National Sea Life Centre (Birmingham)

The National Sea Life Centre (grid reference SP059867) is an aquarium with over 60 displays of freshwater and marine life in Brindleyplace, Birmingham, England. Its ocean tank has a capacity of 1,000,000 litres (220,000 imp gal) of water and houses giant green sea turtles, blacktip reef sharks and tropical reef fish, with the only fully transparent 360-degree underwater tunnel in the United Kingdom. The building was designed by Sir Norman Foster.[1]

Location

It is located alongside the Birmingham Canal Navigations Main Line Canal by Old Turn Junction and opposite Arena Birmingham. It opened on 5 July 1996 and in 2016 celebrated its 20th anniversary.

In the Victorian era, the site was the location of two canal basins in Oozells Street Wharf.[2]

Exhibits

The gentoo penguin colony

Housing over 2,000 creatures from around the world, the centre describes itself as a place that 'transports visitors into an underwater world of discovery'. 'Breed, Rescue and Protect' conservation projects are undertaken by aquarium staff,[3] including an extensive seahorse breeding programme, with many species of newly reared seahorses in tanks viewable by visitors.

In other displays, it has a giant Pacific octopus, as well as horseshoe crabs, green sea turtles, lobsters, sharks, sting rays, and otters.

In 2009, the Centre announced as its newest attraction, a "Sensorama 4-D Cinema". In addition to 3-D viewing, the audience can be subjected to sensations such as wind, salt spray, and the smell the seaweed, or other sensations depending on the (sea-themed) film.

In 2014 the centre opened a £2,000,000 'Penguin Ice Adventure' habitat that became home to a colony of gentoo penguins.[4]

In the press

Newly-birthed zebra shark hatches

The centre is a popular destination for documentaries, including for an appearance on the BBC's 'Penguins on a plane: Great animal moves'[5]

Other media stories include:

  • Penguins delight at Christmas crackers in 2015[6]
  • Psychic Penguins predict the FA Cup Final in 2015[7]
  • Psychic penguins predict the general election in 2015[8]
  • Sir David Attenborough visits the attraction in 2010[9]
  • A baby Zebra Shark hatches on the BBC's Documentary called: Shark which aired in 2015.[10]

Accolades and awards

The National Sea Life Centre Birmingham is one of the West Midlands' most popular tourist attractions and welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. It was voted Aquarium of the Year and Warwickshire Family Attraction of the Year (despite not being in the current administrative county of Warwickshire) by the Good Britain Guide 2004.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Matthew Carmona (2001). The Value of Urban Design: A Research Project Commissioned by CABE and DETR to Examine the Value Added by Good Urban Design. Thomas Telford. ISBN 0-7277-2981-0.
  2. ↑ "Map of Birmingham and its Environs (Southampton, 1884-1891)". British History Online.
  3. ↑ "*Official* SEA LIFE Birmingham - Protect our Seas". www.visitsealife.com. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  4. ↑ Young, Gary. "Penguin Ice Adventure set to be Sea Life Centre's new hot attraction". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Penguins on a Plane: Great Animal Moves - BBC Two". BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  6. ↑ "Penguins delighted with their gift of Christmas crackers". Telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Psychic penguins have made their pick for Arsenal vs Aston Villa in". The Independent. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  8. ↑ "General election results predicted by Birmingham penguins". ITV News. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Sir David Attenborough and the spider crab". www.discoverwildlife.com. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Shark - BBC One". BBC. Retrieved 10 January 2016.
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