AD| We were thrilled when we were invited to visit Deep Sea World, I have always felt a connection to water and find marine life fascinating. I just knew that the boys would love to see the wonderful array of aquatic life here.
At Deep Sea World they use 6.5cm acrylic panels to withhold the weight of the water, this is the same stuff they use in NASA for space shuttles! AMAZING! The curve in the glass makes everything look 30% smaller than it actually is.... How freaking big are those sharks! Shark dives are available for those who dare to try it. Creature Encounters available throughout the day. Lots of Talks and Feeds daily with different creatures All Access pass giving you a behind the scenes view. Unfortunately we were not told about this and only spotted this on the way out. Deep Sea World is Scotland's National Aquarium
How our Day went
We arrived at the more than ample car park, with lots of signs and a few photo opportunities for the boys. Once we arrived at the reception desk which is right in front of you when you enter, we were greeted by two members of staff who were very helpful and friendly.
I instantly liked how bright and colourful it was, I think this keeps kids interested longer.
At the start there are lots of smaller tanks to explore, I was drawn to the tank with the starfish who were clinging to the side of the tank. Elliot loved it because he could get up close to them and have a good look. There is also an open top tank with some fish, crabs and some pretty plants.
Plenty of displays with great in depth descriptions which is always a plus because the boys love to learn and having displays means you can take your time to get around.
Elliot was thrilled to see all of the Amphibians, being a frog and toad mad 7 year old this was his best section! On this floor they also housed a snapping turtle which then led into an in depth conversation about them ( I told you the boys love to learn!)
They also had some large Red Bellied Piranhas, I just love these fish! Dangerous, but they just look so cute! Usually found in South America, we got the chance to have a really good look as one of them just sat there looking at us, probably planning to strip us of our flesh.
We the went outside to see the Seals being fed which was great, they were doing a few tricks whist another member of staff told everyone some great facts about them.
After the seals we found ourselves wandering down what seemed a never ending corridor, but what was at the end was totally worth it.
We were met by the largest temperate marine exhibit in the UK, holding a staggering 1 million gallons of water, the Tunnel is 112 metres long. You can either just walk through it or you can use the longest conveyor belt in Europe to go around slowly ( you can get off anytime) We actually went round 5 times and spotted different creatures every time, including the most amazing Sand Sharks which looked huge! They swam right over our heads giving us a close up look of their teeth ( YUCK ) Lots of other wonderful fish to spot too.
Sections in the aquarium included
Krakatoa
Lake Malawi
Amphibians
Rocky Shores
Amazon
Seal
Underwater Safari
Need To Know
Expect to see
Tiger Sharks, Eagle Ray, Sea Bass, Thornback Ray and lots lots more Located just under the Northern end of the Forth Bridge Close to Edinburgh
Plenty of clean toilets including a baby changing unit and disabled toilets
Gift shop has a good selection and the prices are ok.
Café is on site although you can't take your own food into eat, Pizza for two was £15 with kids meals from £5
Tickets cost :
£16.50 (13+)
Junior (age 3-12 years, under 3s go free) £11.75,
Concession (OAPs, students* )£14.50
Family of 4 £54.50 To find out more please visit Deep Sea World
