6 seriously cool things to see at Sealife Centres

Sealife centres have been a firm family favourite attraction for many years and are still thriving today. There are 14 sealife centres in the UK, all run by the commercial chain Sea Life, and all of which are home to a vast array of underwater creatures that kids and adults alike can observe and sometime even interact with. Our list below highlights 6 of the coolest things to see at sealife centres.

1. Sharks

The sealife centre in Birmingham is home to the UK’s only Hammerhead Sharks, Thora and Freda, and visitors can learn about the threats facing Hammerhead Sharks while watching them play and chase away other fish from their food. Sealife Centre Birmingham is located right in the heart of the city next to the canal which is an ideal place to take a stroll and there is a great selection of restaurants to eat at. At Sea Life London Aquarium you can see one of Europe’s largest collections of marine life including over 40 sharks from 12 different species. Visitors can take the ‘Shark Walk’ down a suspended glass platform and watch sharks swim beneath your feet. London Sealife also offers a ‘Snorkelling with Sharks’ experience for an extra cost where you can get up close to Tiger Sharks and Black Top Reef Sharks - if you dare!. Sea Life Great Yarmouth and Sea Life Hunstanton also have sharks to see.

2. Turtles

At Sea Life Brighton you can meet Lulu the Green Turtle, she is around 71 years old and weighs a whopping 152 kilogrammes! Families can learn all about her story and where she came from. At Sea Life Scarborough you’ll find Antiopi, a Loggerhead Turtle who is between 50 and 60 years old. Antiopi is at Scarborough because she suffered a head injury from a boat propeller when in the wild and Scarborough is now her permanent home. At Sealife London you can get up close and personal with Boris and Phoenix, the Green Turtles that live here. Join in on a VIP Turtle Feed Experience and see how big they truly are, but don’t worry, they’re friendly!

3. Clown Fish

Clown Fish are those cute little orange and white fish that you may recognize from the film ‘Finding Nemo’. At Sea Life Manchester visitors can find these small creatures in the main coral display where you’ll spot them hiding amongst the sea anemones. Clown Fish are very unusual in that they can change their sex, for example, if the female dies, a dominate male can turn himself into a female! Sealife Manchester is also home to an amazing underwater tunnel and an interactive ‘Touchpool Experience’ where kids can touch a crab or starfish. Sealife Birmingham features ‘Nemo’s Kingdom’ where you can see Nemo and all his friends from the movie living in the same tank - kids will love it!

4. Piranhas

At Sealife London Aquarium you can see the deadly Piranha fish! Piranhas are a freshwater fish and are found living in the rivers of South America. They are feared because of their razor sharp teeth and ferociousness. The piranhas at Sealife London are Red Bellied Piranhas and the one with the darkest red belly is the one in charge and it always keeps in the centre of the shoal for protection from predators. Piranhas are known to eat meat but they are also omnivores so will eat plants as well if hungry. Sealife London is also home to Jellyfish, Lobsters and Penguins so don’t miss out!

5. Seahorses

At Sea Life Loch Lomond you can see fascinating little seahorses. Visitors can learn why the seahorse is under threat, why they need so much space to live in despite being so small and why they make terrible swimmers! Interestingly, the male seahorse looks after the offspring in his pouch while the female works on reproducing another set of babies. Loch Lomond is also home to the Porcupine Pufferfish, Octopuses, Eels and Otters where you can listen to a number a talks from knowledgeable Sealife staff and watch live feeding times! Sealife Brighton is also home to a collection of Seahorses.

6. Sting Rays

Sealife London is also a great place to see Sting Rays! Believe it or not they are quite friendly and visitors can see them happily swimming around in the Ray Lagoon - they are naturally inquisitive creatures so they may come up for you to stroke them in pool. Rays are the closest relative to sharks and their flattened bodies makes it easier for them to hide under the sand on the sea bed if danger approaches. Sealife Oban also has a collection of Sting Rays to enjoy watching.

There are plenty of other amazing things to see at sealife centres too. Sealife Weymouth is home to Humboldt Penguins where you can meet Laurel, the fussy eater who also chases her own shadow. And if little creatures aren’t enough, then head to Sea Life Blackpool where you will find ‘Big Daddy’-a giant Japanese Spider Crab with a claw-span of 9 foot!! He is the UK biggest crab by far - not for the faint-hearted.

To save money at Sea Life, have a look at the Merlin Annual Pass where you can enjoy 12 months of fun and access 30 of the UK’s best attractions whenever you like. Sealife centres make an excellent family day out with plenty to see and do to keep everyone entertained.