From an early obsession with Octonauts to a love of snorkelling and need to turn into a marine biologist, my daughter has been fascinatined by the underwater world for many of her life โ however regardless of visiting Sea Life Centres across the UK (and Europe), I realised we had been lengthy overdue a visit to write down this Sea Life London aquarium evaluate.
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Isnโt it at all times the best way? Weโve visited extra aquariums than I can depend, from Chicago to Portugal, however havenโt set foot inside our native London Sea Life Centre for years.
So what higher excuse to rearrange a go to? On a cold February Sunday, a vibrant marine world was positively extra tempting than the gray skies exterior too โ so we stepped throughout the glass flooring to wander by means of the 14 completely different rooms and zones and get a glimpse of greater than 6,000 creatures residing in Londonโs aquarium.
Sea Life London Aquarium: Must know
Earlier than we dive into my Sea Life London Aquarium evaluate, letโs begin with the sensible bits โ easy methods to get there, easy methods to get tickets and all the things else you might want to find out about a go to to Londonโs Sea Life Centre.
The place is Sea Life London?
Sea Life London is ready on the South Financial institution, a shellโs throw from the London Eye and Shrekโs Journey, only a brief stroll from Waterloo tube station or from Westminster, throughout the river through Westminster Bridge.
You may as well arrive by boat, in the event you fancy. The closest pier is the London Eye pier.
get tickets for Sea Life London
A part of the Merlin assortment of points of interest, you possibly can e book tickets direct by means of the Sea Life London web site, with reductions in the event youโre visiting a couple of attraction within the group โ saving as much as 61% in the event you e book for 3 points of interest.
You may as well e book for the aquarium alone, with Commonplace Tickets and Anytime Entry, in addition to an improve choice together with a VR expertise.
Pricing relies upon once you go to, so you possibly can anticipate to pay extra at weekends and through college holidays, though it’s also possible to typically discover offers exterior these instances. Below-twos go free.
Ticket costs at present begin at ยฃ28 for adults for Commonplace Entry in the event you e book on-line, with a reduction of 28% off the on-the-door value. You want to choose timed entry with 15-minute slots out there (Anytime Entry means that you can go in at any level through the day you select). You may as well reschedule without spending a dime, as much as 3 times. Merlin Annual Go holders go free but in addition have to e book a time slot.
The aquarium normally opens between 10am and 11am, and closes between 5pm and 7pm. It often opens at 9am at weekends โ see the entire checklist of opening hours right here. Final admission is one hour earlier than closing.
TOP TIP: Itโs nicely value getting one of many earliest slots in the event you can โ we had entry at 10.15, with no queue to get in, and never too many individuals inside. Unsurprisingly, Sea Life London may be very in style, particularly on wet days in London and faculty holidays, so it could actually get crowded.
What are you able to see inside Sea Life London
The London Aquarium is house to 500 species and round 6,000 creatures in whole, in a string of various zones.
These embrace Coral Kingdom, house to the UKโs largest residing coral reef, Polar Journey, together with the aquariumโs gentoo penguins, Rainforest Journey, in addition to the massive Open Oceans tank with the Aquarium Tunnel main by means of it.
There are probabilities to get arms on at Rockpool Explorer and a room devoted to jellyfish in Ocean Invaders.
Youโll typically discover extra actions through the college holidays or within the run-up to Christmas, with trails and challenges out there year-round.
Is there a restaurant at Sea Life London
No, thereโs no cafe at Sea Life London, though there are some factors the place you will get drinks and snacks, together with from merchandising machines.
After we visited on a Sunday morning, the little snack store wasnโt open (though it seemed prefer it was getting ready to lift the shutters) though there was a small bubble tea stand, a lot to my daughterโs delight.
You possibly canโt deliver your personal meals in with you โ no consuming or consuming is allowed, aside from water (we had been requested to drink the bubble tea by the stand earlier than exploring additional). There are bathrooms all through the aquarium, with child altering amenities, and a present store on the finish.
There are many locations to eat and drink close by alongside the South Financial institution โ take a look at my suggestions right here
What can I usher in to Sea Life London
Households can deliver buggies to Sea Life London and use them all through the aquarium, or go away them on the buggy park in the event you favor (which will be simpler if itโs busy).
