Acquario della Laguna di Orbetello

Small aquarium in Talamone with tanks showing the habitats of the Orbetello lagoon and a museum of traditional fishing; currently closed.

Temporarily closed

Website Directions

Temporarily closed. The website of the Maremma Park lists the aquarium as temporarily closed (notice of 30 September 2019); no reopening date has been announced.

About the museum

The aquarium is located in Talamone, a village in the municipality of Orbetello, on the ground floor of a building on Via Nizza. It presents the fauna and flora of the Orbetello lagoon in a simple way, a coastal environment where freshwater and saltwater species coexist. The route follows the lagoon's gradual changes in depth, salinity and water temperature.

Next to the tanks is a museum section devoted to traditional fishing and the life of the lagoon communities: fishing gear arranged by type of fishing, traditional boats and tools, historical photographs and captions explaining the underwater world and human activities along the shores. A small video room and a scale model of the lagoon complete the visit.

The facility also houses a rescue centre for sea turtles, where injured animals are treated and cared for before being released, and serves as an information point of the Tuscan Biodiversity Observatory. The aquarium is run by a group of biologists linked to the Maremma Park. According to a notice on the park's website, the facility is temporarily closed and no reopening date has been given.

Highlights

Tanks with lagoon fish such as gilthead bream, European seabass, grey mullet and eel
Museum of fishing and lagoon traditions with traditional tools and boats
Scale model of the Orbetello lagoon
Rescue centre for sea turtles
Interactive educational trails on the Mediterranean environment