Watch: I walked underwater with sharks at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi; here's how it went
Ever thought of walking underwater while locking eyes with a shark, but with zero fear of being attacked, bitten or eaten alive? That's how a walk down SeaWorld Abu Dhabi's vast Endless Ocean aquarium feels like.
SeaVenture — a gravity-defying stroll brings visitors eye to eye with scalloped hammerheads, black tip reef sharks, manta rays, and more colourful fishes.
Outfitted in wetsuits and head-enclosed oxygen helmets, we climbed down the ladder into the cold, clear water. A professional diver gave us hand signals and gently guided our descent to the aquarium floor.
Around us, 25 million litres of saltwater pulsed with marine life. Schools of fish swirled in perfect synchrony like a shimmering curtain. Massive rays glided above like living spacecraft. Then came the hammerheads, eerie and elegant, their T-shaped heads slicing through the depths.
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Occasionally I reached out, half expecting to brush against a fin. But nothing came close enough to touch. 'That is because they are so used to people being around,' explained Carlos Rodriguez, Deputy General Manager of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, after the tour. 'It is like people walking around the mall, they are so used to seeing other people around, they wouldn't stop to see or touch anyone.'
At one point, Louis, the aquarium's beloved giant manta ray, passed right in front of us with his entourage of smaller fish trailing like a royal procession. There was a profound stillness under the surface — only the hiss of oxygen and the silent whoosh of tails. It didn't feel like we were intruding; it felt like we were welcome.
The SeaVenture underwater walk is part of a wider philosophy featured in the park's 'One Ocean' realm. 'One Ocean is at the centre of what we do, this is the heart of SeaWorld Abu Dhabi,' Rodriguez explained. 'And from here, our guests can choose their journey. Where do they go next? Where do they explore next? Whether it's Endless Ocean with our incredible aquarium, which is just breathtaking, 24-meter depth aquarium... Rocky Point with our California sea lions... or into the polar oceans which divides further into Antarctica and the Arctic.'
Beyond the entertainment, the park is home to a working marine hospital and rehabilitation centre. 'Beyond the railing is our hospital, our animal care centre that we call the heartbeat of our park,' Rodriguez said.
Jennifer Shaffer, Senior Zoological Education Manager, led a group of reporters through the animal care facilities. 'There is nothing behind the curtain. You get to see everything,' she said, as we reached the glass see-through walls of the hospital's clinics. 'Some of the surgeries carried here are not the most pretty... but it's important that the guests see that and learn from it.'
Each habitat in the indoor facility is fitted with specialised UVA and UVB lights to mimic natural conditions. 'The specialised lighting also changes seasonally,' Shaffer said. 'That is to simulate what happens in Antarctica with the changing of the seasons... it's vitally important.'
In the penguin habitat, where temperatures are kept at one degree celsius, fresh snow is produced daily. 'We produce fresh snow every single day for them,' said Shaffer. 'Our penguins just had a beautiful breeding season... they hatched 19 eggs.'
She explained that penguins are not waterproof at birth, and staff sometimes incubate discarded eggs. 'We put it in the brooder room and keep him nice and warm until he can return to the brookery,' she said.
The care routines also extend to rescued animals, brought in with help from local partners including the Environment Agency, Abu Dhabi. 'We have about 100 sea turtles right now that are hopefully getting ready for release very soon,' Shaffer said. 'One is missing their flipper due to entanglement in fishing line... we've had barnacles or other things that cover the animal's body, which prohibits them from swimming or breathing.'
SeaWorld Abu Dhabi's animal hospital includes a surgical suite and radiology room, allowing staff to treat animals without the stress of transporting them. 'Let's bring the CT machine to the animals instead of the animals to the CT machine,' said Shaffer. 'We can actually do full body scans of all of our animals at any time... probably one of the largest animals that we've had in here is our Atlantic bald-nosed dolphins.'
Animals are trained to participate in medical checks through a process called desensitisation. 'With our animals we train them, and we call it desensitising behaviours,' she explained. 'It's never a shock, it's always just kind of commonplace and then they go about their day.'
'For guests, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi may look like a theme park,' Rodriguez concluded. 'But we are proud to be an Association of Zoos and Aquariums accredited facility. We've got Global Humane accreditation... so many things to be proud of at this park on the basis of how we take care of our animals.'
