A woman greets a beluga whale at the Beijing Aquarium. Photos by Mark Ralston / Agence France-Presse

A eye-spot cichlid eyes a child at the Beijing Aquarium.

A boy is fascinated with a pacu. The fish is indigenous to Brazil and has become a popular pet fish in recent years.

The Beijing Aquarium, the world's largest inland aquarium, is home to more than 1,000 species of marine animals and more than 50,000 types of fish. On weekends and holidays, the place is filled not only with fish, but people.

Those with a diving license could swim with the creatures of the sea. For those without, the next best option would be to visit the Beijing Aquarium and probably see more than if you go under the sea.

It's an educational journey walking through the massive aquarium, where visitors could participate in various activities to learn more about aquatic creatures and oceanic tales, as well as conservation and protection of environment.

Visitors can also get up close and personal with the marine animals during performances.

From July 13 to Aug 31, the aquarium will organize camping events, where children between 3 and 14 can volunteer as water-quality analysts and seafood chefs.

The Beijing Aquarium has a very large collection of jellyfish.

A zebra turkeyfish.

Pacific sea nettles are illuminated by colored lights.