and swimming with shark experience. They also loved feeding experience. All staff were profeasional and helpful. It was January Sunday but still not crowded at all. Highly recommend a visit.
Hi Sant, thanks for your review and support, yes we do limit the numbers firstly to safe guard our animals and secondly to ensure you have a great interactive experience.
Experiencia fantástica: Love this place. It’s so special to get up close with such incredible creatures. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly and the animals are clearly well cared for and respected.
Hi Sarah thank you for your awesome review, such rewarding reviews, motivate us and our purpose.
Experiencia fantástica: Our experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters was incredible!! Such a memorable day. Everyone who we spoke to was so helpful and kind, special shoutout to Holly, Shana, Noah and Ryan who made our visit so special. 10/10!!
Hi Eva your inspiring review, feedback, and support are greatly appreciated. This motivates us further in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia fantástica: Was such an amazing experience, I didn't expect the animals to enjoy being petted so much. Holly at the desk was amazing, and all the guides super informative and passionate. Great day out, especially for my mates 30th birthday!
Hi Josh. Your motivating review, feedback, and support are greatly appreciated. They inspire us further in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia positiva: I visited during the school holidays on December 27 and had booked a 2 PM ticket. However, it was raining in Nelson Bay in the morning, so we couldn’t hike up Tomaree Head. We decided to go to see the rays and sharks earlier instead. Luckily, the staff were kind enough to let us change to an earlier session since it wasn’t too busy. We only purchased the basic ticket. In the first pool, we could get up close and even touch the rays while the staff fed them, which was quite fun. Next, we visited the shark pool, where we could only watch the sharks swimming inside the tank. It might have been more exciting if we had purchased the “dive-in” tickets.
Hi Jenifer, thank you for your review, feedback, and support. We take all feedback seriously and apologize for any dissatisfaction experienced during your visit. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals from at least 90 species. We apologize for not adequately explaining the journey options available to fully benefit from the shallow encounter. Our reception staff typically detail the journey options available. The shallow general entry encounter is ankle-deep, designed for both the protection of our animals and visitor safety. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they often choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are generally well-received and appreciated by our visitors. I understand you purchased our shallows entry pass, which includes all the aforementioned experiences and appropriate food to feed the animals both the sharks in the tropical lagoon and the rays in the temperate lagoon. This also encompasses interaction and feeding opportunities with our baby animals in the nurseries at each lagoon. Most guests with this pass spend an average of 2 to 3 hours with us. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available.
Experiencia positiva: Great place for children and families. This is not a pool or aquarium, but there's live fish, sharks and rays swimming at your feet. The talk presenters are extremely knowledgeable - you will learn a lot!
Hi Yakov thank you so much for you review and support.
Experiencia fantástica: Great family day out. Got to pat sharks (big and small) and stingrays. Grandkids loved it. Staff were friendly, informative and helpful. Check out numbers there. We went on New Year’s Day so less people which meant more involvement. Remember to take your own food and snacks.
Hi Liz, thank you for your review, feedback, and support. It inspires us in our mission to inform visitors about the challenges marine creatures face. We have capacity constraints to ensure the well-being of our animals and provide an excellent experience. Pre-booking a slot is essential for this reason.
Experiencia fantástica: What an amazing experience for both adults and kids. I am so deeply grateful to all employees for their kindness and knowledge. It was heartwarming to hear them speak about the animals with such love and dedication. Kids will love this, but please teach them to be gentle and calm around the animals. Great opportunity to learn about marine life. We purchased the Pass + Discovery ticket for around 70 dollars per person, with which we got access to put on a wet suit and be closer to the animals. More or less than that may not be worth it, to me this was perfect. I highly recommend!
Your heart warming review, feedback, and support are greatly appreciated. They inspire us further in our mission to share knowledge and inform our visitors about the challenges these remarkable marine creatures face.
Experiencia positiva: Firstly, the venue itself is quite spacious, which is great for a leisurely day out. However, I found that the activities offered were somewhat limited. The kids had a fantastic time feeding the stingrays and sharks, which was definitely the highlight of our visit. That said, I was a bit disappointed with the visibility of the sharks in the tropical lagoons. They seemed to be quite stable and not very active, which made it hard to fully appreciate their beauty. The videos we had seen prior to our visit set our expectations high, but the reality was a bit different. One piece of advice: definitely make a booking before you go. We encountered some frustration when we were told to come back on another day despite having made an online reservation. This was quite inconvenient and dampened our enthusiasm for the visit. In terms of value for money, I felt that the price paid didn't quite match the experience, especially considering the limited activities and the visibility of the species.
Hi Rita, Thank you for your review, support, and feedback. We take all reviews seriously and strive to improve as appropriate. It appears that we failed to introduce you to the full scope of our activities, which encompass up to 90 different species and over 740 animals. We apologize for the poor visibility in our tropical lagoon; I can assure you this is not typical. During busy periods, it is crucial to pre-book since we have capacity constraints to protect the animals. There must have been a misunderstanding with your pre-booking, as we always honor such reservations. Our animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered, warm, all-weather tropical lagoon, and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts where animals can retreat if desired. Although we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they often choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. In addition to the activities included with general entry, we offer multiple specialized encounters. Our unique discovery pass includes participation in water shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exploring larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper waters within the temperate lagoon. For safety, we provide wetsuits. Furthermore, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session, and snorkelling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters are included with the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children thoroughly enjoy the experiences and options available.
