Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo at The Dubai Mall has unveiled a fresh new experience that offers visitors the opportunity to have close encounters with the 33,000 aquatic animals.

Described as the ‘Cage Experience,’ the new initiative complements the Shark Dives and Glass Bottom Boat Rides that are hugely popular among visitors.

Essentially, visitors can now jump straight into the 10 million litre tank without the hassle of diving equipment or air tanks. This will particularly appeal to those who do not want to undertake full-fledged diving but can feel the same thrills in a safe cage setting.

The Cage Experience users only have to put on snorkelling gear, dive into the secure cage in the aquarium, and watch over 70 different marine species including some 400 sharks and rays at close quarters. The experience has been described by visitors as one of the exciting activities they have ever undertaken in a mall environment.

'Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo is one of the most popular leisure destinations in the city, and we are constantly adding new experiences for visitors to add to its appeal,' said Damian Prendergast, general manager, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

'The Cage Experience is a novelty for Dubai as it offers any one, even those without any previous diving experience, the opportunity to explore the depths of the aquarium by jumping into a safe cage, without the need for elaborate diving gear or air tanks,' he explained.

“The Cage Experience has been designed to be simple and easy for any one to try out. The required paraphernalia are provided on-site; therefore any visitor to the mall can undertake the Cage Experience impromptu,” he added.

The Cage Experience is offered throughout the day with the cage having the capacity to accommodate up to four visitors and two instructors at a time. The experience is open for anyone over ten years of age and is priced Dh225 per person. Visitors can also purchase a bathing suit and towels on-site, he added.

Participants in the Cage Experience can get a better glimpse of the marine way of living as the various species in the Dubai Aquarium, which replicates an ocean environment, have their own marked territories at different levels of the tank, as they do at sea.

Nurse Sharks, Fantail Rays, Guitarfish and all the small reef associated species are commonly found on the ocean’s bed while the sharks prefer to be in the darker rocky areas and caves.

Rays have a preference for being near the water surface, where they flap their wings, and glide on in perfect poise. The Giant Trevally, Bigeye Trevally, Rainbow Runners and Batfish are among others species that tend to prefer the water surface.

A 270 degree walkthrough tunnel experience, Glass Bottom Boat Rides, Shark Dives and Ocean School Programme are amongst the other activities available at Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo.

The leisure component is managed by Emaar Retail which also manages Dubai Ice Rink as well as the recently opened Reel Cinemas, Dubai’s largest megaplex, and the SEGA Republic, a first of its kind indoor theme park in the Middle East. KidZania, a dedicated leisure zone for children, will open shortly.-TradeArabia News Service