SEA LIFE Blackpool Jurassic Seas Review
SEA LIFE Jurassic Seas
Blackpool
www.visitsealife.com/blackpool
Reviewed by Dotty Winters
SEA LIFE Blackpool has become a modern-day shore-side institution – with its distinctively branded building making it easy to spot. Whilst it doesn’t have its own car park, nearby pay and display car parks are plentiful (there are two immediately behind the building) and it is close to other Blackpool attractions. Whilst parts of Blackpool have a reputation for looking a little shabby, this venue is clean and well maintained. Staff throughout the attraction were friendly and informative and were great at speaking to kids, judging well how simple to make things without making the old kids feel they were being baby-ed.
SEA LIFE Blackpool have opened a brand-new exhibit this half-term celebrating the wonder of the Jurassic Seas. The exhibit contains a number of custom-built tanks and some high-tech computer whizzery and creates an additional room at the popular sea-front attraction. A must for pre-history loving kids, Jurassic Seas show cases some of the unusual species who have been around since the days of the dinosaurs. The kids loved the alien-looking, backward swimming nautilus, and knowledgeable staff were on-hand to answer even the most off-the-wall wildlife questions (“Do anemones need to comb their hair?”). The lively horse-shoe crabs are housed in a tank which allows kids to climb underneath and observe the activity from a small bubble enclosure at the centre. The crabs are due to be joined by some mudskippers shorty, creating a tank which brings together two of the weirder (and most entertaining) creatures on display at the centre.
The new exhibit includes some immersive video games where children control Jurassic sea monsters and sharks using joysticks. The 3 year old was able to use the controls for simpler games, and the older kids were making the most of some of the more complex challenges.
The other exhibits in the SEA LIFE centre remain excellent, and the attraction makes very good use of electronic information signs, and child-friendly quizzes and challenges. Don’t miss the rock-pool area where you can handle star fish, anemones and shrimp, or the show-piece walk-through shark tank. If, like me, you are accompanied by a 3 year old, fear not. We found Nemo.
When planning your visit be aware the centre doesn’t have an integrated café, although there are some vending machines and a small soft-play area with some seating as you exit. Your entrance fee covers you for the whole day, so with smaller children you could split the visit up with a break to grab some lunch nearby.
One note of caution: we visited on a particularly cold day, and parts of the building remained pretty chilly throughout our stay; it’s worth ensuring the kids have a few layers on.
As with all similar attractions SEA LIFE isn’t a cheap day out, but with an impressive amount to see and do, all thoughtfully created and well maintained, it feels like good value. We’ll be heading back in a few months to see how the mudskippers are settling.
Rating: 4/5
Tickets cost from £10.50 (if booked online in advance).
For more information or to book tickets visit www.visitsealife.com/blackpool
SEA LIFE Blackpool, Promenade, Blackpool, FY1 5AA
