A 200,000sq ft (18,500sq m) aquarium – part of a US$175m (€155.5m, £133.8m) leisure complex in the Arizona desert – has opened its doors to the public.

OdySea Aquarium, located near Scottsdale, houses one of the largest aquariums in the US, surpassing the likes of Houston, New Orleans, San Francisco and Seattle in size, with more than 30,000 marine animals across 50 separate exhibits.

The privately-owned, for-profit aquarium sits on Native American land, which is reflected in its exterior design, influenced by traditional O’odham or Pima baskets. Arizona-based Deutsch Architecture Group handled aquarium design, while McCarthy Building Companies carried out construction work on the development.

The aquarium features large-scale exhibits, touch pools, a 3D theatre, and the SeaTREK experience, which puts visitors in the water for a guided tour walking along the “ocean floor.”

Exhibits include an array of sea life, including sharks, turtles, jellyfish, electric eels, sting-rays, octopus, penguins and more.

Dolphinaris – a dolphinarium by Mexico-based Ventura Entertainment – opens next door to the aquarium on 15 October. Technically a separate entity to the aquarium, Dolphinaris is a development of Northern Gateway, whose CEO Amram Knishinsky also heads the OdySea Aquarium.

The dolphinarium will offer dolphin swims, with opposition coming from concerned animal rights groups. Ventura also operates a further six dolphinariums across the border in Mexico.

The aquarium is part of Odysea in the Desert – a multi-million dollar entertainment destination covering 1.5 million sq ft (142,000sq m) with more than 30 restaurant and retail establishments. Designed to resemble a tourist boardwalk, the leisure complex offers a showcase of the region through its dining, retail and leisure options. Other entertainment options include an Imax Theatre and Butterfly World.

Giant OdySea aquarium coming to the Arizona desert