But although many zoos have underwater viewing for their penguin pools, this idea is not often copied for their swimming mammals. In fact, many zoo enclosures rather under-value the swimming behaviour of animals like tapirs, capybaras, or even talapoin monkeys. Oceanopolis in Brest on the Atlantic coast of France has huge tanks for harbour seals with real wave action and underwater viewing. San Diego Zoo has crystal clear water for viewing the hippos. Large bodies of water in an enclosure can be difficult and often expensive to maintain in a clean and safe way, and many zoos tackle this problem in a rather half-hearted way.
Pools are often either too small, or make very little provision for effective viewing.
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