The founding aquariums

Nausicaá is not only an aquarium. It’s also an educational and cultural centre dedicated to the Ocean, a platform of initiatives in favour of the sea, a meeting point for professionals, scientists, spokespeople for Ocean-related issues, film producers and for the general public, and particularly school children. Six hundred thousand people visit Nausicaa every year.

Of the 600,000 annual visitors to Nausicaá, 68% are French and 38% foreign (mainly British, Belgian, Dutch and German), 13% of the visitors live on the Côte d’Opale (near Boulogne-sur-Mer), one of every two visitors has already been to Nausicaá at least once, and 30% come in groups, of which 35% are children. Nausicaá is situated at Boulogne-sur-Mer, France’s largest fishing port and also the largest fish processing centre in Europe.

Acquario Di Genova is an educational, science and cultural centre which aims at developing and strengthening the awareness that a sustainable relationship between men and sea is essential. The aquarium welcomes 1,3 million visitors every year, from all over Italy (mainly North and centre) and most European countries, with a small percentage of visitors from other continents.
Genova is located in Liguria Region, North West Italy, facing the sea, close to France. It is one of the most important commercial and tourist ports of the Mediterranean Sea. In the Province of Genova there are one Marine Protected Area (Portofino) and several Regional Protected Areas, in Liguria there is also a National Marine Protected Area (Cinque Terre) and many other Regional Protected Areas.

Aquarium Finisterrae is more of an educational centre for marine environment rather than a basic exhibition centre. Its objective is to educated the public to discover the sea and the life it houses and alert them of its reality and complexity. Every year, 330 000 people come to visit the Aquarium Finisterrae.