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It's not about offering a perfect solution, but rather opening up ways in which architecture can support food security and resilience, particularly in arid environments like the UAE. The installations in Pressure Cooker highlight traditional farming methods and there's all this research that visitors are free to explore. Can you share the idea behind recreating greenhouses as objects of art? In collaboration with Holesum Studio, the exhibition focuses on three greenhouse assemblies, each using a modular 'kit-of-parts' that we designed. Each configuration explores different design variables — roof shape, shading, wall height — and how they impact interior climate and crop growth. We also included regional crops to show what's possible. The aim was to make the research visible, showing the process from fieldwork to construction, and inviting visitors to think about design as experimentation and imagine how architecture and food production can overlap. Greenhouses are sanctuaries for growth and birth but in a way, they also stand as metaphors or seeds for new ideas. They are spaces of protection, growth, and transformation. In many ways, they reflect the design process itself. We saw them as spaces where ideas take root and where adaptation becomes possible. For us, the greenhouse became a way to talk about care, context, and how architecture can create the conditions for change as well as act as third spaces in arid climates. The UAE relies mostly on food imports. As an architect and researcher, what do you believe can be done to make the UAE more self-sufficient in terms of food production? Self-sufficiency in the UAE will require a mix of traditional knowledge and new tools. Pressure Cooker suggests that adaptive, small-scale systems, designed with climate in mind, can be part of the solution. If we rethink food production as a spatial issue, not just a technological one, we can build more resilient and locally attuned infrastructures that communities can access and maintain. What can countries with harsh climates, like the UAE and others in the Gulf region, learn from Pressure Cooker? They can take from Pressure Cooker the idea that architecture can help us think with the land, not just on top of it. Harsh environments aren't obstacles to work around, they are part of the equation. The project proposes small-scale, adaptable systems that respond to heat, light, and resource limits through design. It's not about importing solutions, but developing ones rooted in local conditions. If we pay attention to how land behaves, how it retains heat, where shade falls, and how air moves, we can shape more efficient, resilient spaces for food production, even in the most challenging settings. During your research, you visited farms in the UAE. In your view, how is the UAE coping with cultivating vegetation for the local population and what are the impacts of climate change on this region? In the UAE, agriculture faces significant challenges due to the country's hot climate and limited water resources. However, there have been notable strides toward sustainability. The government has introduced innovations like hydroponics, vertical farming, and controlled-environment agriculture to mitigate these challenges and ensure food security. There's also a growing interest in researching drought-resistant crops and more efficient water management systems. In terms of climate change, the UAE is highly vulnerable. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, and desertification are key concerns, which is why the country is investing in research to develop sustainable agricultural practices. The impacts of climate change are already being felt through increased temperatures and unpredictable weather patterns, which further strain existing agricultural resources and traditional farming methods. What is the best response you've received at Venice so far and what has been your personal takeaway from participating in this biennale? There were many interesting conversations and comments, but one in particular struck me. One of the visitors told me the exhibition reminded her of their farming techniques in Oman — along with the different ways they've adapted to their context and how architecture can play a role in that. That felt like success to me. It meant we created spaces that visitors could visually recognise but also where people could slow down and reflect and realise the potential in their slight alterations and modifications. Personally, my biggest takeaway has been how architecture can function as a bridge — especially on a global scale like the Venice Biennale. It reminded me that sometimes, the most impactful ideas are the ones that emerge slowly, through conversation and contemplation. Venice, as a lagoon, is probably as fragile to the rising tides of climate catastrophe as the UAE. This is a city where nothing is grown locally and most of the food arrives on boats. Does your exhibition feature nods to Venice? Yes, it does and the parallels between Venice and the UAE were intentional. Both are places where sustenance has historically depended on the outside world to meet a large number of its needs, in terms of food and other goods. Venice receives its food by boat, echoing the UAE's own logistical choreography of food imports, as proven by the archival research conducted for the project. In Pressure Cooker, and the space in the pavilion, we reference the Veneto region in the materiality of the space. The rammed earth element, for example, relies on the same recipe as the one we experimented with in Dubai during the design-build phase but here it has a pink undertone due to the materials and colour of sand from the region. The crops that you see are at a Venetian growth phase and echo Venice's climate. Other nods include spatial references and thematic echoes that invite the visitor to think about how geography, climate, and trade shape our food systems and our futures, and how architecture can play a role. What made you first become interested in architecture? My interest in architecture grew out of a fascination, as a young girl, about how spaces influence human behaviour. Growing up and witnessing the urban development of the UAE, I was fascinated by how architecture responded to both the environment and culture, as well as its users. I started seeing architecture not just as buildings but also as a way to solve problems and create environments where people can interact, work, and live more effectively. As an architect, I would describe myself as practical and context-driven. I focus on solutions that work for the specific place and people, whether that's through sustainability, material choices, or just making sure a space feels right for the people who use it, with a focus on designing spaces that have a lasting impact and respond to both their immediate and broader environments. I grew up witnessing rapid change around me, and still do. That pace of transformation made me curious about what we choose to keep, especially in our memories, and how cities are constantly changing. I was drawn to architecture not just for its creative potential but also for how it holds memory and meaning. Research came during my time at Yale and grew tremendously after that. I was curious about architecture and its strong ties to history, form, and systems of care. Becoming the first Emirati curator at the Venice Biennale for its architectural version wasn't something I imagined early on, but it became a way to reflect on where we are as a region and where we might go. It wasn't just about representation. It was about opening a dialogue that felt simultaneously personal and global. Finally, how can architects contribute to a global discourse on climate change? Architects are uniquely positioned to address climate change because the built environment is both a major contributor to global emissions while it could be used as a powerful platform for sustainable solutions. Through material choices, energy strategies, urban planning, and even reframing policy, architects can lead the way in reducing environmental impact. But more than that, architecture shapes how people live, move, and interact with their environments — so it's also about understanding culture and human behaviour and re-framing it through the built environment.
