New Aquarium In Kansas City

[Maguari]

Besides, given the rate Sea-Life is expanding in the US and expanded across Europe already, you can't deny that they appear to have a successful model as they wouldn't be able to expand if it was unpopular.

In fairness, their expansion into Europe was accompanied by the selling-off of many of their UK aquariums.

My main beef with Sea Life (and they're management-level issues, staff in the aquariums I've never had any problem with) is the massive hypocrisy. As tim b intimated, for years their advertising had their ethical stance stated in no uncertain terms : "Sea Life believe that cetaceans and certain species of shark, specifically Sand Tigers, should not be kept in captivity" (that's from memory so may not be the exact wording, but the Sand Tiger name-check was most certainly there).

This stance disappeared entirely once they acquired the London Aquarium, complete with Sand Tigers, and the Sand Tigers remain to this day.

It just suggests, as tim b says, that they took this adverserial stance to cover fot the fact that they wouldn't/couldn't build the facilities (given that a number of their UK competitors (Deep Sea World, London Aquarium, Blue Planet) did have Sand Tigers, it just seems like sour grapes).


They also have a very patronising habit of referring to any exhibit not for fish or invertebrates as a 'sanctuary' - Penguin Sanctuary, Turtle Sanctuary, Otter Sanctuary. I think this stems from the work some of the centres do with rescued seals, which is very good work and with rescued animals then I can accept 'Seal Sanctuary' is appropriate. But, to take the example of the penguins, all they have done is build a standard penguin pool and bring in penguins from another zoo/aquarium. Calling their new home 'Sanctuary' is both incorrect and smacks of self-righteousness, implying as it does that the animals have been 'saved'.

I'll agree with you wholeheartedly that the experience would not be nearly as enjoyable if all the European Sea Lifes look the same. Part of my joy from visiting aquariums is the uniqueness and individuality of each facility and photographing it. But how many visitors are going to go to more than one or two of these aquariums in their lives? You and I are not the target market.

In fairness, they spend a lot of time pushing the SeaLife passes, so they are intending people to visit more than one. You're right than they're not thinking of people going to all of them, but they definitely aren't banking on people just doing one.

This is not limited to SeaLife. Acrylic tunnels are a huge crowd pleaser, you can't build a new aquarium anymore without one.

The Deep in Hull almost managed it - they only have a half-tunnel (i.e. a quarter-circle of Perspex up against a wall). The problem with Sea Life is they don't have one or two exhibits everywhere - they have whole chunks of the building repeated, with the same exhibit names, in case you missed what they were doing (Bay of Rays, Claws, Kingdom of the Seahorse...). They really do feel like franchised aquariums, contractually obliged to be as similar as possible. Many of them are very good days out, despite this (Blackpool is very good), but a lot of them are made solely from these repeated elements and you only have to have done one centre before to find them rather uninspiring.

 

[deanmo19]

I sure hope they should have a new Sea Life Aquarium at Sawgrass Mills in Florida in the future.

 

[Duckbill]

In fairness, their expansion into Europe was accompanied by the selling-off of many of their UK aquariums.

My main beef with Sea Life (and they're management-level issues, staff in the aquariums I've never had any problem with) is the massive hypocrisy. As tim b intimated, for years their advertising had their ethical stance stated in no uncertain terms : "Sea Life believe that cetaceans and certain species of shark, specifically Sand Tigers, should not be kept in captivity" (that's from memory so may not be the exact wording, but the Sand Tiger name-check was most certainly there).

This stance disappeared entirely once they acquired the London Aquarium, complete with Sand Tigers, and the Sand Tigers remain to this day.

It just suggests, as tim b says, that they took this adverserial stance to cover fot the fact that they wouldn't/couldn't build the facilities (given that a number of their UK competitors (Deep Sea World, London Aquarium, Blue Planet) did have Sand Tigers, it just seems like sour grapes).

[/quote]

I won't try to discuss that point in depth one way or another because I am unfamiliar with how Sea Life operates in Europe.

They also have a very patronising habit of referring to any exhibit not for fish or invertebrates as a 'sanctuary' - Penguin Sanctuary, Turtle Sanctuary, Otter Sanctuary. I think this stems from the work some of the centres do with rescued seals, which is very good work and with rescued animals then I can accept 'Seal Sanctuary' is appropriate. But, to take the example of the penguins, all they have done is build a standard penguin pool and bring in penguins from another zoo/aquarium. Calling their new home 'Sanctuary' is both incorrect and smacks of self-righteousness, implying as it does that the animals have been 'saved'.

It definitely sounds like a similar tactic that places use here in the US as well, and I don't see any reason to disagree with you.

In fairness, they spend a lot of time pushing the SeaLife passes, so they are intending people to visit more than one. You're right than they're not thinking of people going to all of them, but they definitely aren't banking on people just doing one.

Or they are intending for repeat visitors to the same location, in which case the issue isn't much of a problem. A huge percentage of Zoo/Aquarium Memberships in the US are the families with children that make repeat visits quite often perhaps never even using much reciprocity even though most Accredited Zoos/Aquariums do have some reciprocal partners.