You possibly canโt deliver baggage in to the aquarium, other than commonplace purses and daypack-sized rucksacks. Thereโs additionally no cloakroom at Sea Life London, so that you receivedโt be capable of go away coats or luggage when you enter.
There are left baggage amenities at Waterloo station close by or you should use safe bag storage choices like Stasher and Baggage Hero.
How lengthy does a go to to Sea Life London take?
The typical go to to Sea Life London Aquarium is round 90 minutes, however you possibly can keep so long as you need. We simply stuffed two hours on the aquarium with out dawdling an excessive amount of and with out it being too busy.
When youโd prefer to linger over all of the shows, in addition to following the youngstersโ path or profiting from among the talks and feeding instances, it wouldnโt be exhausting to spend longer.
On a quiet day, in the event youโre visiting with youthful children who wish to race from tank to tank (or in the event youโve bought a packed London itinerary and have restricted time to spare), you possibly can get round all the things in an hour in the event you wanted to.
Keep in mind that itโs quite a bit greater than it seems to be from the skin, set over a number of flooring, with round 14 completely different rooms and areas to discover alongside the best way โ thereโs an interactive map if you wish to go searching earlier than you go to.
Sea Life London Aquarium evaluate: our go to
Proper from the start, youโre plunged into the underwater world (not actually!) as you stroll throughout the glass walkway in direction of the doorway, sharks swimming unbothered beneath your toes.
Then after a string of quirky information about among the creatures youโre going to fulfill, itโs time to dive into the worldโs second largest ocean, the Atlantic. Dwelling to wolffish, starfish, swaying anemones and a string of different fish, youโre swept alongside to Ray Lagoon.
Created beneath an outdated pier, in waters mimicking the shallow Atlantic, you possibly can peer down to identify the rays swimming round โ and some hiding beneath the sand on the backside โ or look by means of the glass tank to see them at their stage. I like recognizing the raysโ apparently smiling faces as they go.
When youโre following the Sea Life Ranger path (purchase the packs for an added price), maintain an eye fixed out for among the challenges as you go. Higher for youthful children, we noticed one signal asking in the event you might pat your head and rub your tummy on the similar time.
Then on to certainly one of my favorite areas, the Open Ocean. With 750,000 litres of water, and a duplicate Gray Whale skeleton adorning the ocean mattress, there are extra rays to identify right here too, with Southern Stingrays gliding elegantly by means of the tank and Cownose Rays darting larger up.
Itโs house to a string of brightly colored tropical fish, from purple tangs to clown triggerfish, in addition to a number of a lot greater inhabitants โ a zebra shark and inexperienced sea turtles for starters, together with one really enormous inexperienced sea turtle.
We might simply have spent ages simply standing right here watching this underwater scene โ in reality, like everybody else, we headed straight for the primary window to marvel at it, earlier than realising thereโs many extra probabilities to peek inside.
Together with the aquarium tunnel simply across the nook. Shorter than some tunnels at different Sea Life Centres, you continue to get a incredible view โ the spotty zebra shark (they get their title for the stripes they’ve after theyโre younger) glided proper over the curved prime a number of instances.
If thatโs whetted your urge for food for extra sharks, youโre in luck, with the Shipwreck zone subsequent on the checklist.
Dwelling to some large Easter Island-style moai heads, itโs additionally stuffed with sharks โ little black-tipped reef sharks flitting previous and greater nurse sharks chilling out on the underside (my favorite nurse shark reality being that they prefer to congregate collectively in whatโs referred to as cuddle puddles!)
There are additionally some greater sand tiger sharks, and an excellent greater Bowmouth Guitarfish โ referred to as Betty! โ whoโs half shark, half ray. Plus loads of reminders that sharks arenโt practically as harmful as individuals assume; people are way more of a hazard to sharks than the opposite method round.
In case your children are extra alarmed than enthralled by all of the sharks, the subsequent space is ideal for youths โ Coral Kingdom. Look out for the unusually-shaped vibrant yellow field fish alongside the best way.
