TAMPA, Fla. — The Florida Aquarium's lively aquatic displays, interactive exhibits and conservation efforts are once again being recognized on a national level.
USA Today ranked the top aquariums in the country in its 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards 2024 — and Tampa's own Florida Aquarium snagged the No. 8 spot.
The aquariums on the list are first selected by a panel of experts and then voted on by the readers to "represent the best in the country for their high-quality exhibits and visitor interactions," USA Today wrote.
The publication makes note of the Florida Aquarium's more than 8,000 plants and animals, from alligators and sharks to river otters and free-flying seabirds. USA Today also commends how the aquarium highlights both local habitats like mangroves as well as global habitats as seen on its Journey to Madagascar.
The Florida Aquarium has placed among the best five times since the list’s inception in 2014.
Last year, the aquarium also placed 8th and as high as No. 2 in 2019.
You can check out USA Today's full list here.
10 Tampa Bay's Dazion Prosser contributed to this report.