The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth has chartered a Boeing 767 plane to bring back a 42-tonne cargo of Caribbean fish for its new exhibit.
According to This is Plymouth, the chartered flight is costing the Aquarium 100,000 and will bring back 100 fish spanning 18 species.
It says the import is believed to be the largest of its kind.
The fish were purchased "for a nominal fee" from the Ocean World aquarium in Barbados and are being transported to the UK in 19 purpose-built tanks.
Staff from the Aquarium flew to Barbados this weekend to oversee the shipment, which is due to include Nurse sharks, Spotted eagle rays, Southern rays, and Reef sharks.
The fish will receive a police escort to the Aquarium upon arrival to the UK.
Earlier this year sources reported that several jobs were under threat at the Aquarium and that the NMA was going to 'refocus its activities'.
Redundancies are believed to have followed.