After being delayed by almost a year, Rio de Janeiro's R130m (US$40.6m, €37m, £33.4m) aquarium – the largest in South America – is about to open its doors.

Initially scheduled to open in late 2015 – in time for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio – the aquarium will now open to the public on 9 November at the heart of Rio’s revitalised Port Zone. The aquarium had already been delayed thanks to construction issues, with a March 2016 deadline also missed.

Marine biologist Marcelo Szpilman – who is CEO at AquaRio – helped to design the 22,000sq m (237,000sq ft) aquarium, which houses 8,000 marine animals from 350 different species across 28 tanks. The development is designed to be eco-friendly, with plans to fully rely on solar energy production within a decade.

“We have three goals, said education, research, and conservation,” he said. “Our proposal is to awaken in children the interest in science.”

The aquarium’s grand entrance hall is taken up by a 13m tall (42.6ft) humpback whale skeleton – a 20-ton animal found off the coast of Prainha in 2014.

The main tank is the aquarium’s Recinto Oceânico – a 500sq m (5,400sq ft), 7m deep (23ft), tank which allows guests to touch some of the marine animals, as well as dive with its sharks, fishes and manta rays. For less adventurous visitors, a traditional acrylic tunnel passes through the bottom of the tank, where children will be able to take part in evening sleepovers.

The aquarium is also home to the Sciences Museum – an education space which houses permanent and temporary exhibitions about marine life.

New technology is a key part of the development, with the virtual aquarium – a digital aquarium with fish raised by visitors – a highlight of the experience. Consisting of two terminals with a video wall, visitors can create their own undersea creature, with customisable options including colour, size, shape and traits.

As visitors walk around the aquarium, their fish will accompany them at various points using an RFID identification system, acting as guides and answering questions about the different habitats.

The aquarium, which has been privately financed through partners and corporate sponsors, is expecting close to three million visitors on an annual basis. AquaRio has teamed up with the Research Center of Marine Biology at the University of Rio and will work to conserve endangered species and return them to Brazilian waters.

The vast majority of fish on display have been caught from Guanabara Bay in the state of Rio de Janerio. Once open, the aquarium will employ around 250 people.