The middle of the Mojave Desert and in the bright lights of Las Vegas is probably the last place you would expect to see a vast array of marine animals, but the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is an ocean oasis.  Shark Reef Aquarium’s main tank is massive and one of the largest in North America at 1,300,000 US gallons (4,900,000 l).  More than 2,000 animals call the 95,000 square foot (8,800 m²) facility home.  Visitors will be fully immersed in the habitat of sharks, giant rays and various fish while strolling through the shark tunnel and viewing the wildlife from the “ocean floor” looking up.  Other animals include endangered green sea turtles, marine invertebrates, piranha and a Komodo Dragon.  With the Shark Reef Stingray Feed add-on, the ultimate reef experience can be had with before opening entry and a private VIP tour culminated with the touch pool feeding of stingrays and the other inhabitants.

SeaQuest is a more than 20,000 square foot exhibit where visitors can view and interact with animals from five continents.  Guests take a journey in diverse habitats ranging from the desert to rainforests and
the ocean.  Exhibits include a trip around the world with an Icelandic Fishing Village, the Great Wall of China and the Amazon River as well as up close and personal interactions handfeeding of sharks, stingrays, birds & tropical animals.  Additional adventures entail walk-in aviaries for immersion in bird habitats, feeding of caiman, and getting up close and personal while snorkeling in a 36,000-gallon tank with the inhabitants of reef sharks, stingrays & tropical fish.

Only in Vegas can you see Mermaids, and even better yet, for free.  The Aquarium at Silverton Casino has been named a “Best Free Attraction in Las Vegas” with its more than 117,000-gallon tank, thousands of tropical fish and of course live swimming Mermaids interacting with guests.  Not too far from the Mermaids at The Silverton Hotel & Casino in the adjacent Bass Pro Shops, an 18,000-gallon freshwater aquarium contains live Koi.  A flowing canyon river has sturgeon, turtles, bluegills and even ducks within an indoor simulated wilderness habitat that also includes three other tanks that are home to bass, catfish and trout.

Siegfried and Roy were legends of magic in Las Vegas and their legacy Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage is an exotic experience to witness big cats including white tigers, lions, leopards and panthers and watch or interact with dolphins swimming and catching fish. Experiences with dolphins include the Meet & Greet Experience which includes meeting a bottle nose dolphin, feeding and posing for a photo, Paint with the Dolphins where the dolphins and you are the artists creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art work souvenir and a keepsake photo to remember the experience for life, Dolphin Trainer 101 for an up close and personal experience with the dolphins working alongside a Dolphin Care Specialist and participating in training and overall care while learning about conservation and a VIP Tour guided by an educator with a behind the scene look and meeting with Animal Care Specialists.

Springs Preserve is a 180 acres (73 ha) oasis in the desert based in the Las Vegas Springs and is the ideal location for taking in nature and educational displays.  It is home to the Botanical Garden that contains thousands of plants including cactus and succulents from the Mojave, Great Basin, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, central Mexican, and South American deserts and flowers, vegetable and herb gardens, palms, a constructed wetland, a wildlife garden that attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and moths and natural areas of native habitats and archaeological on the 3.6 miles of trails throughout 110 acres. Horticulture Magazine named the collection one of the “Top 10 North American Gardens Worth Traveling For”.  The Nevada State Museum is onsite with a 13,000-square-foot gallery with exhibits including an Ichthyosaur, the Nevada state fossil, a stalactite cave, holographic story tellers of the Nevada mining experience, and atomic explosion and the history of Las Vegas for which it is known for today.  Interactive exhibits of the geology of the Great Basin, plants and animals of Nevada and the Hoover Dam await visitors of all ages.

Spend some time with the king of the jungle in the heart of the desert at Lion Habitat Ranch in Henderson.  Take a self-guided tour to watch more than 40 lions and their cubs in their habitats. Behind the scenes guided and small group tours are available to get a look into the trainers’ daily interaction of feeding and cleaning the animals.  The habitat experience will be complete when you feed your new friend Ozzie, the young giraffe with the help of a trainer.

Just across from the hotel front desk of the Bellagio lies a spacious area with a 50-foot glass ceiling and framework consisting of green oxidized copper set in floral patterns.  This is the Conservatory &
Botanical Gardens which is a free demonstration of seasonal displays that are set to the surrounding trees, ponds, bridges and gazebos.  Every season the 120-person horticulture staff designs an exhibit using flowers, starting with traditional designs of the Lunar New Year celebration.  The Spring composition features a palette of colors of flowers and plants associated with spring in the creation of the featured display, while summer has a collection of fragrant flora making up the exhibit.  Thanksgiving design artistry celebrates the orange, yellow, brown and gold colors of fall foliage.  The holiday display commences right after Thanksgiving weekend, when the conservatory’s colors and flowers are transformed for Christmas.

Another no cost wildlife display of birds, turtles and fish is in the 4 acres of gardens, streams and waterfalls at The Flamingo Wildlife Habitat in the Flamingo Las Hotel and Casino.  Visitors can become one with nature in the serenity of the habitat and its beautiful flock of Chilean Flamingos, exotic waterfowl, Brown Pelicans, local songbirds and hummingbirds which call it home.  Sturgeon, turtles, Koi and Albino catfish inhabit the streams and are a must see of the habitat.

Bird lovers have found their paradise at the Henderson Bird Viewing Preserve which was named “Best Place For Bird Watching” by Desert Companion’s Annual Best of the City.  The preserve is 140 acres of wetland, ponds and paths  which are home to more than 270 species of resident and migratory birds.  Birders, nature lovers and photographers will find an impressive network of ponds which are home to thousands of birds including Canadian Geese, Mallards, Egrets, Quail, Hawks, Roadrunners, Hummingbirds and many others.  Tino, a 10-year-old desert tortoise, now calls the preserve home and can be seen and learned about in educational programs for all ages.  A ¾ mile path for walking and wheelchair accessibility extends through the ponds and habitat.  Binoculars are available for loan at the Visitor Center if you don’t have personal ones.

Although Las Vegas is most known for its desert and mountains, a 3,000-acre wetlands park lies in the heart of the Las Vegas Valley.  The Clark County Wetlands Park is the largest park in the county park system and was created to control waste and stormwater runoff. The nature preserve has paved and unpaved trails, plants and water including popular areas like Boardwalk Pond, the Cottonwood Grove, Vern’s Pond, Island and the most visited spot “Big Bridge” – the Upper Division Weir Bridge.  Top activities to do in the park include, hiking, biking through the wetlands on the 14-mile paved loop, wildlife viewing including birds like the Cinnamon Teal Duck, American Coot, Green Heron, and Great Blue Heron, a guided tour with a park naturalist and visiting the Nature Center and take the audio tour.  Park admission is free and hours of operation are from dawn to dusk.