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Coral, the planet's largest builder, is a fragile and threatened animal.

Found in all the world's seas, the jellyfish intrigues and fascinates. But watch out, you might get burnt !

The mangrove, a forest with its feet in the water, is an essential ecosystem for tropical marine life.

Find out more about what lies beneath the surface, all the way down to the farthest depths of the ocean.

On Wednesday, 26th of July 2023, Nausicaá, the Centre National de la Mer (National Sea Centre) in Boulogne-sur-Mer welcomed its 20 millionth visitor.

This year, Nausicaá is taking you on a journey to discover the mysteries of the abyss

This annual season pass gives you unlimited access to Europe’s largest aquarium, plus a host of exclusive benefits for 365 days!

Do you speak polar? What is the difference between pack ice and icebergs? Here are a few definitions to help you understand the cryosphere.

Nausicaá, an aquarium with a mission.

Discover now the schedule of our activities for the 2025 Christmas holidays.

A unique project for an immersive experience.

EAZA proposes a World Day on 6 August for this little tropical fish, an endangered species.

These reef-building corals play a part in creating coral reefs.

Nausicaá invites you to discover ideas for activities on the Opal Coast and the Hauts de France region

In the Boulogne area, and all along the Opal Coast, water sports are legion.

You have come to Boulogne-sur-Mer with your family to visit the largest aquarium in Europe: Nausicaá. What else is there to see on the Opal Coast?

Juveniles and adult yellow-tailed cories look completely different.

This bird from South Africa is a sociable, gregarious and loyal bird that can stay with its partner for life.

The Aldabra giant tortoise is the largest land tortoise.

Meet this passionate photographer, witness to the evolution of the underwater world.

Discover the special features of coral, in video.

The mangrove is a tropical forest with its feet in salt water. Discover it in video.

The abyss is a mysterious environment because it is largely unexplored and very difficult to reach.

At the time of All Saints' there are two weeks of holidays for kids and teenagers, middle-school and high-school students.

Set out to discover the giants that inhabit the High Seas thanks to a unique Augmented Reality device

The horseshoe crab has survived several mass extinctions and has evolved little over the last 450 million years. It is sometimes referred to as a living fossil.

Educational and awareness-raising tools

Using aquaculture to combat marine litter.

This Amazonian colossus is a fearsome predator that is not afraid of being bitten by piranhas.

Why do some species of fish change sex?

Some jellyfish, such as Turritopsis dohrnii, have the ability to regenerate.

The arowana is an Amazonian fish, a predator that can jump out of the water to catch its prey. It is popular in Asia and is associated with the dragon.

This lizard can be recognised by the size of its tail, which is about three times larger than its body. It lives in rice fields, tall grass, clearings and on the edge of tropical forests.

The Atlantic cod is found on sandy or rocky seabeds. It can be recognised by its barbel.

The Atlantic lookdown lives in groups and has the particularity of playing with the light reflected on its silvery body so that it can hide from its predators.

On 15 July, 40 juvenile Atlantic lookdowns, born thanks to the partnership between Nausicaá and BioNaMeris, will be sent to La Rochelle.

This unique fish from the mangroves can live out of the water and jump on the mud or walk on the sand. Its eyes, located on the top of its head, give it a very wide field of vision, like a periscope.

The Atlantic nurse shark has an extremely acute sense of smell which enables it to find its prey hidden in the seabed. It gets its name from the way it feeds by suction, reminiscent of babies feeding.

The Atlantic pygmy devil ray lives on the high seas. It has two cephalic fins that it uses to direct plankton towards its mouth.

The collaboration between a researcher and the caretakers of Nausicaá to conserve the Atlantic Pygmy Devil Ray Mobula hypostoma.

Are they the same animals, the same species or are they different?

This jellyfish can be recognised by its blue-tinged umbrella speckled with white spots. It is also known as the "floating bell" and is not considered to be dangerous to humans.

20% off your admission ticket with the Nausicaá annual season pass!

The ballan wrasse is a fish with a bulky body and fleshy lips. It lives mainly in rocky areas.

The Banded Archerfish is a marksman who hunts his prey by knocking them into the water with a powerful jet of water.

This fish is elegant both in terms of the shape of its body and its colours. It can be recognised by its three vertical black stripes and white spots.

Spend an exceptional hour witnessing what goes on behind the scenes every day between the aquariological handlers and the fish of the High Seas.

BentiX is an innovative ROV underwater drone project incubated at Nausicaa's Blue Living Lab in 2022.

