Aquarium Mar del Plata

What Aquarium Mar del Plata does

Aquarium Mar del Plata is a privately held, single-site aquatic theme park founded in 1993 and located at Avenida de Los Trabajadores 5600 in Mar del Plata, Argentina. It operates a physical marine animal park featuring recreated natural habitats for native Argentine species — including Magellanic penguins, southern elephant seals, nurse and spotted catsharks, dolphins, sea lions, and approximately twenty species of coastal fish — as well as exotic terrestrial fauna such as lemurs. The park's core product is general admission, which grants access to exhibitions, didactic talks, animal enclosures, and a food court; this is augmented by a suite of separately priced premium interactive experiences (dolphin and sea lion encounters, penguin interaction, fish and shark cage diving, and a 'Keeper for a Day' program for children aged 6-12), on-site photography packages, and an educational curriculum for school groups.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model with strong seasonality: daily operations during the December-March summer season and the July winter break, with weekend-only openings the remainder of the year. Revenue is generated through tiered one-time ticket pricing (adults $3,900 ARS, children $3,400 ARS, 50% resident discount for those within 100 km), separately priced interactive experiences at $7,200 ARS per person, an Annual Pass ($5,500 ARS), a subscription-style Club de Socios membership with bundled discounts and exclusive beach access, food and beverage sales at the on-site food court, and digital photography packages. Distribution runs through the on-site box office and the company's own e-commerce website. There is no proprietary technology stack, no app, no API, no disclosed funding, and no ownership or management information in the source data, making Aquarium Mar del Plata a small, privately held, tourism-dependent operator whose nearest marine competitor (Mundo Marino) is 230 km away.

Name

Aquarium Mar del Plata

Legal name

Aquarium Mar del Plata

Website

https://mdpaquarium.com.ar

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Aquarium Mar del Plata operates a seasonal aquatic theme park in Mar del Plata, Argentina, offering interactive marine animal experiences — including dolphin, sea lion, penguin, and shark encounters — for domestic tourists, local families, and school groups visiting the 'Pearl of the Atlantic.'

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium and Aquatic Theme Park

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Aquatic theme park
• Marine animal exhibits
• Interactive animal experiences
• Family entertainment attractions
• Educational wildlife programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Mar Del Plata

HQ country

Argentina

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. General Admission Tickets: The aquarium generates primary revenue through general admission ticket sales with tiered pricing for adults (11+ years), children (3-10 years), seniors, and local residents (50% discount). Tickets include access to exhibitions, shows, and attractions.
2. Interactive Experiences and Activities: Additional revenue from paid experiences including dolphin encounters, sea lion encounters, lemur encounters, penguin interactions, shark diving, and fish diving. Each activity is priced separately at $7200 per person and has scheduled time slots.
3. Annual Passes: Annual pass providing unlimited access throughout the year, offering a recurring revenue stream from repeat visitors.
4. Food and Beverage: On-site food court with various combo meals including lomo sandwiches, hamburgers, pizza, and children's Happy Meals, plus a cafeteria with beverages and snacks.
5. Photography Services: Photo packages with animals including dolphin photos ($1800), bird photos ($1100), sea lion photos ($1400), and bundle packs. Photos delivered in digital format.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Aquarium Mar del Plata is an aquatic theme park operating since 1993 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where visitors gain general admission access to marine animal exhibits (dolphins, sea lions, elephant seals, penguins, sharks, fish, lemurs) and can purchase separate premium interactive experiences such as dolphin encounters, sea lion encounters, shark cage diving, fish diving, penguin interactions, lemur interactions, and a Keeper-for-a-Day program for children. The business supplements its core offering with annual passes, a Club de Socios membership program, on-site food court, photography packages, and curriculum-aligned educational programs for school groups.

