The Making of OdySea Aquarium presented by Cox

Rising up form the desert floor is a spectacular man-made creation, the incredible OdySea Aquarium. See how one man's dream turned into an engineering marvel in this one-of-a-kind special presentation.

OdySea is the brain-child of Dr. Amram Knishinsky. Growing up in Israel, he would spend summer days at the beach swimming, snorkeling and exploring the marine environment. As an adult, this love of the ocean fueled his interest in aquariums. Knishinshky invited some of the best minds in the world bringing together a collective vision of what a dream aquatic exhibit could look like. This 'think-tank' came up with some of the most innovative ways that the public could experience an aquarium.

The metro-Phoenix area has about 4.3 million people and was the only major city in American that didn't have an aquarium. Eighteen million tourists visit the area every year. Amram knew there was great potential to attract visitors. In 2006 a site was selected. Once the proper permits were granted Amran was free to move forward. The first phase of OdySea in the Desert became reality in 2013 when Butterfly Wonderland and OdySea Mirror Maze opened. In three years, nearly a million visitors came to Butterfly Wonderland. That set the table for OdySea Aquarium, a two-hundred thousand square foot destination that would astonish anyone who enters. This is as close you can get to nature without diving into the water.

Go behind the scenes and learn what it takes to build a 2 million gallon aquarium in the southwest desert. See how this marvel is built from the ground up. There's no other underwater experience quite like it in the world. Come along as we dive into the magical world of the OdySea Aquarium.