It can be recognised by its bright yellow body at the front and dark blue body at the rear, with a vertical black line separating the two colours.

Explore the region differently!

The big roughy Gephyroberyx japonicus lives off the coast of Japan at a depth of between 320 and 660 metres.

In November 2024, two Conferences of the Parties will take place to discuss biodiversity and climate change.

Off the coast, beyond the territorial waters, lies the high seas.

In 2018, an ambitious initiative for the ocean was launched.

Bioluminescence, an example of how life has adapted to conditions on the deep seabed.

More than 20 births since 2009.

What a strange animal the seahorse is!

Baby starry smoothhounds were born at Nausicaá on the 8th of May 2021.

Little undulate rays, also known as undulate skates, have been born at Nausicaá.

Nausicaá is a unique biodiversity conservatory where births and reproduction punctuate the year.

A penguin and an undulate ray have just been born at the Centre national de la Mer

A look back at the year's births at Nausicaá.

Since 2009, more than 50 blackchin guitarfish have been born here.

A first for the centre in 2022!

Baby epaulette sharks born at Nausicaá.

A first in Europe: leopard sharks born at the end of 2021.

The first zebra sharks were born at Nausicaá in 2020.

The black-tipped fin of this reef shark is easy to spot as it often swims in less than a metre of water.

New sharks to discover in the new tropical environment.

This very colourful fish lives among the sea anemones that protect it from predators. Juveniles can be distinguished from adults by the number of white stripes on their bodies.

The guitarfish is a cross between a ray and a shark. It likes to burrow into the sea floor and cover itself with sand.

It is one of the largest rays in the world and like other rays, it has a venomous spine on its tail.

The damselfish live in shoals, close to the corals where they can take shelter at the slightest sign of danger.

The blue jellyfish appears on the coasts of northern Europe from May to September-October.

An open innovation platform created and hosted by Nausicaá, dedicated to a sustainable blue economy.

Couples dig their burrows together and rarely stray far from them.

Often solitary, the bluegirdle angelfish is found in coral reef areas.

The Bluespotted Lagoon Ray is a benthic fish that lives on coastal reefs to a depth of 50 m, preferring caves and ledges during the day.

A small cleaner fish, it is recognised by other fish, which do not consider it as potential prey but as a 'service provider'.

The snout-like mouth is reminiscent of a boar, which is where it gets its name from. It can stretch to catch small prey. It lives above rocky or sandy seabeds and can be recognised by its pink-orange colour.

Please complete the form below to pre-book your visit.
Our team is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 5.30pm, on +33(0)3 21 30 99 89 or by e-mail at resa@nausicaa.fr

The Ports of Boulogne-sur-Mer and Calais became the "Port Boulogne Calais" in 2015.

10 % reduction offered to yachtsmen who have an annual contract with the Boulogne-sur-Mer marina and for visiting yachtsmen mooring in the marina.

€7 instead of €11 for a combined Museum-Crypt ticket with your Nausicaá annual season pass!

And what if you completed your journey to the heart of the oceans with a cultural round-the-world tour at the Boulogne-sur-Mer Museum?

A resort with multiple facets! Both a city of art and history, and the Number One French fishing port, Boulogne-sur-Mer has a lot to offer.

Like the burrowing guitarfish Glaucostegus cemiculus, the bowmouth guitarfish has a ray-like body at the front, but the rear part resembles the shape of a shark.

This nocturnal red fish can be recognised by its large eyes. During the day, these soldierfish gather in large numbers in caves where they are protected from the light.

The Bristle-tail file-fish is a solitary fish that lives in shallow coral reefs.

This species, which lives near the seabed, finds shelter, food and a breeding site among the branches of Acropora corals, particularly colonies of Acropora nasuta.

This species of anemone is characterised by tentacles measuring around ten centimetres, ending in a bulbous swelling shaped like a bulb or teat.

The summer holidays are just around the corner, and with them the prospect, for some, of seaside holidays and days on the beach.

Invite your teams into a majestic and exceptional setting

Discover the local farmers.

20% off your admission with the Nausicaá annual season pass!

Start a debate on the consequences of human activities on the planet.

Sea lions almost became extinct, but as a result of protective measures they are once more flourishing in the wild.

The cardinalfish is a member of the Apogon family, just like the Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni).

Whether you fancy a family lunch, a quick snack or a relaxing moment by the sea, our dining areas can accommodate you.

Enjoy a personalised experience at Nausicaá