Product overview

Aquarium Mar del Plata is a unified aquatic park experience offering multiple interactive animal encounters and attractions. The core product is the general park admission, which includes access to dolphin, sea lion, and bird exhibitions, didactic talks, and all enclosures (aviary, pampean lagoon, carp pond, aquarium, penguin area, touch pool, otters, sea lion bay, shark viewing area, lemurs, CRFM, games area, food court, and children's recreation space). Premium add-on experiences available for separate purchase include: dolphin encounters, sea lion/elephant seal encounters, penguin interaction, lemur interaction, shark cage diving, fish diving, and the 'Keeper for a Day' program for children. Additional services include a membership club with annual pass options, educational programs for schools, and a private beach access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• General Admission (Parque Acuático) Single-day entry ticket granting access to all park enclosures including the aviary, pampean lagoon, carp pond, aquarium, penguin area, touch pool, otters, sea lion bay, shark viewing area, lemurs, CRFM, games area, food court, and children's recreation space. Tickets are tiered by age (adults 11+ at $3900 ARS, children 3-10 at $3400 ARS, free for children under 3, discounted for seniors and 50% off for local residents); valid 30 days from purchase. Includes a digital family photo and a souvenir pin.
• Encuentro con Delfines (Dolphin Encounter) Premium interactive experience where visitors play with and pet dolphins under the supervision of trained aquarium caretakers, featuring dolphin pirouettes, jumps, and close-up interaction. Priced at $7200 ARS per person, separate from park admission, with scheduled time slots.
• Encuentros con Lobos y Elefantes Marinos (Sea Lion and Elephant Seal Encounter) Premium interactive experience where visitors observe sea lions and elephant seals (native Argentine marine mammals, up to 5 meters long) in a recreated natural habitat beside a water mirror enclosure. Priced at $7200 ARS per person with scheduled time slots.
• Buceo con Peces (Fish Diving) Introductory diving experience in two heated seawater pools recreating submarine scenes, where visitors observe approximately 20 native fish species including groupers, mullet, sea bream, palometas, and corvinas. Priced at $7200 ARS per person with scheduled time slots.
• Inmersión con Tiburones (Shark Cage Diving) Premium diving experience inside a specially designed cage in heated seawater pools, where visitors observe nurse sharks, spotted catsharks, lemon fish, and various other marine species. Includes basic diving lessons and complete equipment provision. Priced at $7200 ARS per person.
• Interacción con Pingüinos (Penguin Interaction) Premium interactive experience featuring Magellanic penguins, rockhopper penguins, and king penguins, where visitors learn about penguin behavior, nesting, and conservation. Priced at $7200 ARS per person.
• Interacción con Lémures (Lemur Interaction) Premium interactive experience recreating Madagascar's savanna habitat where visitors observe and interact with lemurs. Priced at $7200 ARS per person.
• Cuidador por un Día (Keeper for a Day) Educational experience designed for children aged 6-12 who join the aquarium's animal care team for a day. Participants learn to prepare food, care for, and maintain habitats of dolphins, sea lions, sharks, and elephant seals under the supervision of trained caretakers. Priced at $7200 ARS per person.
• Pase Anual (Annual Pass) Annual pass providing unlimited park access throughout the year, valid for 12 months from purchase date. Priced at $5500 ARS as a one-time annual fee. Personal and non-transferable; does not include night shows. Tickets purchased separately valid for 30 days from purchase.
• Club de Socios (Members Club) Premium annual membership program offering free park access, exclusive club beach access, 50% discount on interactive experiences, 20% discount on food court purchases, and 20% discount on birthday celebrations for the member's birthday. Provides repeat-visit engagement and recurring revenue stream.
• Programa Educativo (Educational Program) Curriculum-aligned educational programs for students of all school levels, conducted on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays with three possible time slots per day. Provides structured learning experiences about Argentine marine fauna for school field trips.
• Photography Services On-site photography packages with animals including dolphin photos ($1800 ARS), bird photos ($1100 ARS), sea lion photos ($1400 ARS), and bundle of 3 photos ($3300 ARS). Photos delivered in digital format.
• Food and Beverage (Patio de Comidas) On-site food court serving combo meals including lomo sandwich combo ($1850 ARS), hamburger combo ($1600 ARS), pizza for two ($2100 ARS), nuggets Happy Meal ($1750 ARS), hamburger Happy Meal ($1750 ARS), and cafe/breakfast ($500 ARS), plus a cafeteria with beverages and snacks.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aquarium-mar-del-plata

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aquarium Mar del Plata