SEA LIFE London Aquarium is located on the South Bank of the River Thames, and inhabits the ground floor of the curved, colonnaded, neoclassical County Hall that once housed London’s municipal government. It opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and was renamed Sea Life London Aquarium in 2009. The Aquarium was acquired by Merlin Entertainments in 2008, undergoing a multi-million refurbishment, and is now home to a superb, three-level aquarium in which visitors can walk above sharks and stingrays and see more than 600 other aquatic species, both common and rare. Highlights include an underwater tunnel, Shark Walk, and revamped Pacific Ocean tank. In 2011 a new Penguin attraction was filled with penguins from Edinburgh Zoo.
Visitors begin their journey across a glass walkway above a shoal of sixteen sharks, including two striking 2.8m brown sharks and a group of 10 sleek black tip reef sharks and a rare shark-ray cross. Further encounters with the sharks lie within the Pacific display which spans three floors and is dominated by a selection of imposing Easter Island Heads. Whilst there are over 40 sharks from 12 different species, they represent only a small part of the thousands of sea creatures from over 600 species on display. Each themed section has several displays which feature creatures, plants, and foliage from various habitats from all over the world.
The Aquarium is home to many creatures that are on the endangered list; many have been rescued and cannot be released into the wild or have been born and bred as part of conservation projects. SEA LIFE has a large conservation program that concentrates on Breeding, Seal Rescues, Re-homing and Campaigns. The Aquarium also has a dedicated section to educate pupils from the many schools that visit about the various conservation causes the Aquarium supports. There are displays dotted throughout the Aquarium to show why certain creatures are under threat in the wild.
The Aquarium is especially popular with children and families because many of the displays make it easy for children to view and get close to the creatures, there are also opportunities to interact with the animals at public feeding, diving displays and touch pools. One of the highlights for my children during our visit was the opportunity to stroke the leg of one of the starfish. There is also series of talks throughout the day.There are also special experiences that include behind-the-scenes tours and feeding or snorkelling with sharks that are available at an extra charge. Admission at peak periods is by 15-minute timed entry slot, but for an additional £10 you can purchase flexible, Anytime Entry tickets.
SEA LIFE London Aquarium
County Hall, Westminster Bridge Road, London, SE1 7PB