It will be interesting to see what the format they use here in the US is, I know the SL Carlsbad location has passes linked with Legoland's admission and I will be curious to see if they try to incorporate any reciprocity with their other locations. Currently the only pass here in the US is tied to Carlsbad and Legoland.

The Deep in Hull almost managed it - they only have a half-tunnel (i.e. a quarter-circle of Perspex up against a wall). The problem with Sea Life is they don't have one or two exhibits everywhere - they have whole chunks of the building repeated, with the same exhibit names, in case you missed what they were doing (Bay of Rays, Claws, Kingdom of the Seahorse...). They really do feel like franchised aquariums, contractually obliged to be as similar as possible. Many of them are very good days out, despite this (Blackpool is very good), but a lot of them are made solely from these repeated elements and you only have to have done one centre before to find them rather uninspiring.

I won't dispute that, but as I said before they have what appears to be a profitable business model and there is little reason for them to change it. The number of visitors who will go to multiple aquariums makes up a much smaller number of guests than families with small children (their target market) and they have a system that works well for them to cater to those families.

 

[Maguari]

Or they are intending for repeat visitors to the same location, in which case the issue isn't much of a problem. A huge percentage of Zoo/Aquarium Memberships in the US are the families with children that make repeat visits quite often perhaps never even using much reciprocity even though most Accredited Zoos/Aquariums do have some reciprocal partners.

Fair point!

It will be interesting to see what the format they use here in the US is, I know the SL Carlsbad location has passes linked with Legoland's admission and I will be curious to see if they try to incorporate any reciprocity with their other locations. Currently the only pass here in the US is tied to Carlsbad and Legoland.

I think I'm right in saying the UK pass covers all the (7 or so?) UK centres except for London and the theme park-located sites at Alton Towers and Chessington. But of course the UK locations are much closer to each other than the US ones as it's a much smaller country!

(A UK pass has on at least one occasion got people into a continental centre as well (at Speyer).)

I won't dispute that, but as I said before they have what appears to be a profitable business model and there is little reason for them to change it. The number of visitors who will go to multiple aquariums makes up a much smaller number of guests than families with small children (their target market) and they have a system that works well for them to cater to those families.

Unfortunately you're entirely right. Just a shame they can't use a bit more imagination.

 

[Johnny]

This is not limited to SeaLife. Acrylic tunnels are a huge crowd pleaser, you can't build a new aquarium anymore without one.

They are a huge crowdpleaser, but there are still big aquariums that don't have them. As I said, I don't mind them, but not the way sealife is building them.

I'll agree with you wholeheartedly that the experience would not be nearly as enjoyable if all the European Sea Lifes look the same. Part of my joy from visiting aquariums is the uniqueness and individuality of each facility and photographing it. But how many visitors are going to go to more than one or two of these aquariums in their lives? You and I are not the target market.

True, but visitors still enjoy a beautiful aquarium. And it's possible to build an aquarium that is enjoyable to adults and children. Burgers zoo here in the netherlands achieved it to build an aquarium where people are that impressed they are coming back for more, and children are just as impressed as the adults. So it's possible. Even with aquariums that are much smaller. Sydney aquarium and melbourne aquarium are good examples, as well as oceanworld manly, which is a small facility but manages to fascinate adults and children.

 

[Duckbill]

They are a huge crowdpleaser, but there are still big aquariums that don't have them. As I said, I don't mind them, but not the way sealife is building them.

Merlin Entertainments is a business, Sealife is a business, it would stupid of them not to put in an acrylic tunnel exhibit when that style is one of their most, if not their most, successful exhibit.

I challenge you to find an aquarium built recently that doesn't have some sort of tunnel exhibit either.

True, but visitors still enjoy a beautiful aquarium. And it's possible to build an aquarium that is enjoyable to adults and children. Burgers zoo here in the netherlands achieved it to build an aquarium where people are that impressed they are coming back for more, and children are just as impressed as the adults. So it's possible. Even with aquariums that are much smaller. Sydney aquarium and melbourne aquarium are good examples, as well as oceanworld manly, which is a small facility but manages to fascinate adults and children.

I think you're using the term "visitors" but holding each and every visitor to the standard you have for yourself. I happen to agree that SeaLife aquariums are far from the stunning marvels that you can find all over the world but that is not the role they are trying to fill. Criticizing SeaLife for not being the best aquarium you have ever seen is like criticizing a family sedan for not being a high performance sports car.

 

[KCZooFan]

Opening a little earlier than expected

Sea Life Kansas City aquarium to open in April - KansasCity.com

In other news, an eaven larger aquarium is possibly opening in nearby Mission, Kansas.

http://www.mission-ks.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1046

 

[yangz]

I went to Sea Life in Dallas. It is in the mall. At certain time, there was an interpreter standing by the exhibit ready to answer any questions visitors might have. To me the staff was very engaging and informative. The quality of the display was pretty good, like any other aquarium, except the giant, long extinct, dinosaur like, fake fish skekeltons in the exhibit. Since flash photos are not allowed, I didn't get any pictures of the place.