Best Aquarium in the UK?

B

bugs

Well-Known Member
What do people think is the best aquarium in the UK? I know from reading many of the threads and from personal experience that aquariums in the UK seem to be pretty generic especially the Sea Life Centres.

I think one of the aquariums that impressed me was the Sea Life Centre in Birmingham.

Also has anyone ever got a pleasant suprise when visiting a UK aquarium, e.g. seeing a species they didn't expect? I know when I visited the Sea Life Centre in Great Yarmouth in 2005 I saw Leafy Sea Dragons which was a nice suprise.
 
The best UK aquarium I've visited is The Deep in Hull by a country mile.

Imaginative, consistently high-quality and some wonderful species - at the time of my last visit including Green Sawfish (Pristis zijsron), Inshore Hagfish (Eptatetrus burgeri) and Spotted Rabbitfish (Hydrolagus colliei) - the latter two the first of their respective classes I'd seen (Myxini and Holocephalii respectively). Any place that shows me two entire new classes of animal is going to get in my good books!

The main tank is stunning, and the deep sea area (with the rabbitfish, Giant Pacific Octopus, Nautilus, Giant spider crabs and so forth) is excellent. The cafe on the top level is also well above average for zoo food!

Finally, the building is architecturally very nice - not something you can honestly say about many UK aquariums.



Honorable mention for the Lakes Aquarium - the main Windermere tank with the walkthrough tunnel surrounded by lake fish and (brilliantly) diving ducks is one of my favourite UK exhibits.
 
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Only UK aquariums that I've visited that aren't Sea Life Centres are BlueReef Portsmouth and the National Marine Aquarium. The latter was the best no question.

We are desperately in need of a really world class aquarium though. I say end the Sea Life chain and make each one unique in their own right, and either develop one of the big three aquariums we already have or start from scratch to make one on par with Montery Bay or New York.
 
I recommend The Deep at Hull. It has a lerge centrel tank with over 40 sharks in, shoals of jacks and huge groupers and rays. Another interesting exhibit is the lagoon of light which is linked to the coral kingdom tank so the fish can swim between exhibits. Hundreds of tropical marine fishes are displayed in this tank.
 
I find it very difficult to choose between The Deep and the National Marine Aquarium. I agree with everything that's been said about the design and the range of species at The Deep. But I think that the three big tanks at Plymouth just edge my choice. I must admit that it's been a couple of years since I was at either, so I think I will make a belated resolution to visit them both this year.

Alan
 
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