Description: Blackpool is one of those places that is fantastic for kids and adults alike but it is so expensive as everything there seems to cost money to do. The SeaLife centre is a great place to visit but I do think it is expensive especially if you have a large family that you have to pay for. Even with just myself and the kids I thought it was a bit steep.
The centre has a fantastic selection of creatures to see and should fascinate both kids and adults alike with the range of unusual creatures to see.
There were several there that I had never even heard of and I loved seeing them up close as although some were the types of creatures I might be petrified if I ever saw them up close in the wild behind the glass they were quite beautiful to see.
One thing that I did like and was thankful for was the fact that all the tanks in the centre looked large enough to house the respective creatures and they were clean and the creatures were all swimming about quite happily. In fact the SeaLife centre is not only an attraction for visitors but it also works to rescue, breed and protect endangered sea creatures.
The centre is laid out in an attractive manner with all the tanks being labelled quite clearly with what they were holding. The tanks were lit up so that you could easily see what was in them. This did make the centre quite dark but this added to the whole overall experience in my opinion.
The highlight of the day for both myself and the children was the shark tunnel where you could get an amazing view of these magnificent creatures swimming about above you. This really was spectacular and even the living area where the sharks lived was pretty special with a recreated underwater ship wreck which the sharks could swim through. We are really enjoyed this part and agreed it was the best part of centre.
Although the sharks were absolutely amazing there were also loads of other wonderful things to see and do. The Japanese Spider Crab was pretty scary though absolutely fascinating due to its size. I was a little bit creeped out seeing him but my son was absolutely fascinated with him and insisted on standing watching him for ages and taking loads of photos. I was the same with the large lobster couldn’t believe how big he was in comparison to the other lobsters that I have seen before.
The Octopus was another creature which I found myself being a little intimidated by even though the kids both loved him.
Luckily for me there were loads of other more colourful and ‘pretty’ fish for me to admire. For instance the Clownfish were gorgeous to see.
I also particularly enjoyed seeing the turtles and the seahorses while the kids really liked the Interactive Rockpool. The Interactive Rockpool is a pool where you can actually put your hands in and feel about and hold creatures such as crabs and starfish. I obviously avoided putting my hands in but my son did love holding a real life crab since it was the closest he has ever come to one in real life.
There is an onsite gift shop here selling souvenirs as well as pictures of your time at the SeaLife centre but it is expensive and most of the things for sale can be bought elsewhere for less. I was stung into buying a soft toy for an eye watering price so try and steer children quickly through this area to save yourself a small fortune.
I loved the SeaLife Centre and thought it was a wonderful day out. There was loads to see and the information about the creatures was interesting without becoming boring. The only problem with it is that it is expensive. For a treat I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend going as it really is enjoyable but be prepared to pay for the pleasure of visiting. For adults it is £15 and for children it is £12. Like with most things in Blackpool you can get it cheaper if you can find a voucher at your hotel or else booking online or in combination with another attraction.
The centre is open every day except Christmas day from 10am until 5pm. There are daily feeding times but you need to check the website to see what time these are at.
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