Orphek Reef Aquarium LED Lighting Illuminates the 1,500,000-Liter Shark Tank at Aquarium de Biarritz with Amazonas 500 LED Lights

 

 

 

 

 

Orphek at Aquarium de Biarritz – Amazonas 500 Lighting the 1,500,000 Liters Shark Tank

 

As the global leader in reef aquarium LED lighting, Orphek continues to set the benchmark for deep-water illumination—powering shark tanks across Europe and beyond with cutting-edge technology and tailor-made solutions.

 

After showcasing our advanced systems in the breathtaking shark exhibits at Palma Aquarium in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, we now invite you to explore another remarkable installation: the Aquarium de Biarritz in France.

 

This project exemplifies Orphek’s ability to deliver highly customized lighting systems that meet the unique biological and structural demands of large-scale aquatic environments. From ensuring the well-being of rare species to enhancing public viewing experiences, Orphek is trusted by institutions around the world.

 

And our innovation haven't stop at public aquariums— In 2019 The Shark Institute also partnered with Orphek to develop a specialized LED solution for open-water shark research, using light to attract plankton, a crucial step in studying shark feeding behavior and ecology in the wild.

 

Even in the open ocean, Orphek lighting was used to enhance light in a natural, non-intrusive way—demonstrating how our technology supports research while respecting the delicate balance of marine ecosystems.

 

But back to today's visit...

 

Discover the remarkable marine species inhabiting its massive 1,500,000-liter/ 6 meters depth shark tank—now powered by Orphek’s Amazonas 500 lighting systems—once again proving why we are the preferred choice for researchers and public venues seeking high-performance, dependable, and visually striking underwater illumination.

 

We invite you to take a deep dive into the captivating underwater world of the Aquarium de Biarritz in France.

 

 

MEET THE SHARK RESIDENTS

 

Orphek Amazonas 500 creates a bright, immersive viewing experience, showcasing the full beauty of each shark species and Aquarium de Biarritz is the home of 8 species:

 

• Blacktip Reef Shark (Carcharhinus melanopterus)
• Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos)
• Sandbar Shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus)
• Whitetip Reef Shark (Triaenodon obesus)
• Nurse Shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum)
• Zebra Shark (Stegostoma tigrinum)
• Brownbanded Bamboo Shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum)

 

 

 

THE STAR OF THE SHOW - LUCIEN

 

 

 

The standout resident of the shark tank is Lucien, a Scalloped Hammerhead Shark (Sphyrna lewini)—the only individual of his species on public display in France, and a rare sight across Europe.

 

Native to circumtropical waters in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic regions, this remarkable species can grow up to 360 cm in length.

 

Classified as critically endangered by the IUCN, Lucien requires a carefully controlled environment that supports both his health and natural behavior.

 

To meet these demanding standards, Orphek Amazonas 500 was chosen to illuminate the tank.

 

 

FEEDING EXPERIENCE & BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOUR

 

Three times a week, aquarists toss filleted fish from catwalks high above the tank, while educators share fascinating insights into shark physiology, sensory systems, and the challenges of conservation.

 

From this vantage point, visitors witness over thirty sharks, rays, and giant groupers gracefully ascending through the water—a mesmerizing display of raw power and fluid movement, perfectly illuminated by Orphek LED lighting.

 

 

For an even more immersive encounter, the Behind-the-Scenes Shark Feeding Tour offers small groups the rare chance to stand directly over the water’s surface.

 

This exclusive access also provides a close-up look at our advanced lighting infrastructure—where low-heat, flicker-free illumination ensures both animal comfort and keeper safety during extended husbandry sessions.

 

Why not dive into this experience today—right from your home?

 

Feeding Time at Aquarium de Biarritz - Orphek Amazonas 500 Units in Action Over the Shark Tank - The video!

 

Experience the magic of shark feeding at the Aquarium de Biarritz under the powerful illumination of Orphek Amazonas 500 LED lighting systems. In this exclusive footage, you’ll get unique perspectives—both above and below the surface.

 

As you watch these mesmerizing, unique creatures being fed and moving gracefully through the water, notice how Amazonas 500 fixtures deliver deep light penetration and wide coverage, showcasing their true colors and fluid motions—without glare or distortion.

 

 

 

Amazonas 500 Key Features & Benefits:

 

Unrivaled Power & Penetration: Experience exceptional light penetration and coverage, allowing for 1-to-1 replacement of outdated, energy-guzzling lighting systems.

