Dive with Nurse Sharks, Stingrays, and Hammerhead Sharks — Your Dream Dive Is Right Here in Taiwan: Penghu Aquarium Opening Countdown

When most people think of a trip to Penghu, their minds immediately go to its crystal-clear blue waters, pristine white sand beaches, the cross-sea bridge on Penghu's main island, the twin-heart stone weir on Qimei Island, and cactus ice cream. After riding a scooter across the cross-sea bridge and heading along County Road 203 on the North Penghu Loop, travelers passing through Qitou Village in Baisha Township often miss a special attraction tucked just off a side road — the Penghu Aquarium. It's a real shame to skip it.

About the Penghu Aquarium

The Penghu Aquarium opened in 1998, making it more than 20 years old. As one of Taiwan's earliest aquariums to open to the public, it has faced the challenges of limited ocean environmental education among the general population and aging facilities. After changing ownership several times, it reopened in 2019. Now, facing competition from newer players such as the National Museum of Marine Biology & Aquarium, the National Museum of Marine Science and Technology, and Xpark in Taoyuan, what special curatorial approach is this storied local aquarium preparing to attract visitors?

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Is the Penghu Aquarium Worth Visiting?

Unlike other large aquariums in Taiwan, the Penghu Aquarium doesn't rely on animal shows, dazzling light displays, or exotic star species to draw crowds. Instead, it takes a deeply local approach, showcasing the marine species found in the waters surrounding Penghu — which was the aquarium's founding vision: to give the general public a richer, more multifaceted way to understand marine life.

The aquarium's first floor is home to a Coastal Display Zone, a Reef Display Zone, and an Ocean Display Zone, giving visitors a window into the common inhabitants of Penghu's different aquatic habitats. The Reef Display Zone features a variety of coral reef fish, and at feeding time, staff lower a head of cabbage into the tank from above. Yes — you read that right — cabbage. According to the aquarium's staff, cabbage provides the nutrients that algae-eating coral reef fish need, while its fish-attracting effect keeps visitors glued to the tank long after they expected to move on.

Along the path toward the Ocean Pool, you can also get to know various creatures through individual display tanks — from the familiar pufferfish and scorpionfish to flatfish you rarely see up close. If you're lucky, you might catch staff feeding these animals right as you pass by and catch a rare impromptu feeding show!

The undisputed highlight of the entire Penghu Aquarium is the curved transparent tunnel in the Ocean Display Zone — 2.8 metres in diameter and 14 metres long — which visitors can walk through at a depth of 8 metres beneath the surface, watching marine life up close all around them. Here you'll encounter Nurse Sharks, bowmouth guitarfish (a type of ray), Hammerhead Sharks, and various Stingrays. The Ocean Pool is also home to three Giant Groupers — don't be fooled by their round, dopey-looking faces. They are apex predators of the deep.

The Feeding Show Billed as the Most Energetic in Taiwan

A visit to the Penghu Aquarium is not complete without catching the high-energy feeding show! Unlike other aquariums, the aquarium's keepers don't just fill up these hungry guests — they also use a special underwater communication device that lets the on-floor guide and the underwater keeper talk to each other in real time, adjusting the performance based on the crowd's reactions. Think underwater headstands, underwater singing, and underwater dancing.

But the truth is, these keepers do far more than entertain. They rely on exceptional memory to keep track of which animals have already been fed, and they use hands-on massage techniques — a form of "physical examination" — to directly sense whether each animal is in good spirits and whether any physical abnormalities might be developing. Keepers are therefore a crucial frontline resource for the aquarium's understanding of each individual animal. Next time you see them in the tank, don't forget to give them a wave!

Heading upstairs along the walkway to the second floor, you'll find the touch pool that children adore. Here, visitors can directly touch a variety of creatures, including sea urchins, sea stars, and even the rarely seen tri-spine horseshoe crab. Just imagine — all of these animals actually live in the waters surrounding Penghu!

As mentioned at the outset, the Penghu Aquarium's relatively early founding means its physical infrastructure and floor space can't match the large-scale aquariums that have opened on the main island of Taiwan in recent years. So how does it plan to capture the public's attention with fresh curatorial ideas? Simple — give visitors the chance to dive alongside these enormous creatures themselves!

