National SEA LIFE Centre Birmingham Review
Reviewed by Catherine Brown
We recently visited the National SEA LIFE Centre in Birmingham with our 11-year-old fish-mad son during the first weekend of his summer holidays. The staff were very welcoming and began by telling us about the layout of the centre and a programme of the daily activities. There are frequent talks by the staff about some of the creatures on show, plus clear signs directing you around the different areas. For younger children you can use a ‘Dive log book’ to record the experiences as they go around using embossed stamps found at each ‘Dive station’.
The journey around begins with a view of the penguins both above and below water. The inquisitive creatures were very playful, allowing lots of lovely photo opportunities. As we toured the centre, we discovered that each tank or display area gave information, not only on the species inside, but also what the company do to help protect them. The images next to the explanations allowed us to play a little ‘I spy’ game as well.
We enjoyed listening to a talk about starfish; the staff member was very informative and children were encouraged to touch the starfish after washing their hands. Zones around the SEA LIFE centre include the mangrove swamp and Amazon river. Popular areas for my son were the harbour seals, seahorses and jellyfish. A fairly recent addition to the centre is the 4D cinema allowing extra excitement to the visit. My favourite part of the centre was the Ocean Tunnel; this provided a fantastic opportunity to watch shark and turtles swimming with many other unusual looking fish.
Just before leaving the centre we were given the chance to buy souvenir photos which had been taken on special backdrops as we walked around. They could be purchased as traditional photographs or on other items such as keyrings. There was also a small soft play area and a shop selling pocket money items such as stationary or more expensive products such as cuddly toys, homeware and clothing. The staff explained that if we wanted to leave the building we could have our hand stamped to allow re-entry the same day.
We travelled to the city centre location by car and parked in one of the nearby car parks, although there are handy bus stops and a train station within walking distance. The whole site is easily accessible for wheelchair or pushchair users; granting there are flights of stairs, there is an optional lift. The toilets were clean and well maintained and there were baby change facilities available.
Overall, I was impressed with the wide variety of species you can see close up at the SEA LIFE centre and also the detailed information presented alongside the tanks. The layout of the centre means that you zigzag around often seeing tanks from multiple directions. There are limited opportunities to buy food and drink (vending machines only) but there are a wide variety of restaurants in the vicinity of the SEA LIFE Centre. I would rate the visit 5/5 and look forward to exploring other SEA LIFE centres around the country.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £15 (24 hours in advance, booked online).
For more information or to book tickets visit www.visitsealife.com/birmingham.
National SEA LIFE Centre, The Waters Edge, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HL
