Oniria aquarium in Canet-en-Roussillon

Oniria, more than an aquarium

Located on the port of Canet-en-Roussillon, facing the Mediterranean Sea, Oniria is much more than an aquarium! The establishment promises the experience of a unique sensory odyssey where all the senses are awakened.

As visitors immerse themselves in the world of water and understand all the secrets of its metamorphoses, they feel, vibrate and listen to: the vertigo of climbing to the top of a mountain, the feel of ice, the madness of a storm, the surge of a tempest, the dampness of fog.... Ultra-realistic backdrops immerse them in the different biotopes represented for a memorable voyage around the seas and oceans of our Blue Planet.

The site's universes feature a wide variety of aquatic species... some of them surprising!

Over 3,500 individuals of 600 different species can be discovered in 83 tanks, including a huge aquarium featuring the site's most emblematic animal: sharks.

Following a fun, interactive path, visitors slip into the shoes of a drop that will take 1,000 years to complete its journey around the world. Contemplating the journey of this molecule in all its physical states, Oniria allows visitors to explore many of the planet's ecosystems, but not only!

Freshwater and the Mediterranean Sea

Heritage species, the richness of the Mediterranean waters, the beauty of its inhabitants, this space presents the specimens that inhabit the coasts around Canet-en-Roussillon!

Tropical marine world

A rainbow of colors, sumptuously shaped fish and coral reefs: the tropical world reveals a captivating underwater world. The shimmering hues and shapes of the coral offer a multitude of hiding places for the fish they shelter.

Jungle

Tropical forest with lush vegetation, a 5 m high waterfall overlooking a pool full of piranhas... Feel the humidity of the jungle and discover the aquatic species that live there. At the junction of fresh and salt water, the mangrove and its mangrove trees complete the spectacle.

Shark Kingdom

Bull sharks, grey sharks and blacktip sharks are the heroes of this show!

A majestic aquarium reveals the immensity of the ocean. We recommend a stop to enjoy the ballet.

Science and research

While Oniria is an ode to discovery, it is also, and above all, a site whose primary vocation is to study how best to protect species and their ecosystems.

A real interface between the visit and the research work, a window on the laboratories offers a live view of the work in progress carried out by the scientists.

Educational events to raise awareness

Raising public awareness is a fundamental challenge for the Aquarium. Oniria offers a dedicated program of activities, with regular events specially designed for families, so that young and old alike can learn while having fun.

Feeding activities every day of the week

Come and watch the Oniria species as they enjoy their meal!

Visitors have the opportunity to interact with the caretakers and biologists, and learn about the diet, lifestyle and particularities of each individual. The Oniria crew takes great pleasure in passing on their knowledge and raising public awareness of conservation issues.

Patrick Masanet, Scientific and Technical Director, Oniria

Patrick Masanet has been curator of the Aquarium de Canet-en-Roussillon since 1986. He is the initiator of the Oniria program, Canet's new aquarium, which opened in July 2021 and has already welcomed over 700,000 visitors.

A biologist and former member of Monaco's Oceanographic Museum with a passion for nature, he started with a blank sheet of paper, but drew on his solid experience as curator in charge of the old Canet aquarium, to come up with the concept for the new aquarium. "Oniria, a name borrowed from the dream world, is intended to be a marvellous world, tinged with poetry, where the beauty of nature can be fully expressed", he explains. After years of observing and studying aquatic environments, it was armed with a ruler, pencil and eraser that he produced hundreds of sketches and calculations to give the exact dimensions of the spaces, the functional plan and the millimetric dimensions of all the basins that now equip the site.

Today, his dearest wish is to help as many people as possible understand and love aquatic environments. It's an approach in which he plays an active part, along with his teams, who together take great care of all the Aquarium's species on a daily basis, contributing to the protection of our Blue Planet and its most precious treasure: water. But the aim goes even further, with the protection of endangered species through breeding and reproduction programs within the establishment. "If the playful side is used to surprise and interest, Oniria's DNA is also and above all its environmental education mission. The course itself, with its variety of worlds, is a fine example of the biodiversity of aquatic environments, both freshwater and marine. The adaptation of species to these highly varied environments is remarkable. Oniria makes a point of showing, but also explaining," adds Patrick Masanet.

Jessica Cobos, Marketing and Sales Manager, Oniria

A trilingual marketing professional straight from the Barcelona Aquarium in Spain, Jessica Cobos joined Patrick Masanet prior to the opening of the new Oniria Aquarium in Canet-en-Roussillon, to transform the tourist establishment into an "Aquarium of daydreams" and raise its profile not only nationally, but also well beyond our borders.

Together with her team at the reception desk, in the back office and in the store, her mission goes beyond promoting the establishment: to pamper visitors young and old from all over the world, as well as school groups and works councils, and to make their visit as pleasant as it is magical, all along the way, by constantly inventing new activities and enchanting decorations, as well as new experiences such as VIP visits, feeding sessions and the novelty "in the skin of a soigneur". With such a program, visitors leave delighted, enabling Aquarium Oniria to obtain the "Qualité Occitanie Sud de France" label in 2023.