Housed in a fine, sail-shaped building on the corniche, the Scientific Center boasts an aquarium that is one of the largest in the Middle East. The unique intertidal display features shoals of black-spotted sweetlips and the ingenious mudskipper. But the most spectacular part of the display (with giant spider crabs at 3.8m leg to leg, a living reef and fluorescent jellyfish coming in as a close second) are undoubtedly the floor-to-ceiling shark and ray tanks.
Ring ahead or check the website to check feeding times. There's also a section devoted to terrestrial desert animals.
The complex includes an IMAX cinema and an interactive learning centre called Discovery Place where children can make their own sand dunes or roll a piece of road. The dhow harbour is home to Fateh Al Khair , the last surviving dhow of the pre-oil era. Admission prices for these additional on-site attractions vary, with a variety of combination tickets available..
Salmiya bus stop, for buses 15, 17, 24, 34 and 200, is a short 10-minute (shaded) walk away.
