National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham facts for kids
Entrance to National SEA LIFE Birmingham in 2016
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| Date opened | 5 July 1996 |
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| Location | Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°28′43.83″N 1°54′48.57″W / 52.4788417°N 1.9134917°W |
| No. of animals | 2,000+ |
| Volume of largest tank | 1,000,000 litres (220,000 imp gal; 260,000 US gal) |
| Major exhibits | 360° Ocean Tunnel, Ocean Tunnel, Shark Lagoon, Penguin Adventure |
The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is a super cool aquarium in Birmingham, England. It has over 60 amazing displays of sea creatures! Its biggest tank holds a massive 1 million litres of water. That's like 4,000 bathtubs! In this huge tank, you can see giant green sea turtles, blacktip reef sharks, and colourful tropical fish. It even has the UK's only 360-degree underwater tunnel, so you feel like you're swimming with the fish! A famous architect named Sir Norman Foster designed the building.
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Finding the SEA LIFE Centre
The centre is right next to the Birmingham Canal and across from Arena Birmingham. It first opened its doors on 5 July 1996. Back then, it was the only SEA LIFE Centre in the UK that wasn't on the coast!
Amazing Animal Exhibits
The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is home to over 2,000 creatures from all over the world. It's like stepping into an amazing underwater world! The staff here work hard on "Breed, Rescue and Protect" projects. This means they help animals have babies safely, rescue sick or injured animals, and protect their homes.
- Seahorse Breeding: They have a special programme to breed seahorses. You can see many different types of baby seahorses in their tanks.
- Other Cool Creatures: You can also spot a giant Pacific octopus, horseshoe crabs, green sea turtles, lobsters, different kinds of sharks, sting rays, and playful otters.
Penguin Ice Adventure
In 2014, the centre opened a brand new area called 'Penguin Ice Adventure'. This special habitat cost £2 million to build! It's now home to a colony of cute gentoo penguins.
Northern Sea Otters
In March 2020, two northern sea otters named Ozzy and Ola came to live at the centre. They were rescued in Alaska and are the only sea otters you can see at any zoo or aquarium in the UK!
Sensorama 4-D Cinema
In 2009, the centre added a fun "Sensorama 4-D Cinema." This isn't just 3-D! While you watch a sea-themed movie, you might feel wind, a splash of salt water, or even smell seaweed! It makes the movie experience extra exciting.
Awards and Recognition
The National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham is one of the most popular places to visit in the West Midlands. Hundreds of thousands of people visit every year! It was even named "Aquarium of the Year" and "Warwickshire Family Attraction of the Year" by the Good Britain Guide in 2004.
More to Explore
- Sea Life Centres
- Merlin Entertainments