 

Spectrally Optimized for Life: Utilizing cutting-edge components and Orphek’s proprietary spectral targeting, the Amazonas 500 provides the exact wavelengths required for optimal photosynthetic activity, promoting health, growth, and vibrant colors in corals and plants.

 

Engineered for Public Venues: Specifically designed for the demanding needs of public aquariums, zoos, hotels, shopping malls, airports, and other high-profile venues.

 

Enhancing Beauty, Naturally: The Amazonas 500 is engineered to enhance the natural beauty of both natural and synthetic aquatic environments, rendering natural-looking colors, and promoting healthy growth.

 

Safe & Stable Environment: Provides a safe and natural ambiance, crucial for the well-being of expensive, rare, and high-maintenance species.

 

Versatile & Durable Design: Suitable for both indoor and outdoor installations, the Amazonas 500 boasts an IP67 waterproof certification, a rugged aluminum housing, a tempered glass cover, waterproof connectors, and a weather-resistant, anti-corrosion, anti-rust surface treatment.

 

Easy Installation & Maintenance: Features an incredibly easy mounting system with an adjustable rotational metal bracket (180 degrees) for flexible positioning. The user-friendly design ensures effortless part replacement and simplified maintenance.

 

Efficient Heat Management: Its three-dimensional heat dissipation system provides optimal thermal management, ensuring longevity and consistent performance.

 

High-Efficiency LED Configuration: 240 flip-chip 5-watt LEDs operating at only 500 watts guarantee longevity and exceptional energy efficiency.

 

Customizable Optics: Equipped with aluminum reflector cups and three lens options (15°, 24°, and 60°) to tailor the light beam to specific tank dimensions and requirements.

 

Dual Channel Control: Features two LED channels, each powered by a 240-watt Meanwell driver, offering greater control over light intensity and spectrum.

 

 

Applications:

 

• Public venues/ Large displays
• Indoors/ Outdoors
• Natural/ Synthetic displays
• Salted water/ Planted freshwater
• Close/ Far distance from the water surface
• Ceiling, walls and other fixing locations
• Perfect for deep & very deep over 15m depth
• Natural illumination, color pop, health
  and growth
• Performance in extreme humidity / Salinity
  / High maintenance environments

 

 

 

 

 

 

Technical Considerations:

 

• Three Lens Options: The Amazonas’s versatility is enhanced by its three lens options (15°, 24°, and 60°), allowing you to precisely control the light beam and coverage area. This ensures optimal illumination for diverse applications, from focused spotlights to wide-angle floodlighting.
• Flexible Placement: Designed for floor, background, overhead, and suspended installations, the Amazonas can be integrated into virtually any environment.
• Surface or Submerged Viewing: Engineered for both underwater and surface viewing, the Amazonas delivers consistent, high-quality illumination regardless of the viewing angle.

 

 

 

 

Ready to Upgrade Your Shark Tank?

 

Orphek’s engineering team crafts turn-key, custom LED solutions for public aquariums worldwide—from intimate touch-pools to record-breaking pelagic exhibits. Connect with us to discuss how Amazonas Series can transform your next project.

 

Amazonas Series: Tailored Lighting Solutions

 

The Orphek Amazonas Series provides a range of LED lighting solutions specifically designed for public aquariums. With four distinct models (Amazonas 80, 320, 500, and 960 iCon), the series caters to various tank sizes and depths. Each model delivers specific spectrums and intensity for optimal coral growth, coloration, and overall aquatic health while also being energy efficient.

 

Amazonas 80: Smaller displays and research tanks.
Amazonas 320: Mid-sized aquariums and exhibits.
Amazonas 500: Larger tanks and deep-water environments.
Amazonas 960 iCon: Large public venue displays.

 

Looking for a quotation of Amazonas 500 for your project?

 

CONTACT US

 

 

---

 

Attract Plankton Orphek LED Lighting for Shark Research - The Shark Institute partnered with Orphek to supply a specialized LED light capable of attracting plankton in open water—an essential step in their ongoing field research on shark behavior and feeding ecology.

