I do love an aquarium proper on the seafront – so our first cease after we arrived in Blackpool needed to be Blackpool Sea Life Centre, a shell’s throw from the waves.
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An early obsession with Octonauts means my daughter and I’ve been working our means spherical many of the nation’s aquariums, together with quite a lot of Sea Life Centres, so I used to be intrigued to see how this one would examine.
As you may count on, there’s loads that’s acquainted in case you’re already a fan, however a number of nice particular person touches that basically stood out for my Blackpool Sea Life Centre assessment.
When you step inside, the two,500 creatures inside are housed in 10 totally different themed zones at Sea Life Blackpool, stretching throughout 12 totally different rooms and areas, with every thing from rockpools to rays.
And there’s an opportunity to find among the native marine life on the Blackpool Sea Life Centre in addition to extra unique creatures discovered on coral reefs, in rainforests and elsewhere all over the world.
This summer season you may even meet the mermaids at Sea Life Blackpool, showing on chosen dates within the tanks and the aquarium’s present space – verify the dates right here
Having come straight from the seaside, the place we’d tucked into fish and chips with a sunny view of the Irish Sea, it was nice to find just a little extra about among the creatures which could nicely have been swimming away underneath the waves close by.
To begin with, there’s an opportunity to get arms on – fairly actually, with the contact rockpools within the first room, containing every thing from anemones to the fabulously named sea squirt.
Employees are readily available to advise and ensure the inhabitants of the rockpools are secure – some areas have been closed off briefly to present everybody inside a break – but it surely’s all the time one of the vital enjoyable issues in case you’re visiting the aquarium with a toddler or youthful youngsters.
And for all ages, there have been a collection of quirky details to find as you appeared – every thing from starfish having eyes on the tip of their arms to the invention that mussels transfer alongside utilizing their beards.
There was additionally a free treasure hunt path to observe after we visited, serving to Captain Careless to search out all his booty, with eight separate objects to identify throughout the aquarium – with out sharing too many spoilers, the primary one is on the rockpools, so you will get ticking right away.
Good for encouraging youngsters to look into each totally different nook of the aquarium to see if they may discover the mislaid treasure – in case you’ve received little ones who can’t wait to sprint on to see what’s subsequent and subsequent and subsequent, it’s a helpful solution to sluggish them down just a little too.
Then two areas devoted to the native shoreline and quayside, the place we noticed a tank of lobsters – do you know the collective noun is a ‘threat’ of lobsters? these claws, I can see why.
Solely a tentacle of two of the octopus was seen, however elsewhere shoals of fish swarmed by way of diver’s helmets, sudden flashes of silvery pollock, sleek flatfish and some gurning pop-eyed companions,
Leaving the British Isles behind, we headed to Stingray Journey and the Shark Window – I like watching stingrays, as there’s all the time one who appears equally fascinated by the people watching as vice versa.
And there’s all the time a nicely camouflaged ray or two mendacity immobile on the underside of the tank, perhaps with simply an eye fixed or two seen, which then unexpectedly glides up into the water and makes you realise simply how good they’re at hiding.
Sea Life Blackpool is house to the UK’s first nationwide juvenile ray nursery, a part of a breeding programme designed to guard Britain’s personal native rays, a lot of that are endangered, so in addition to getting a sight of a child cownose ray or the eye-catching blue-spotted ray, it’s wonderful to see proof of conservation in motion.
As you stroll by way of, there’s a continuing underlying emphasis on how guests will help defend the seas too.
Data boards had particulars of how in danger the actual fish are, and what risks are affecting them, however one other highlighted the truth that Blackpool Sea Life Centre collected over 100kg of garbage from Blackpool seaside in 2022 – a superb reminder for all ages to bag or bin their waste reasonably than letting or not it’s pulled out to sea by the tide.
Hold an eye fixed out for seaside cleans organised by Blackpool Sea Life Centre in case you do wish to take part and assist defend the coast
One of many issues I liked at Sea Life Blackpool was simply what number of alternative ways they’d created to see the totally different fish and sea creatures – in addition to paths main above and under the water line, there have been some extra uncommon viewpoints as nicely.
We have been inspired to get pleasure from a fish eye view, peering by way of porthole-sized home windows, curved that will help you see the marine life in a really totally different means.
Elsewhere, there was an opportunity for youths to crawl into the facet of the tank and get up inside a bubble of glass, virtually as in the event that they have been sporting a diver’s helmet, because the fish swam round their heads – you couldn’t get a lot nearer with out grabbing a scuba masks.
Good for some memorable moments, resembling when my daughter turned spherical and got here unexpectedly nose to nose with a fish peering in at her.
Different tanks had magnifying pads to allow you to see extra of the small print or seats alongside the home windows into the tanks so you might gaze on the continuously altering show, like a pure TV display – however way more fascinating.
There have been interactive shows dotted round as nicely: you might really feel something from a shark’s tooth and stingray’s barb to turtle flippers as you discover, and even uncover how Moray Eels’ two units of jaws work, turning a deal with to activate an eel skeleton and see the second set emerge from behind the primary.
Nature actually is weirdly fantastic!