Experiencia fantástica: Such a fantastic experience! The staff are so kind and dedicated. Wonderful conservation efforts. Conquered my fear of sharks! Will be visiting again!
Hi Venuri thank you so much for your warm rewarding review, feedback and support. Such reviews enhance our passion to protect these awesome animals.
Experiencia positiva: Adequate.. but only 1 activity open at a time.. so too many people.. also lots of waiting for the workers to load the feeding sticks.. not as good at the base price as the shark and ray place 5min away at Bob's farm.
Hi Glenn, thanks for review, support and feedback. We take all reviews seriously and improve as appropriate. We subsequently further reduced our maximum capacity, mostly for the benefit of our animals, with the spinoff of improving the journey we offer our visitors, especially those who choose the base entry. Most of our multiple activities run concurrently, and we have also changed our show times to run concurrently, at each of our lagoons, reducing any congestion. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals from at least 90 species. We apologize for not adequately explaining the journey options available to fully benefit from the base entry. Our reception staff typically detail the journey options available. The shallow general entry encounter is ankle-deep, designed for both the protection of our animals and visitor safety. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they often choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are generally well-received and appreciated by our visitors. I understand you purchased our shallows entry pass, which includes all the aforementioned experiences and appropriate food to feed the animals. This also encompasses interaction and feeding opportunities with our baby animals in the nurseries at each lagoon. Most guests with this option spend an average of 2 to 3 hours with us. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkeling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available. It deeply saddens us when visitors have a disappointing experience, as we miss the opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these marine animals in today's oceans.
Experiencia negativa: Extremely Disappointing Experience!!! I recently visited Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters, and while the customer service was okay with helpful staff, my overall experience was thoroughly disappointing. The pools were very small, and there were only a few rays to view. After feeding the rays, we eagerly anticipated the shark show, but to our disbelief, there was nothing to see. We wasted 20 minutes listening to irrelevant information when all we wanted was to see something exciting for our children. Unfortunately, we got nothing. I’m relieved I didn’t pay extra to wear a wetsuit just to sit in a pool where no one could actually enter the water. It felt like an absolute waste of money. Overall, my visit was far from enjoyable, and I left feeling like my time and money were wasted. I would not recommend Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters to anyone seeking a quality experience.
Hi Sylvia thank you for your review, feedback, and support. We take all feedback seriously and apologize for any dissatisfaction experienced during your visit. We regret our inability to provide an extraordinary interactive experience with over 740 marine animals from at least 90 species. We apologize for not adequately explaining the journey options available to fully benefit from the shallow encounter. Our reception staff typically detail the journey options available. The shallow general entry encounter is ankle-deep, designed for both the protection of our animals and visitor safety. Our mature animals reside in two specialized lagoons: the covered warm all-weather tropical lagoon and the open temperate lagoon. Both lagoons feature caves and hideouts allowing animals to retreat if desired. While we never compel our animals to interact with humans, they often choose to engage due to the enrichment and stimulation provided. Our optional shows, conducted at various times throughout the day by highly qualified and passionate staff, are generally well-received and appreciated by our visitors. I understand you purchased our shallows entry pass, which includes all the aforementioned experiences and appropriate food to feed the animals. This also encompasses interaction and feeding opportunities with our baby animals in the nurseries at each lagoon. Most guests with this pass spend an average of 2 to 3 hours with us. Our unique discovery pass offers participation in the water during shows, walking on our reef in the tropical lagoon, exposure to larger species such as sharks, rays, and associated marine fish that balance the ecosystem, and sitting among our exceptional rays in deeper water within the temperate lagoon. For safety, a wetsuit is provided. Additionally, we offer numerous private encounters limited to six people per session and snorkeling in our large lagoons limited to ten people per session. All these encounters include the discovery pass. We find that both adults and children enjoy the experience and options available. It deeply saddens us when visitors have a disappointing experience, as we miss the opportunity to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these marine animals in today's oceans.
Experiencia fantástica: An amazing upfront, interactive experience with the sharks, turtle and rays. You can feed, swim and touch them all. Leo was a wealth of information and a pleasure to talk to. This is an amazing place to bring children to see, touch, feed and learn about the sea creatures. Definitely a five star experience
Hi Jenny thanks ever so much for your warm review, feed back and support. So encouraging for all of us.
Experiencia fantástica: We did the ray cuddle. Such a great experience. Everyone was very friendly and made it a great day out. Don't miss out on this experience if you are in the area.
Hi Tara thank you for your review, feed back and support. Such reviews make us proud.
Experiencia fantástica: Such amazing experience loved how interactive the staff are and how close we got to the sharks and sting rays
Hi Natasha, thank you for your review, feedback and support. Very motivating for us.
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Encuentros con Tiburones y Rayas Irukandji aparece en los siguientes listados:
Otros Aquariums cercanos a Encuentros con Tiburones y Rayas Irukandji
