Some 70,000 visitors come to participate in Aquascene each year; the spectacle has become so popular that it’s now a ticketed attraction. Visitors can hand-feed the fish for a closer look or sit back and watch the feeding frenzy from outside the “splash zone.”
Aquascene is located along Doctors Gully in the heart of Darwin, within walking distance of many points of interest. Parking is available on-site, and the hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus stops just outside the visitors center.
Fish are only able to visit Aquascene for a few hours each day during high tide. The biggest numbers arrive during the highest tides, typically in the mornings between December and August. Feeding times are listed on the Aquascene website.
This small enclave in Darwin gets its name from Dr. Robert Peel, a surgeon who “discovered” the gully in 1869. The area quickly became a landing point for ships, and today, it’s an official marine sanctuary.