Nano Zoo

Zoom into the world of nano this summer at the National Aquarium of New Zealand and discover the weird and wonderful, teeny tiny world around us!

Did you know that 85% of the world is made up of microscopic species – a world we can’t even see? Even though we can’t see this world, the species that live in it play an important role in our ecosystem – it’s fascinating and sometimes a bit icky!

Journey through the National Aquarium to connect with this nano-world through activities, videos and fun facts. You’ll learn what a bongo net is, what was found in fossilised dinosaur poo, why we’re so reliant on plankton for our survival, what seahorses eat when they snack 30-50 times a day and more!

Enjoy building a community of creatures that live on a turtle’s back, finding the teeny tiny insects that hide in the leaves on our forest floor and getting a close up view of a crayfish’s life cycle at crustacean corner!

There are so many amazing facts and things to discover you’ll what to share it with your friends and family after your visit. You never know, you might make a microscopic friend or two!

Nano Zoo is part of general admission and runs 10 December to 7 February.

Book in to nano lab
Pull on your lab coat, step into our special Nano Lab and become a scientist. You’ll have the opportunity of taking an even closer look at the tiny creatures you can’t normally as you stare down the barrel of a microscope. This is an awesome opportunity to work up close with our educators, use scientific equipment and explore the unseen world.

When: Daily at 9am, 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, Saturday 17 December – Sunday 29 January
Where: National Aquarium of New Zealand
Duration: 25 minutes
Cost: $10 per person (excludes general admission to the National Aquarium).