We visited The London Aquarium recently with our four year old son. It doesn’t look very big from the outside, but it is very deceptive as most of the attraction is actually underground and we found that there was plenty to see.
We are used to visiting the aquariums in the Sea Life chain as we have Merlin Passes which we make very good use of. The Sea Life Centres can all feel rather similar inside, with the same large open tank of stingrays and a tunnel passing through a larger tank full of fish. The London Aquarium does make a special effort though to focus on the river and sea life which is found locally, both in the London area and beyond. For example, there was some interesting information about pollution in the Thames, and the different types of fish that have returned since an effort was made to clean up the water.
The newest exhibition at the aquarium is a penguin attraction, in a themed Antartic area. The theming was done really well, with plenty of white ‘icicles’ and a real ice wall running along one side. Although it was busy there was plenty of space to have a good look at the penguins and lots of interesting information about them.
My son also enjoyed watching the jellyfish, although he remains convinced that the jellyfish change colour themselves rather than the lighting around them. We found that the aquarium was well designed for young children with everything conveniently placed at his height so we didn’t need to keep lifting him up. There was plenty to look at and were pleasantly surprised at how long the Aquarium entertained us for.
The Aquarium isn’t a cheap attraction, so if you are planning a visit it is worth investigating the combined tickets that are available with other nearby attractions, for example the London Eye and the London Dungeons.
For more information, you can visit their website.
Another brilliant find from Jennifer. Thanks to her for helping with our London-themed month. Please go and check out her blog at Jennifer’s Little World.
What’s the entry fee for this aquarium?
No idea, sorry. Please check the website of London Aquarium for the latest information. 🙂