Blue Reef Aquarium facts for kids
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| Location | In England with locations in Portsmouth, Newquay, Tynemouth, Hastings, and Bristol |
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Blue Reef is a national chain of public aquariums in England.
Blue Reef Portsmouth
- 50°46′48″N 1°05′34″W / 50.7801159°N 1.0928095°W
Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth is an aquarium situated on Clarence Esplanade, Southsea, Portsmouth, England. Over 40 living displays are home to various species from tropical sharks and lobsters or seahorses and tropical fish.
At the Aquarium’s heart is a large ocean tank where an underwater walkthrough tunnel offers close encounters with reef fish.
In 2007 the aquarium opened the Blue Reef Beach Club. The Blue Reef Beach Club is a new outdoor activity area incorporating a wet play zone for children complete with fountains and giant showers.
Blue Reef Aquarium in Tynemouth
- 55°01′40″N 1°25′49″W / 55.0276839°N 1.430407°W
Blue Reef Aquarium in Tynemouth is an aquarium located in Tynemouth, England. It is home to over 40 living displays, from tropical sharks and lobsters to seahorses and tropical fish.
At the Aquarium’s heart is a large ocean tank where an underwater walkthrough tunnel offers close encounters with the tropical coral reef fish.
Other displays are home to poison dart frogs, nautilus, toxic toads, turtles, terrapins, and otters.
In Easter 2007 the aquarium opened "Seal Cove". The naturally-themed 500,000-litre pool includes rocky haul out areas and underwater caves along with other environmental enrichment features to ensure the seals are kept in near natural conditions. Large viewing panels and a ramped walkway provide visitors with a unique opportunity to admire their agility from both above and below the waterline.
In July 2019, the aquarium rebranded itself Tynemouth Aquarium.
Newquay
- 50°24′52″N 5°05′05″W / 50.4145775°N 5.084841°W
Blue Reef Aquarium Newquay is an aquarium in Newquay, England. It is home to over 40 living displays from tropical sharks and lobsters to seahorses and tropical fish.
At the Aquarium’s heart is a large ocean tank where an underwater walkthrough tunnel offers close encounters with the tropical coral reef fish.
Other displays are home to giant Pacific octopus, triggerfish, nautilus, cuttlefish, turtles and terrapins.
in 2008 the aquarium opened "Tropical Shark Lagoon"
Themed as a mangrove lagoon new display is home to a variety of tropical shark and ray species.
Close-up views from both above and below the waterline of stingrays, zebra sharks and blue spotted rays as well as exotic fish.
The display is also home to a variety of juvenile species which use the mangrove as a nursery before moving on to the open ocean.
In 2009, a four-foot polychaete worm, nicknamed Barry was eventually captured after months of trap laying. The monster had been ravaging the coral reefs in one tank of the aquarium, in some cases ripping them in half, and injured one of their Tang fish. Contact with the venomous bristles at the mouth of the worm can cause permanent numbness, and it has now been moved into its own tank.
Hastings
- 50°51′22″N 0°35′46″E / 50.8559909°N 0.5961998°E
Blue Reef Aquarium Hastings is an aquarium in Hastings, England which opened on 21 March 2008. It was the fourth aquarium opened by Blue Reef.
Following a £1.5m re-development programme over the winter the aquarium has been transformed into a state-of-the-art visitor attraction.
From the hidden world of UK waters, Blue Reef transports visitors to the spectacular ‘underwater gardens’ of the Mediterranean and the stunning beauty of tropical waters home to seahorses, puffer fish, living corals and tropical sharks.
The centrepiece of the aquarium is the coral reef housed within a large ocean display with its underwater walkthrough tunnel.
When Blue Reef acquired the aquarium, then named Underwater World, they also bought another local attraction in Smugglers Adventure based in St. Clement's Caves.
Bristol
- 51°27′03″N 2°35′57″W / 51.4507488°N 2.5990722°W
Bristol Aquarium is an aquarium in Bristol, England. In April 2008 Blue Reef signed a lease for the Wildwalk and IMAX buildings on the At-Bristol site, and opened the aquarium in November 2009. The aquarium then became Bristol Aquarium, leaving the Blue Reef brand, but still being operated by Aspro UK.
The aquarium is home to over 40 living displays from tropical sharks and lobsters to seahorses and tropical fish.
At the Aquarium’s heart is a large ocean tank where an underwater walkthrough tunnel offers close encounters with the tropical coral reef fish.
Other displays are home to octopus, puffer fish, electric eel, tropical sharks, terrapins and giant Amazon river fish. It is the only aquarium in the UK to feature a giant botanical house home to hundreds of species of plants and flowers from around the world.
