Polaria is the world’s most northerly aquarium, located in Tromsø in northern Norway. Rather than a mainly scientific aquarium, Polaria, which opened in May 1998, is designed to be an educational experience, with particular emphasis on displays for children.There is a five-screen panoramic cinema, an ‘Arctic Walkway’ area containing displays of polar exploration equipment, stuffed animals and simulated permafrost, many conventional aquaria displaying local marine life as well as open tanks and display tanks containing rock-shore animals, baby fish and other child-friendly exhibits. Its centerpiece is an open pool containing a group of bearded seals. The seal enclosure has observation blisters set into its sides, so that visitors can look up at the animals from underneath, and a submerged walkway in a transparent tunnel across the bottom, allowing close access to the animals in their natural environment.The Polaria building itself is an attractive piece of modern architecture with a remarkable design, resembling stacked ice floes.