To not point out a number of little native touches, together with the Kissing Arch, the place legend has it that if ladies kissed their menfolk underneath the arch earlier than they set off to sea, they’d be protected against hurt. Did it work? I gave my daughter a fast kiss simply to be on the secure facet!
The number of fantastic creatures was spectacular too – you received’t discover penguins, seals or otters at Blackpool Sea Life Centre however you definitely received’t come out feeling short-changed.
The large 5ft inexperienced moray eel (referred to as Matilda) was simply one of the vital memorable, curving her lengthy sludgy inexperienced physique out of a treasure chest, as we tried to work out simply the place her lengthy sinuous coils started and ended.
From the tiniest seahorses and brightly colored reef fish as much as an enormous tank of sharks, we additionally handed superbly deadly lionfish, unicorn fish with their odd noses, tiny bickering clownfish half-hidden within the fronds of their anemone, vibrant tropical fish which appeared virtually to bop by way of the tanks.
Jellyfish floated mesmerisingly up and down, fluttering their frills, with the prospect to alter the color of the lights within the tank for an added disco really feel.
Tiny backyard eels swayed in time with one another, barely larger than my little finger, in contrast to the large noticed eel we noticed in a while.
Within the rainforest zone, neon-bright poison dart frogs hopped from leaf to leaf, whereas close by piranhas stared again at us, cold-eyed and imply (or perhaps that’s simply because I understand how needle-sharp their vicious tooth are from a visit way back to the Amazon!)
All main us to one of many aquarium highlights, the ocean tunnel. Blackpool’s is shorter than different Sea Life Centres within the UK, however there was nonetheless loads to identify – a guitarfish draped lazily over the tunnel entrance, a turtle gliding patiently by way of the water above a part of an previous submarine.
Usually that’s the place the go to ends, bringing you out into the cafe and present store, however Blackpool Sea Life Centre had yet one more surprising room to find earlier than you permit – the 4 Corners of the World.
Residence to 4 man-made wrecks which have been taken over by sea creatures, it’s a extremely enjoyable solution to end.
In a single nook large octopus tentacles stretched out round a picket treasure chest, excellent for a enjoyable household picture, or you might pose as one of many terracotta warriors subsequent to a tank containing submerged stone figures, earlier than marvelling on the large leopard eel.
One other pays tribute to among the wrecks discovered off the Fylde Coast close by, together with Nelson’s former flagship, HMS Foudroyant, which was wrecked in a hurricane-force storm in 1897 – look out for the attractive vibrant mandarin fish right here.
Even that isn’t fairly the ultimate sight, with a small stage by the cafe for some added actions.
Hold an eye fixed out for employees as you wander round too, all the time able to cease and reply questions – together with my daughter’s personal burning question as as to whether fish sleep – in addition to operating common talks.
One of many bonuses of visiting the aquarium is attending to see all this with out getting moist… however in case you do wish to do extra than simply look, you may even snorkel with the sharks and feed turtles, as among the VIP experiences.
We ended up spending two hours there with out reserving any of the extras (together with time to cease and purchase a fluffy humpback whale for my daughter’s assortment from the store!)
Good in case you’re escaping dangerous climate of Blackpool within the rain with youngsters, however simply pretty much as good when the solar shines – rising again onto the seaside for a paddle, I used to be imagining lobsters, octopus and fish galore simply past the horizon.
Sea Life Centre Blackpool: Have to know
Prebooking is presently required, with timeslots for entry (together with for Merlin annual move holders) and a reduction in case you e-book for Sea Life Blackpool prematurely, plus there’s presently 30% off weekday visits (excluding college holidays) till mid October.
You can even get mixed tickets for different Merlin sights in Blackpool, resembling Sea Life plus one different attraction, together with Madame Tussauds, The Blackpool Tower Ballroom or The Blackpool Tower Circus.
There’s additionally the Blackpool Huge Ticket Saver which provides entry to 6 Blackpool sights together with the Blackpool Tower Eye and Blackpool Tower Dungeon, saving as much as 45%.
You can even e-book tickets to Quiet on the Aquarium on the primary Sunday of the month, with extra restricted numbers and a quieter environment designed for these with autism and different sensory necessities.
Examine right here for opening occasions. Or to verify the dates when you may spot mermaids at Blackpool Sea Life Centre throughout summer season 2023, see the most recent record of appearances on the web site.
Sea Life Blackpool has bathrooms which you’ll be able to entry half-way across the aquarium or on the finish of your go to, in addition to a restaurant simply earlier than the exit. The attraction is cashless, so do guarantee you’ve one other technique of cost.
You’ll be able to take pushchairs and buggies in every single place in Blackpool Sea Life Centre or there’s additionally a buggy park in case you favor to depart it whilst you’re inside.
Peter Rabbit: Discover and Play Blackpool and the Gruffalo and Pals Clubhouse are each proper subsequent door to Sea Life Blackpool in case you’re in search of extra concepts of issues to do in Blackpool with toddlers and youthful youngsters.
For extra issues to do in Blackpool with youngsters, together with the brand new Gruffalo and Pals Clubhouse attraction, try my different posts
Disclosure: Paid collaboration with Merlin Entertainments – all opinions about our go to to Blackpool Sea Life Centre are my very own (and my daughter’s). This put up accommodates affiliate hyperlinks – any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee
Photos copyright MummyTravels
