Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium facts for kids
Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium logo
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Entrance to Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium on Tamaki Drive
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| Date opened | 1985; 40 years ago |
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| Location | 23 Tamaki Drive, Ōrākei, Auckland 1071, New Zealand |
| Coordinates | 36°50′45″S 174°49′2″E / 36.84583°S 174.81722°E |
| No. of animals | 1500+ |
| No. of species | 50+ |
| Major exhibits | 8 |
Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium is a super cool place in Auckland, New Zealand, where you can explore the underwater world! It first opened in 1985 and was known as Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World.
This amazing public aquarium was the idea of a New Zealand diver and marine archaeologist named Kelly Tarlton. He lived from 1937 to 1985. The aquarium is built inside old, unused sewage storage tanks. It was special because it used a new way to shape acrylic, creating awesome curved tunnels. This meant you could walk through the water, not just look through flat windows! It was also one of the first places to use moving walkways, so visitors could glide slowly through the exhibits.
History of the Aquarium
How it All Started
In 1983, Kelly Tarlton had a brilliant idea. He wanted to build an aquarium in some old, empty sewage tanks under the Auckland waterfront. His plan was to let people see fish through a really long, clear tunnel.
The aquarium was built very quickly, taking only 10 months to finish. It opened its doors in 1985. Kelly Tarlton came up with a clever new way to make the acrylic tunnels. He would take huge sheets of clear acrylic, cut them, and then heat them in an oven. This made them bend into the perfect curved shape for the tunnels. Some of these sheets were super heavy, weighing more than a tonne!
Because of how light bends when it goes through water and the thick acrylic, the fish inside the tanks look about one-third smaller than they really are.
Building the Tunnels
A long tunnel, about 110 meters (360 feet) long, was built inside the old sewage tanks. These tanks had been empty since the 1960s. They are located under the suburb of Ōrākei, right on Tamaki Drive, with a view of the Waitematā Harbour.
Once the tunnels were in place, the tanks were filled with water to check for any leaks. Luckily, there were none! After that, a beautiful underwater scene was created using concrete. It looked like caves and reefs. Then, one section was filled with more than 1,800 different sea creatures. Another section became home to various sharks, like bronze whalers and sevengill sharks, along with stingrays.
New Additions and Changes
In 1994, the aquarium got even bigger. They added a cool replica of the hut used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott. He was an explorer who went on a difficult trip to Antarctica. They also created a special, cold exhibit for a colony of Antarctic penguins.
In December 2004, a new area called Stingray Bay opened. It had a huge open-topped tank that held about 350,000 liters (92,000 gallons) of water. This tank was 2.6 meters (8.5 feet) deep and made of clear acrylic for great views.
New Owners and Rebranding
In 2008, a company called Village Roadshow Theme Parks bought the aquarium. They paid about NZD $13 million. This company also owns other famous aquariums, like Sydney Aquarium in Australia.
In December 2010, Kelly Tarlton's welcomed five new Sand tiger sharks from the United States.
Then, in 2011, Village Roadshow sold Kelly Tarlton's to the Merlin Entertainments group. Merlin Entertainments owns many attractions around the world.
In March 2012, Merlin Entertainments announced a big upgrade. They spent $5.5 million to add new exhibits and make the aquarium more interactive. It reopened in September 2012. As part of this upgrade, the aquarium changed its name to Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium. This made it part of Merlin Entertainments' worldwide Sea Life Centres brand.
Exploring the Aquarium: Exhibits and Fun
The aquarium has many exciting areas to explore. The main attractions are the Antarctic Encounter and the Underwater World. There are also other cool exhibits and special rooms for learning.
Antarctic Ice Adventure and Scott Base
This exhibit used to be called Antarctic Encounter. It opened in 1994 and is often the first thing visitors see. You can watch the aquarium's penguins through glass. They live in a habitat that is kept super cold, just like Antarctica!
After seeing the penguins, you walk through a recreated hut. This hut looks just like the one Captain Robert Falcon Scott used during his trip to the South Pole in 1912. The aquarium is home to both king penguins and gentoo penguins. There used to be a snowcat ride here, but in 2012, it changed to a walking path.
NIWA Southern Oceans Discovery
This room used to be called the NIWA Interactive Room. It's next to Turtle Bay. Its goal is to teach kids about the ocean and Antarctica in a fun and engaging way.
Turtle Bay
This area was once known as Stingray Bay. It has a large open-topped acrylic tank that holds about 350,000 liters (92,000 gallons) of water. This tank is now home to rescue turtles that Kelly Tarlton's is helping to get better. There's also a refreshment kiosk here where you can grab a snack.
Pacific Shark Zone and Shipwreck Explorer
This is the original part of the aquarium, once called Underwater World. You walk through a 110-meter (360-foot) acrylic tunnel. This tunnel takes you through two huge tanks that can hold up to 2,000 animals!
The first tank is called the predator tank. It's filled mostly with different kinds of sharks and holds about 3,800,000 liters (1,000,000 gallons) of water. The second tank has lots of schooling fish, like blue mao mao.
Fish Gallery and Seahorse Kingdom
This area used to be called Sea Creatures. It has smaller aquariums, usually with just one type of animal in each. Here, you can see two tropical marine tanks, red bellied piranha, an octopus, beautiful sea horses, moray eels, and crayfish. There's also a special tank for poisonous and venomous fish, like stonefish and pufferfish. The gift shop and exit are right next to this area.
Images for kids
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A view inside the amazing tunnel at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium.
See also
In Spanish: Acuario de vida marina de Kelly Tarlton para niños