Coming in 2023 — Dive with the Star Megafauna!

The Penghu Aquarium plans to open the Ocean Pool to divers in late spring 2023, allowing them to dive alongside its many star residents. But why late spring specifically? There are two main reasons. First, visitor numbers to Penghu are lower in winter. Second — as mentioned at the start of this article — the aquarium uses water drawn directly from the surrounding sea, which undergoes only basic sedimentation and purification before being piped into the tanks. Even though the water is heated to 20°C in winter, that's a temperature most recreational divers would struggle to endure.

The program the aquarium plans to offer is envisioned as a full-day keeper experience, covering bait preparation, environmental education, and a dive in the Ocean Pool. That said, the star feeding show will still be conducted by professional keepers, primarily because these large, pampered residents transform the moment it's feeding time — like the statues in Night at the Museum suddenly springing to life. The bowmouth guitarfish is the notorious head-bumper of the group: it will use its robot-vacuum-cleaner-shaped front edge and an expression of absolute innocence to ram right into you. Trust me — it actually hurts!

During the dive in the Ocean Pool, you'll be able to observe these animals far more closely than any visitor in the tunnel — and you can even bring a camera to finally tick "photograph megafauna" off your bucket list. On our dive, we used external strobes. Because the Penghu Aquarium's tank is not enormous, the current plan is to allow only four scuba divers per session, and participants must hold an Advanced Open Water Diver (PADI cert) certification or above. All final entry and photography rules will be determined by the Penghu Aquarium's official announcements.

Finished Observing? Now Help with the Check-Up!

Once you're inside the Ocean Pool, most people — including the Editor — will find their bodies stiffening up, too awed to make any sudden movements in the presence of these 2-metre-plus giants. But as you spend more time with these animals, you'll notice that they actually come over to "bump into" you from time to time, probably mistaking you for a keeper and angling for a bit of extra food. You'll also clearly notice that some animals have a particularly special quality — Nurse Sharks, for instance, rarely eat during the feeding show, but they'll trot right up to you like a puppy or kitten looking to be petted. When that happens, don't hold back — give them a good scratch!

Beyond Close-Up Animal Encounters — Interacting with Visitors Is Half the Fun!

Another wonderful perk of being inside the Ocean Pool is getting to interact with the visitors outside from a completely different perspective — an experience unlike anything else. You can hover behind the keeper and watch how the feeding is done, or swim over to the tunnel and wave at visitors — maybe even pose for a photo together. We're confident that the time in a single scuba tank will fly by and leave you wanting much more!

The Penghu Aquarium Is Also an Emergency Rescue Station for Marine Life

Like many aquariums abroad, the Penghu Aquarium is not only a venue for ocean environmental education — it is also an emergency rescue station for marine life. When local Penghu fishermen accidentally catch animals of no commercial value (such as Stingrays or sharks), they can contact the aquarium for assistance rehoming them. The Penghu Aquarium has previously taken in sea turtles with severed flippers and Stingrays entangled in fishing nets. The aquarium's existence means that marine animals whose fates have been altered by human activity now have a chance — beyond ending up on a dinner table or as discard — to receive dedicated, attentive care.

BlueTrend Exclusive: 《Penghu Aquarium · One-Day Ocean Pool Diver》 Interest Survey

Have you ever dreamed of getting up close and personal with large Stingrays? Now you have the chance to interact with marine life at the same proximity the Editor did! BlueTrend has secured an exclusive early-bird notification arrangement with the Penghu Aquarium — simply fill in the form below, and when the Penghu Aquarium launches its dream program 【Penghu Aquarium · One-Day Ocean Pool Diver】 in 2023, you'll be the first to receive event information and exclusive offers. As you well know — limited spots are ruthless!

According to the Penghu Aquarium's plans, those without a certification need not despair: visitors can enroll in a 【four-day, three-night professional scuba diving course】 and, upon completion, will be eligible to dive in the aquarium's Ocean Pool. If you can't wait to dive alongside these star creatures, register your interest now — don't hesitate!

Further links:

• 澎湖水族館 Penghu Aquarium
• 海洋途徑潛水