Through the looking glass

If you yearn for something different, diving in an aquarium is certainly a novelty. Underwater exploration is supposed to be about freedom from the topside world, but when you join the proverbial fish in the barrel, all bets are off. You are contained in an entirely artificial environment, with fibreglass reefs and fish that jostle around you like excited puppies, all the while being peered at by day-trippers.

Palma Aquarium, which is located near Mallorca’s international airport, is allowing a small number of divers to try its shark tank as an alternative to the traditional Mediterranean dives the island is known for. The Aquarium has a reputation for scientific research and its owners have carried out extensive studies into seeding corals in tanks – many of the exhibits feature intricately realised tropical and subtropical environments as a backdrop to the fish. Palma cost €32 million to construct and it really shows when you get to the shark tank.

I’ve dived in a few shark tanks, and always felt a bit hemmed in. They may seem big through the distorting windows, but once you’re in there’s not much room to manoeuvre. Palma is different. Having kitted up in the adjoining dive centre, I climbed the stairs to the entry point and stepped into the blue pool. Descending was a novelty in itself, because in other aquaria you’d be at the bottom in an instant. By contrast, Palma’s entry point is located over the deepest section of the tank, so I found myself scattering a school of golden sea bass as I fell gently to the bottom. I even had time to think ‘where are the sharks?’ before the first one swam towards me.

I know that the sand tiger shark is not dangerous, but it’s still an imposing species with an expansive dental display. Swimming next to a shark, I admired the way it glided effortlessly though the water, scanning the intruders as it continued its circling patrols. It took a while for my eyes to adjust to the subdued light. In order to replicate the conditions of the sharks’ natural habitat, the aquarium uses a retractable roof to combine measured doses of sunlight with spotlights arranged on a gantry above the water. When you look up from the depths of the tank, a constellation of lights flickers at the surface, making the experience all the more surreal.

The sand tiger sharks seemed fairly relaxed, but the brown or sandbar sharks were notably skittish, and made a point of staying away from the divers. This species is seldom encountered in the wild. Similarly, the ornate eagle rays that swooped between the sharks and the shingle at the base of the tank steered clear of the divers – much as they do in the wild.

The most diver-friendly occupants were the stingrays, which fussed around the divers like greedy cats, always hoping for a feed. I spied a few diminutive blacktip reef sharks and then – a glimpse of home – a lesser-spotted cat shark.

Particularly fascinating were the schools of bass and bream, which occupied a particular spot close to the diver’s access point. The outer walls of the tank were swathed in a sort of blue tarpaulin, which looks artificial up close, yet creates the illusion of an infinite blue sea from the viewing windows.

I left the aquarium with mixed feelings – as much as I enjoyed the opportunity to swim with big fish, my lingering fear is that the shark-finning industry may yet create a world in which the only safe sharks are those kept in aquarium tanks.

Palma Aquarium’s shark tank has a water temperature of around 23–25°C, so a 5–6mm wetsuit with hood and gloves is recommended. A one-hour dive costs around £170 and can be arranged by emailing  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Reservations must be made a minimum of three working days before the dive. For further details, go to the official website: www.palmaaquarium.com