 

To explore similar experiences:

 

• Amazonas 500 LED Lighting and the biggest aquarium in Europe – NAUSICAA
• Orphek at Palma Aquarium – Amazonas Lighting The Big Blue and Shark Vision Boat Experience - PALMA AQUARIUM

 

• Orphek LED lighting showcases Indonesian BXSea Oceanarium – BXSEA OCEANARIUM

 

 

 

Articles about Orphek and Public aquariums, public venues, research centers and coral farms:

 

• Watch a New Exciting Video – The Revolutionary Reef Lighting for Public Aquariums!
• Orphek LED lighting showcases Indonesian BXSea Oceanarium
• Orphek and Public Aquariums, a long lasting love affair – Part I (Middle East)
• Orphek LED lighting for Public aquarium showcase amazing Cube Oceanarium Chengdu (China)
• 16 most stunning Public Aquariums of the USA
• Cairns Aquarium Queensland Australia Lighted by Orphek
• Blue Planet public aquarium Lighted by Orphek
• Orphek LED Lighting for Public Aquariums and Venues
• Public Aquarium Zoo LED Lighting Photo Gallery
• The Best LED Lights For Public Aquarium
• Coral farm in palma de maiorca public aquarium
• Loveland Living Planet Aquarium Lighting by Orphek LED
• French2 TV channel visit Nausicaá manta ray feeding under Orphek Amazonas 500 LED Light
• Amazonas 500 LED Lighting and the biggest aquarium in Europe
• Aquarium in Oman Lighted By Orphek
• Orphek amazing reef aquarium LED layouts that you should know about
• Amazonas 960 lighting 3 meters cylindrical aquarium of JCU in Australia
• Australian Minderoo Foundation and The Flourishing Oceans Initiative and Atlantik iCon Reef LED upgrade
• Super coral farming at Monsoon Aquatics upgrades to Orphek Amazonas 960 iCon reef LED Lights
• Orphek Solutions in coral shops & farms
• Osix & OR3 LED Bars installation at Krakking Korals Australia
• Orphek Amazonas 320 Light Rare Beautiful Australian Freshwater Fish

 

 

Check Orphek's groundbreaking innovations!

 

• First and only company to develop and offer the groundbreaking Sun & Moon Synchronization incredible feature enabling the synchronization of both Sun & Moon cycles with the real local timing (or any place worldwide) throughout the year.
• First and only to develop the game changer Calendar feature for 100% coral spawning seasonal control.
• We are the first and only company in the world offering 10,000% dimming control system (0-100% and 0.001-1% for Moon Cycle)!
• First and only company relying on decades of academic research to develop and engineer the the One and Only Real Moon Cycle in LED Reef lighting Solutions reproducing Nature at its fullest.
• First and only company developing the best technology for coral growth, health, color, spawning and biological clock  correction.
• First and only company offering lens adjustment and LEDs substitution without loosing waterproof protection/ customized power supply for best electricity transfer and stability – Orphek patented technologies.
• First and only company developing LED lighting solutions focused on enhancing virtual and augmented realities.
• First and only company developing and offering a smart device that allows aquarists to create their own fixture.
• First and only company developing and offering a smart device that allows aquarists to allows you to program, control, monitor, dim and integrate all Orphek iCon LED solutions together at the same time.
• We are the first company to develop “pop it up” spectrum technology for coral color enhancing.
• First company to introduce Aquarium LED lighting Internet of Things (IoT) technology.
• First company to develop solutions to deliver light spectrum for depths over 15 meters.
• First company to develop and offer true UV/violet LEDs in reef aquariums (since 2012!).
• First company that provides a wide spectrum red without using normal 660nm and 640nm LEDs.
• First company making its own wide spectrum blue LEDs.
• First and only company to make its own proprietary white UV LEDs.
• First company to use high Kelvin white LEDs.
• First company to make 100-watt matrix multicolor LED chips and first to have the technology to customize the chip to any Kelvin temperature desired.

 

 

 

Special thank you note

 

We would like this opportunity to thank The Aquarium de Biarritz staff for your trust in our products and your passion for marine life. We extend our sincere appreciation for sharing with us the video and feedbacks.

 

Credits

 

Image & content credits: Aquarium de Biarritz

 

Orphek has also added an awesome proprietary photo/comments of its products.

 

Invitation

 

We invite you to explore and its exclusive contents. We also would like to invite you to browse our website and participate with your Orphek experience. Let us know about your tank and share it with other hobbyists in Orphek Facebook Group and Instagram!

 

Sharing is very easy! All you have to do is to send us the basic information about your tank, usually starting from the beginning (when you started your tank), what are you running in the tank, the living creatures you have in your tank and of course, pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Together we protect Nature's Biodiversity for generations to come"

 

Loving Nature as we do and being environment sustainably conscious, Orphek only develops products with a significant positive impact in everyone’s life, therefore we only offer the best environmentally friendly solutions that combine the most advanced & efficient technology and, most importantly, aiming the well-being of animals and humans all together, for now and for generations to come