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Whales, dolphins, and tropical fish:
it's a living dream

If your heart and soul lean towards the sea, then Genoa will offer you its renowned aquarium (the biggest one in Europe) and whale-watching will be possible off the coast of Sanremo. In addition the Montecarlo Oceanographic Museum and Antibes Sea Park will be glad to welcome you. Thanks to its many fascinating and various attractions, the Genoa aquarium has been visited by more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1997.

It is ranked at the top of the "museum chart" followed by the Vatican Museums. Whale-watching will prove a different experience. Weekly trips can be taken from Sanremo and Imperia - Porto Maurizio. The motor-ships-Diana II and Corsaro-will take you to a triangled-shaped area between the Italian and French coast and Corsica. Here several species of dolphins and whales gather during summer as if following a natural code or a ritual. These sea mammals can really feel at ease and eat plenty here since the whole area is strictly protected.

As a matter of fact, in 1993 Italy, France and the Principality of Monaco signed an agreement to guarantee the protection of this so-called whale sanctuary. Just remember that you will need to be patient while waiting for the whales. Your "safari" will last seven hours and eight times out of ten you will be able to see and photograph whales or dolphins. During the trip a biologist will provide you with useful information about these sea mammals and about the Ligurian sea fauna. Trips are made from Sanremo every Thursday and Sunday (until September) between 12.30 p.m. and 1.00 p.m.; return time at 7.00 p.m. You can have lunch on board the ship.

Moving to France, the Montecarlo Oceanographic Museum will offer you 4.500 species of fish coming from the seven seas and the finest collection of oceanographic instruments, while the naval museum hosts 150 models representing ships dating from the eighteenth century onwards.

Antibes (Côte d'Azur) will celebrate the 30th birthday of Marineland. This summer the French sea park has a special attraction for its visitors: "the odyssey of the jelly-fish". Jelly-fish swim continuously in specially-designed pools in which sea stream is artificially reproduced. In the sea park you will also see killer whales, seals, dolphins, crocodiles, and sharks which can be closely observed from a tunnel made of plexiglas. Finally opposite Marineland you will find Acquasplash - an amusement park - with big slides and artificial tidal waves.