Visit one of the most beautiful and fragile marine ecosystems on Earth, where reef fish dart through a technicolor forest of coral, sharks sail beneath your feet, and giant clams dazzle with brilliant hues.

The Philippine Coral Reef, the gateway to our larger Coral Reefs of the World exhibit, highlights waters known as the center of marine biodiversity—an area of unbelievable beauty and importance. From the main museum floor, gaze over a shallow, sandy lagoon inhabited by sharks, rays, and schools of fish. Then, at the edge of the lagoon, a 212,000-gallon exhibit plunges into a different world.

At 25 feet deep, the Philippine Coral Reef tank is one of the deepest and largest displays of living coral in the world. Under the surface, thousands of fish mingle with eels, anemones, starfish, and coral, adding up to some of the most dramatic underwater views available without diving.