Scuba Santa returns to NJ: Inside Adventure Aquarium’s holiday makeover

When was the last time you took a drive to the Camden waterfront to visit Adventure Aquarium? I have so many great memories of taking my kids there when they were little. And while the National Aquarium in Baltimore gets plenty of hype, you definitely don’t have to trek to Maryland for an amazing aquarium experience.

A Camden waterfront landmark with deep New Jersey nostalgia

That bright white dome on the Delaware River has been a true Jersey landmark since it opened back in February 1992 as the New Jersey State Aquarium. In 2005, it rebranded as Adventure Aquarium and expanded into the beloved destination it is today—packed with tropical fish, sharks, hippos, penguins, and plenty of national recognition to boot. If you’ve never been, it’s absolutely worth the trip—especially with little ones who will be wide-eyed from the moment they walk in.

“Christmas Underwater”: a holiday tradition returns

And honestly, the holiday season is the perfect time for a first visit, because “Christmas Underwater” is back! Yes, that means Santa Claus himself will be swimming with sharks, turtles, and stingrays.

“Christmas Underwater” opens Nov. 21, 2025, and runs through Christmas Eve, with Santa’s first dive happening on opening day—this Friday, November 21st!

Santa will be making daily dives in the Ocean Realm tank, and you can even snag a selfie with him while he’s inside the exhibit.

Scuba Santa, snow flurries and the tallest underwater tree

The whole place gets decked out for the season, including the World’s Tallest Underwater Christmas Tree set inside the 550,000-gallon Shark Realm exhibit. Yep—Santa will actually be swimming alongside the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast!

As the aquarium puts it:
“During Christmas Underwater, guests can surf the yuletide and explore a winter waterland filled with holiday d-eel-ights like Scuba Santa, indoor snow flurries, the World’s Tallest Underwater Christmas Tree, and merry more!”

Why now’s the perfect moment to rediscover Adventure Aquarium

Take it from someone whose kids grew up wandering those coral-colored halls—there’s no better time than now to revisit Adventure Aquarium and feel that wide-eyed wonder all over again.