Wikipedia / Sea Life
Wikipedia / Sea Life
Sea Life is a chain of commercial sea life-themed aquarium attractions. there are 53 Sea Life attractions (including standalone Sea Life centres, mini Sea Life features within resort theme parks, and Legoland submarine rides) around the world. The chain is owned by the British company Merlin Entertainments.
History
Some of the aquariums now called Sea Life predate this rebrand and existed under different designations prior to their consolidation. The original named attraction was Sea Life Centre in Oban, Scotland, which opened in 1979. By 1992, nine other Sea Life units were opened.
Locations
North America
United States
Sea Life Legoland California
Sea Life Caverns at Marine Life
Sea Life New Jersey
Sea Life San Antonio
Europe
United Kingdom
Alton Towers Resort, Staffordshire, England – Sharkbait Reef by Sea Life
Chessington World of Adventures, England – Chessington Sea Life Centre
Cornish Seal Sanctuary, Gweek, England
Legoland Windsor Resort, England – Atlantis Submarine Voyage
National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham, England
Sea Life Blackpool, Blackpool, England
Sea Life Brighton, Brighton, England
Sea Life Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth, England
Sea Life Hunstanton, Hunstanton, England
Sea Life Loch Lomond, Loch Lomond, Scotland
Sea Life London Aquarium, London, England
Sea Life Manchester, Manchester, England
Sea Life Scarborough, Scarborough, England
Sea Life Weymouth, Weymouth, England
Germany
Sea Life Hanover, Hanover
Sea Life Konstanz, Konstanz
Sea Life Munich, Munich
Sea Life Oberhausen, Oberhausen, This is the largest Sea Life Centre in Germany. This was the home of Paul, the octopus who correctly predicted the German national football team's results at the world cup of 2010, until his death in October 2010.
Sea Life Speyer, Speyer
Sea Life Timmendorfer Strand, Timmendorfer Strand
Others
Sea Life Benalmádena, Benalmádena, Spain
Sea Life Blankenberge, Blankenberge, Belgium
Sea Life Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands
Asia
In November 2015, Merlin Entertainments announced that over the next 10 years it would invest £50 million in India, some of which will be used to open Sea Life centres. In January 2017, Merlin Entertainments Indian subsidiary stated that it was in discussion with real estate firms to open Sea Life centres in multiple cities in India.
Sea Life Sichuan, China (expected opening in 2024, as of 2021)
Oceania
Sea Life Sunshine Coast, Australia
Sea Life Sydney, Australia
Former sites
Rhyl, Wales – Sea Life Rhyl – sold to SeaQuarium chain, permanently closed in November 2023
Hastings, England – Sea Life Hastings – sold and now belongs to the Blue Reef Aquarium chain
Jesolo Sea Life
Tynemouth, England – Tynemouth Sea Life centre – opened in 1994. In 1999 it was sold to Aspro Parks (Aspro Ocio Group) and now belongs to the Blue Reef Aquarium chain
Oban, Scotland – Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary – closed in October 2018
St Andrews, Scotland – sold and now operates as the St Andrews Aquarium
Königswinter, Germany – closed in December 2022
Weston-super-Mare, United Kingdom – sold to SeaQuarium Ltd which operated it until its closure in 2019
Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland – closed in December 2023
Manly, Australia - Manly Sea Life Sanctuary – Closed in January 2018
Sea Life Istanbul, Turkey – Closed on 1 January 2025
Controversies
Sea Life centres have been criticised over animal welfare, with the Marine Conservation Society calling a 30% per annum mortality rate "disturbing." The charity Freedom for Animals has criticised Sea Life over their conservation claims and also for the presence of beluga whales at attractions.
References
External links