UK Aquariums

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JT

JT

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Hello all, I was wanting to get some aquarium recommendations. I’d like to think I’m relatively clued up regarding zoos in the uk but I know very little about uk aquariums. I went to Alton towers on Saturday with my girlfriend and we ended up spending 2 hours in the aquarium there and she really showed an interest so I’m hoping to take her to some more aquariums however as stated previously I’m not too knowledgeable on the different aquariums around the country.

It would be great if people could give me some general info on places in the uk e.g. biggest, rarities, best exhibits.

I tend to stick to members of BIAZA, EAZA, SeaLife etc and we live in NE England so that would be another thing to consider however we are willing to travel.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers :)
 
Jude T said:
I tend to stick to members of BIAZA, EAZA, SeaLife etc and we live in NE England so that would be another thing to consider however we are willing to travel.
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The Deep in Hull should be your number one target I would say - the best aquarium in Britain to my mind.

(the nearest competition in quality would be the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth but that is just a touch further away from you... :D )
 
Maguari said:
The Deep in Hull should be your number one target I would say - the best aquarium in Britain to my mind.

(the nearest competition in quality would be the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth but that is just a touch further away from you... :D )
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Haha thanks a lot, I’ll have a look into it. :)
 
Jude T said:
Hello all, I was wanting to get some aquarium recommendations. I’d like to think I’m relatively clued up regarding zoos in the uk but I know very little about uk aquariums. I went to Alton towers on Saturday with my girlfriend and we ended up spending 2 hours in the aquarium there and she really showed an interest so I’m hoping to take her to some more aquariums however as stated previously I’m not too knowledgeable on the different aquariums around the country.

It would be great if people could give me some general info on places in the uk e.g. biggest, rarities, best exhibits.

I tend to stick to members of BIAZA, EAZA, SeaLife etc and we live in NE England so that would be another thing to consider however we are willing to travel.

Any help would be appreciated, cheers :)
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To be fair, a lot of the uk aquariums are very good imo. In the northeast Tynemouth is decent, but as said by maguari, the deep is practically unchallenged as the best. I really dislike sealifes because the signage is usually terrible, blue reefs are generally rather good for signage as they are not on electronic screens. From the ones I’ve visited, sea life adventure in Southend, Lake District coast aquarium, lakes aquarium, st andrews aquarium, national marine aquarium and deep sea world are my favourites. The worst I’ve visited were Matlock bath aquarium and clacton pier seaquarium, which are more for entertainment than the aquarium itself it seems…
 
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pangolin12 said:
To be fair, a lot of the uk aquariums are very good imo. In the northeast Tynemouth is decent, but as said by maguari, the deep is practically unchallenged as the best. I really dislike sealifes because the signage is usually terrible, blue reefs are generally rather good for signage as they are not on electronic screens. From the ones I’ve visited, sea life adventure in Southend, Lake District coast aquarium, lakes aquarium, st andrews aquarium, national marine aquarium and deep sea world are my favourites. The worst I’ve visited were Matlock bath aquarium and clacton pier seaquarium, which are more for entertainment than the aquarium itself it seems…
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Yeah I’ve been to tynemouth before and it is a nice little aquarium. Cheers for all the information, looks like I need to book a trip to Hull. :)
 
Falconhoof said:
I second the vote for The Deep, a great aquarium. Although if you managed to spend two hours in the tiny Alton Towers aquarium, I'm worried you'll be stuck in The Deep for days!
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Haha thank you, might have to book a hotel. :p
 
The Blue Planet is a decent visit - especially if you're in the Chester area for the zoo, as its just a few minutes down the road. I'd hesitate to travel a distance especially for it, although if aquatics are your thing - and as mentioned above you can eek two hours out of Alton Towers Sea Life - then maybe you could spend enough time in the Blue Planet to travel for it.

Hull's not a bad trip for you though Jude, definitely a good place to start.
 
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Surprised there’s not been more recommendations for Blue Planet. I visited about 10 years ago and I’m not sure how much it’s changed but it remains the best aquarium I’ve ever visited in the UK. It’s pretty big with lots to see and their underwater tunnel is pretty long.

I’ve never been to The Deep but a lot of good is said about it.

The best Sea Life I’ve been to in the North is Blackpool. It’s a decent size and has an impressive main tank with a good sized underwater tunnel. No outdoor exhibits, however. If you want those, maybe check out Scarborough as it has penguins, seals and otters.
 
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NigeW said:
The Blue Planet is a decent visit - especially if you're in the Chester area for the zoo, as its just a few minutes down the road. I'd hesitate to travel a distance especially for it, although if aquatics are your thing - and as mentioned above you can eek two hours out of Alton Towers Sea Life - then maybe you could spend enough time in the Blue Planet to travel for it.

Hull's not a bad trip for you though Jude, definitely a good place to start.
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I to Blue Planet when I was a young child so that was one of the only aquariums I am familiar with and a trip there certainly wouldn’t be out of the question. Cheers for your response Nige.
 
Mr.Weasel said:
Surprised there’s not been more recommendations for Blue Planet. I visited about 10 years ago and I’m not sure how much it’s changed but it remains the best aquarium I’ve ever visited in the UK. It’s pretty big with lots to see and their underwater tunnel is pretty long.

I’ve never been to The Deep but a lot of good is said about it.

The best Sea Life I’ve been to in the North is Blackpool. It’s a decent size and has an impressive main tank with a good sized underwater tunnel. No outdoor exhibits, however. If you want those, maybe check out Scarborough as it has penguins, seals and otters.
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My brothers been to the Scarborough one and he’s recommended that to me so it’s maybe one to consider for the future. Regarding Blackpool, it could make a good weekend if partnered with a cheeky trip to Blackpool Zoo. ;)
 
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