The UKโs longest coral reef show, and the most important residing coral reef within the nation, you stroll previous mangroves initially earlier than recognizing an entire string of vibrant inhabitants as you wander alongside the 40ft tank.
One of many highlights for youths who love Discovering Nemo is the numerous little clownfish of their anemone houses, with black clownfish among the many orange ones. Thereโs an entire rainbow of creatures on this part although, from yellow tangs to blue regal tangs, cardinal fish and extra.
The corals themselves are simply as vibrant, in a string of various shapes, from little fronds fluttering within the present to flat mushroom-shaped corals, mind corals and an entire lot extra. A fantastically vibrant approach to brighten up February.
Itโs at this level that you just realise youโre solely round half method by means of, with one other seven completely different rooms and areas to go!
Subsequent up is Seahorse Kingdom, with a number of kinds of seahorse, in addition to pipefish floating gracefully round nearly in a synchronised dance. Itโs certainly one of a number of locations the place there are little tunnels, peephole home windows and seethrough bubbles to let children get even nearer to the underwater inhabitants too.
Then on to Rainforest Journey, with an opportunity to see the UKโs largest assortment of piranhas โ principally hanging immobile within the water as we strolled previous, however in the event you catch it on the proper time, you may see the feeding frenzy.
Thereโs an opportunity to see a number of completely different creatures who reside on the planet of the rainforest, together with a Chilean rose tarantula, snakes, snapping turtles, a dwarf crocodile and terrapins.
However maybe essentially the most fascinating had been the leafcutter ants who patrolled by means of clear glass tubes carrying enormous chunks of leaf (in comparison with them) from one aspect of the room to the opposite.
When youโre wishing you possibly can get even nearer to the ocean life, thereโs one other likelihood to visualise your self on the seabed, with a VR expertise โ appropriate for age 6+.
You would (nearly) swim with humpback whales, dive with manta rays or enterprise into the depths with tiger sharks. Thereโs even the possibility to hitch a mermaid on an journey beneath the waves.
Then a real-world alternative to get arms on in Rockpool Discovery, the place you possibly can contact a mermaidโs purse (as shark or ray eggs are recognized) and really feel some reproduction anemones within the collection of rockpools.
With solely three areas left, youโre transported on a Polar Journey, to see the aquariumโs colony of Gentoo Penguins, hopping on their chilly rocks and diving into the water, with a window to see them rushing underwater and launching themselves into the air in acrobatic leaps.
Itโs one of the crucial controversial areas within the aquarium, with no pure mild, however has been designed with the assistance of consultants to imitate seasonal climate circumstances, together with mild and temperature, leading to a profitable breeding programme.
Supporting the charity Falklands Conservation, the opposite Arctic creatures on this space are all created by means of Augmented Actuality and 3D expertise, so you possibly can look right into a mirror to see your self standing subsequent to a polar bear or watch an orca emerge from the waves beside you.
The entire part after this focuses on conservation efforts, serving to guests see what different programmes are supporting threatened marine life โ with data all through on how endangered among the creatures within the aquarium space โ in addition to concepts for how one can play your half, whether or not itโs signing a petition or pledging to eat extra sustainable seafood.
And to complete, a room specializing in one marine creature thatโs typically neglected โ jellyfish. With greater than 350 completely different species, thought to have emerged round 500 million years in the past, Sea Life London has the worldโs largest jellyfish expertise.
I at all times discover watching jellyfish faintly hypnotic as they pulse, and there are many likelihood to really feel mesmerised watching moon jellyfish, white noticed jellyfish and a number of other various kinds of sea nettle. In case your children are much less fascinated by that, thereโs additionally an interactive show the place you possibly can design your personal jellyfish.
Which solely left one closing debate to have earlier than we left: which creature had we loved seeing most โ a dialog which saved us chatting all the best way again out to the South Financial institution.
For extra issues to do in London with children, together with issues to do in London within the rain, take a look at my different posts in addition to my digital information to London with children
Disclosure: This put up comprises affiliate hyperlinks โ any purchases you make are unaffected however I could obtain a small fee. My entry was free for the needs of evaluate, however all opinions on this Sea Life London evaluate are my very own
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