Sea Life London Aquarium

Sea Life London Aquarium Relaunched in 2009

Sea Life London Aquarium relaunched in April 2009 after a multi-million pound refurbishment. It is one of Europe's largest displays of global aquatic life and includes one of the world's biggest collections of Cownose rays, a glass tunnel walkway encased in a gigantic whale skeleton and a Shark Walk finale.

New species have been introduced so in addition to thousands of fish, guests will encounter green turtles, seahorses and octopuses.

Sea Life have 30 attractions in the UK and Europe and hope Sea Life London Aquarium will be their top destination.

Key Highlights:
• New look London Aquarium – new species, new surroundings
• Thousands of marine creatures in themed settings
• One of the world's biggest collections of Cownose rays
• Glass tunnel walkway encased in a blue whale skeleton
• Shark Walk finale
• Public participation feeding
• More feeding times and talks

Ray Lagoon
Over forty graceful Californian Cownose rays can be admired gliding in Ray Lagoon. The "nearly" threatened status of the species makes the experience even more unique.

Glass Tunnel Walkway
Not only is there now a glass tunnel walkway so you can watch tropical fish, sparkling coral and green turtles, but the tunnel has been constructed from a gigantic hand-crafted 25 meter long blue whale skeleton. As you would expect, the tunnel is very popular, so don't block other visitors in this area.

Shark Walk Finale
A floating platform has been added above the massive Pacific shark tank and those who are brave enough can look straight into the eyes of five different species of sharks as they hover just centimeters beneath their feet.

Sea Life London Aquarium Review

The London Aquarium has undergone a £5 million refurbishment and the transformation into Sea Life London Aquarium is fantastic. I visited during the 2008 building work and found a dark and dingy attraction that was looking tired. I visited again in April 2009 (for the relaunch) and found a vibrant and revitalized London attraction. Honestly, I could hardly recognize the place!

The changes are too many to list but I can honestly say it seemed like a different venue as the floors are now being used in a much better way with more open spaces and less narrow corridors.

Speaking of floors, the concrete floors have been improved with a rubberized coating and some color and sparkles in different zones.

There are 14 themed zones over 3 floors and the first zone always gets busy as we are all so excited when we arrive. Don't worry as it's not usually that crowded all the way through the aquarium.

There are now plenty of low tanks with ledges for the younger kids to step on so everyone can see the fish.

At the Ray Lagoon there is room for buggies to be around the edge without blocking the path. The ray pool has 2 glass sides so leave these for the shorter visitors and move round to the other sides as you can see just as much. You're not supposed to be sticking your hands in the water anyway so it doesn't matter where you stand.

The rock pools in Dive Discovery are a hit as visitors can touch creatures such as crabs and starfish in the rock pools (hand washing facilities available).

On the middle floor, near the end of your visit, Sea Life Conservation means an activity area for the kids. We did some coloring in and then had badges made. The souvenir photos are fun where you get superimposed onto a shark or a turtle.

Top Tip: You can view the sharks from all floors - it's a huge tank! - so don't crowd around the first window at Pacific Wreck. Walk round to the other side and you are likely to have a window to yourself.

• 11am: Ray Talk and Feed
• 12pm: Dive and Discover (Walk through the underwater tunnel)
• 12.30pm: Seahorse Talk & Feed
• 1pm: Rainforest talk & feed
• 2pm: Shark Talk
• 2.30pm: Shark Feed (Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays only)
• 3.30pm: Coral Talk & feed
• 4pm: Shark Talk
• 4.30pm: Terrapin Talk & Feed (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday only)

Talks and feeds may be canceled so check when arriving. Announcements are made on a loud speaker a few minutes before the start time.

The London Aquarium is located on the South Bank, within County Hall. It is next to the London Eye, and across the river from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament.

Address:
The London Aquarium
County Hall
Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7PB

Nearest Tube Stations: Waterloo / Westminster

Use Journey Planner to plan your route by public transport.

Telephone: 020 7967 8000

Official Website: www.sealifelondon.co.uk

Tickets:
Check current prices online. Best prices are offering for booking online at least one day in advance. Note: Under children under 3 year go free.

Combined tickets are available with the London Dungeon, the London Eye or Madame Tussauds.

Money Saving Tip:
You can save up to 20% on ticket prices by booking online with lastminute.com.

Opening Times:
The London Aquarium is open 7 days a week (except Christmas Day).
Monday to Friday: 10am - 6pm (last admission 5pm)
Saturday and Sunday: 10am - 7pm (last admission 6pm)

Visit Duration: 2 hours.

Access:
Full disabled access with lifts to all levels. There are also disabled toilets on each floor.

Buggy Friendly:
Buggies and pushchairs can be used throughout and there is lift access to each level. Note: There is no buggy park.

No Eating and Drinking:
The London Aquarium has a strict no eating and drinking policy, but there are plenty of cafes and restaurants nearby.

Photography:
You can take photos for personal use but no tripods or flash.