If you or your kids have a fascination with aquatic life, a trip to the Sea Life London Aquarium at the weekend or in the upcoming school holidays is essential.
Located on the South Bank of the Thames, just a couple of minutes’ walk from Waterloo station, the attraction couldn’t be easier to get to.
Once you’re there an odyssey of discovery awaits, with more than 500 species of marine creatures from around the world to be seen divided between dozens of displays in 14 themed zones over three3 floors.
Stars of the show are the 40-plus sharks, which are captivating to watch being such powerful and menacing animals yet somewhat graceful at the same time.
It’s not just about these predators though - everything else you could possibly hope to see is there, from jellyfish to piranhas, seahorses to turtles, penguins to rays.
A journey around the aquarium takes around two hours depending on how quickly you go and how busy it is. Atmospheric music and dark passageways create the perfect ambience for a tour of this underwater world. It can get noisy in there when there are lots of kids around but at the same time it remains quite a peaceful place to visit away from the usual hurly-burly of London, a place where it’s easy to lose sense of time for a while.
One of the highlights comes at around the halfway point with the glass Ocean Tunnel that has been built in a blue whale skeleton. This domed walkway provides a great view of many of the tropical fish and turtles.
New for this year, which you’ll see at the end of your visit, is the Ocean of Stars exhibit which features the world's biggest species of starfish - the Sunflower sea star. Earlier on, it’s possible to get hands-on with starfish and other creatures in the rock pool section, which is fantastic for kids.
Whether it’s local residents in the River Thames Story or the more exotic imports in Nemo’s Coral Caves, the London Aquarium is an absorbing experience all the way round.
My wife and I were as fascinated as our 10-year-old daughter as went through the aquarium, although we all had our own favourite parts. Something agreed on was how the blend of education and entertainment was just about right, making for a very interesting but fun day out.
Here are a few tips on getting the best from your visit:
Be prepared to be patient. The aquarium can get crowded and it can be slow moving. Don’t be disheartened if certain exhibits are too busy to get up close to. Some displays are visible from various vantage points, or you can go back to particular points later when they might be quieter.
To avoid the long queues outside, consider paying a premium of £3 per ticket to enter through the priority entrance. It’s not a cheap way to do it (£75 for a family of four) but it can save a lot of waiting around.
The cheapest way to visit is to go for the 25 per cent online saving from the after 3pm tickets. This brings the cost for a family of four down to £53. For other times you can save 10 per cent on admission, including a family ticket, by booking online via the aquarium website while you can also save a lot of money using the 2-for-1 days out offers available at train stations.
Sea Life London Aquarium, County Hall, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7PB
Tickets: 0871 663 1678
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