Underwater world online: Watching daily Moskvarium live broadcasts on mos.ru

The mos.ru portal now offers the first-ever online underwater live video broadcast from VDNKh’s Moskvarium Centre of Oceanography and Marine Biology, its camera placed in the Flooded Forest exhibit — the huge freshwater aquarium with a waterfall and mystical thickets.

“The ocean is always in there, although it is unlikely to be an everyday background. Our goal is to introduce everyone to the amazing underwater world, discovering the secrets of the depths and showing how beautiful and vulnerable its inhabitants are. We strive not just to surprise, but rather to inspire interest, awaken a desire to study and protect this fragile world,” says Irina Meintser, Deputy Director General, Moskvarium.

The aquarium imitating the Amazon ecosystem is home to giant arapaima, red-tailed catfish and pacu fish. The broadcast is available daily 10:00 a. m. until 10:00 p. m. on the mos.ru web-portal. The rest of the time you can watch the recording.

What is happening on the screen creates a sense of presence, indeed, the camera zooming in on the details for viewers to see its inhabitants up close. Noteworthy, the underwater world is coming up along with nice music as the page features an option to play background music, which was created specifically for the broadcast.

The main focus are giant freshwater arapaima fish, the Moskvarium boasting the world’s largest arapaima collection. The arapaima is said to be among the Earth’s oldest known fish as the species lived alongside the dinosaurs. The arapaima can reach three meters in length and its scales are as strong as armor. Its another trait is that it breathes atmospheric air and rises to the surface every 15 minutes to take a breath.

Moreover, the species features a surprising social organization. During the rainy season, pairs join in monogamous unions and build nests together. The male guards the nest containing tens of thousands of eggs; after hatching, the fry stay right next to his head and literally follow his direction. The bond is very close, indeed, and, therefore, each adult is irreplaceable. If one of the parents leaves, there is no one left to support and protect the young, and it is almost impossible to restore this delicate chain of care.

Alongside the arapaima fish, there is black pacus, the largest species in the piranha family. Meanwhile, closer to the bottom, you can spot the whiskered redtail catfish, an incredibly photogenic inhabitant of the Amazonian backwater.

On top of that, there is a mermaid appearing in the aquarium at the beginning of each show. The shows are accessible at 2:00 p. m., 3:00 p. m. and 4:00 p. m. on Saturdays and at 3:00 p. m., 4:00 p. m. and 5:00 p. m. on Sundays. The schedule is subject to change.

Local residents and tourists are also welcomed to visit Moskvarium on any day 10 a. m. until 10 p. m. to meet the inhabitants and watch the underwater show in person.