ZSL London Zoo Biota

JamesB

JamesB

Well-Known Member
15+ year member
Thought someone should make a thread fo this!, is there any more news on this new attraction?

i asume the full list of species to be kept havent been released yet, but i know they are trying to house dugongs or manatees

and the artist impressions look quite amazing!

The Biota! experience - Biota! - ZSL
 
I've just noticed the banner at the top of the Biota page (with the fish) has changed. It used to be a crocodile and a bit of small text said 'opening 2009'. This text has been removed.

I'm guessing then that construction hasn't started and now if there is no completion date, it doesn't look like construction will start anytime soon...

Perhaps a Wembley Stadium scenario/fiasco... :(

(of course I may be over-thinking things and ZSL may have just decided to wait a bit...)
 
I thought, Biota should be opend in 2010 ? But if is not yet under construction, I don't belive it will be opend so far...

Dugongs were great, but Manatees are more realistic.
 
CZJimmy said:
I've just noticed the banner at the top of the Biota page (with the fish) has changed. It used to be a crocodile and a bit of small text said 'opening 2009'. This text has been removed.

I'm guessing then that construction hasn't started and now if there is no completion date, it doesn't look like construction will start anytime soon...

Perhaps a Wembley Stadium scenario/fiasco... :(

(of course I may be over-thinking things and ZSL may have just decided to wait a bit...)
Click to expand...

It seems the new date is 2011
UKs Biota super aquarium just three years away | Practical Fishkeeping magazine
 
Sounds good. I look foward it. But I ask myself, why we could not have such "Super-Aquariums" in germany ? We have only a few Sealife here, but to call the Sealife Centres a "Super-Aquarium " is If I would call McDonald's a First class Restaurant...

Nevertheless, there are so many new and modern Large Aquariums in diffrent european countries, but not in germany, why ?
 
Interesting that Biota will only have 10% of the total water of Georgia Aquarium, which of course has massive tanks with beluga whales and whale sharks. Nevertheless, Biota certainly will be added to the long, long list of London attractions.
 
But I guess, the London Aquarium isn't very enthuasistic about Biota, right ? And as like as the other London attractions, Biota will take a high entree fee...

What about the old Zoo aquarium ? Is this now complete renovated ?
 
Zebraduiker said:
But I guess, the London Aquarium isn't very enthuasistic about Biota, right ? And as like as the other London attractions, Biota will take a high entree fee...

What about the old Zoo aquarium ? Is this now complete renovated ?
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From memory, the London Aquarium wasn't as good as you would expect for the primary aquatic collection in the capital city. I'd imagine that they lose most of their target audience to London Zoo anyway (admission fees are roughly the same and to a regular visitor, they can see fish at the zoo as well as other animals for the same price)

As for the zoo's aquarium, i think it may have been renovated a few years ago, but not too sure of this...
 
london aquarium is terrible. if biota's proposed opening year is set at 2011 it is 5 years late by ZSL original target of 2006, but as long as its open by 2012 ill be happy.
 
kiang said:
Where did u get this info from?
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look at the artist impressions! in the amazon shot there is a manatee in a tank, i asume this is what they hope to build

what name are they actually calling it? biota or silvertownaquarium?
 
ps: my london zoo guide book for 2006 (i think) says opening 2008, silvertown aquarium
 
In terms of species and tanks, London Aquarium is probably on a par with the National Marine Aquarium and the National Sea Life Centre, but not quite as good as the Blue Planet Aquarium. I've not been to The Deep or Deep Sea World, but I believe they're supposed to be very good.

One thing I didn't like about the LA was the building, which, although an imaginative renovation, was claustrophobic and dark. Like you say though, it's not really the world-class aquarium attraction that London deserves.
 
Biota postponed

Just found this London Evening Standard article from 23 June. It sounds like Biota! is a victim of the credit crunch - postponed for a year, with no new start date.

It was all so different when, in March 2005, at a property trade show in Cannes attended by the construction industry's biggest hitters, Mr Livingstone looked forward triumphantly to the realisation of the £1.5 billion Silvertown Quay development and its centrepiece, the Biota! aquarium, an edifice the height of eight double-decker buses covering an area the equivalent of five football pitches.

The Terry Farrell-designed water world on the southern edge of Victoria Dock was to cost £80 million, partly funded by the sales of the new homes that were to be built around it.

"I intend to see the aquarium open in 2007, brilliantly close to my election date," was Ken's over-confident forecast. Then his re-election was a given. Then house prices were rising rapidly. Then house builders were paying stupid money for sites across London. Then even a fish tank in Silvertown sounded like a good idea.

But 550 species of marine life won't be moving into east London anytime soon. Biota! has been postponed for a year. With the credit crunch on the verge of becoming a full-blown recession, it's anybody's guess when work will start.
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Full article here: Revealed: the biggest new homes crash in 70 years
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
look at the artist impressions! in the amazon shot there is a manatee in a tank, i asume this is what they hope to build

what name are they actually calling it? biota or silvertownaquarium?
Click to expand...

As I recall, the earlier name was Silvertown Aquarium. The current name is Biota! (their exclamation, not mine)
 
Tigerlemurguy said:
look at the artist impressions! in the amazon shot there is a manatee in a tank, i asume this is what they hope to build

what name are they actually calling it? biota or silvertownaquarium?
Click to expand...

I doubt they will get manatees, and I don't really think that that is good evidence.

Plus, to be accurate, (which I think they would try to be) that'd make it Amazonian manatees which they'd have little chance of getting without importing directly from a South American rescue centre.
 
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