Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World facts for kids

Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World is an amazing aquarium located in Auckland, New Zealand. It's built completely underground, inside old, unused water storage tanks that were empty since 1961. This special place first opened its doors on January 25 1985.

Discover Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

Kelly Tarlton's is a famous aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand. It's known for its unique design and incredible marine life. The aquarium is built inside large, underground concrete tanks. These tanks were once used for holding water but were no longer needed.

Who Was Kelly Tarlton?

The aquarium is named after its creator, Kelly Tarlton. He was a very passionate diver, treasure hunter, and undersea explorer. Kelly Tarlton dreamed up the idea for the Underwater World and worked hard to make it a reality. He wanted people to experience the ocean's wonders up close.

Building a Dream

Building this incredible underwater world took a lot of effort and time. The construction lasted for 10 months and cost about $3 million. Sadly, Kelly Tarlton passed away on March 17, 1985, just seven weeks after his amazing Underwater World opened.

Exploring the Underwater World

One of the most exciting parts of Kelly Tarlton's is its long underwater tunnel. This tunnel is 114 metres long and shaped like a figure-of-eight. You can walk through it and see incredible marine animals all around you. The tunnel walls are made of thick plexiglass, about 7 centimetres thick, which lets you see everything clearly.

Amazing Marine Animals

Inside the large tanks, you can see many different kinds of sea creatures. There are big sharks, graceful stingrays, and about 1500 other fish. These fish belong to forty different species, making the underwater world a vibrant and exciting place to explore. It's like taking a walk on the ocean floor without getting wet!