SEA LIFE Brighton Summer 2017 Review
Reviewed by Sarah Bryan
Located right on the coast of the seaside town of Brighton; opposite the West Pier, you can’t miss the SEA LIFE Centre with its extremely tall entrance gates with steps leading down to the underground aquarium. There is also another entrance running through a tunnel under the road from the seafront which is the route we took with the buggy. This entrance could really do with improving. It’s not very welcoming and absolutely reeked of urine. It feels like your using the lower-class entrance to be honest.
The aquarium was built in 1872 and designed by Eugenius Birch who also engineered the West Pier. It is all underground in low light in varying colours and with its high arched ceilings and beautiful Victorian architecture; it’s pretty magnificent with an eerie feel.
Upon entering the foyer area, you are welcomed by smiling helpful staff who offer you additions to purchase alongside your tickets such as the behind the scenes tour, the glass bottom boat, guide book and an activity pack on a lanyard. We chose the guide book at £3.50 as it came with a voucher for a free hot drink or slushie (we later found when queuing for our free slushie that one voucher from the guide was already missing – the member of staff waved this off as how it was meant to be, and a voucher for 20% off Annual Membership at SEA LIFE Brighton expired on 31.03.17 so we actually were sold a guide with out of date offers).
We were then steered through to a small area where we had photos taken that could be viewed and purchased at the end. There was a convenient area to park your buggy outside the toilets but there was plenty of room to take your buggy round if required.
As we entered the Victorian arcade, my 3 year old found it scary. Perhaps it was the backlit tanks, the shadowy walls, the smell of a fish tank on a huge scale or the feel of silence from being underground or it could have been the enormous fish that swam in sinister silence emerging from the murky waters just centimetres from your eyes. But its child friendly, it has a ledge running the length of both sides that allows smaller people to step up and get close and you could see most children loved it, there were shouts of joy as people touched the starfish in the supervised area of the rock pools or excited children queuing to get their Octonauts booklets stamped at the designated areas after completing a task. The seating areas at various points along the middle corridor as well as colouring tables acted as light relief and rest stops in what was quite a busy tourist attraction. It was also hot in there, quite airless.
I was impressed by the conservation that the SEA LIFE Brighton are committed to and which they proudly advertise. I was also impressed by the enthusiastic staff and the sales skills of those based in the photo kiosk.
The best bit was without a doubt the Ocean Tunnel – everyone who entered was in awe of the beauty and serenity of feeling within the water and surrounded by such amazing sea creatures. I could have stayed in there for hours just watching the large rays or sharks swim above your head. There was a smaller one in the Secrets of the Reef area which was a delight for the little ones with hundreds of Nemos (Clown Fish) and I also saw a severely disabled boy in a wheelchair pushed into the small tunnel and light up at what was around him.
My 10 month old daughter was fascinated by the SEA LIFE centre, the light and the movement and the colour. My 3 year old daughter loved all aside from the Victorian Arcade as it was “too scary”
We spent around an hour and a half at the SEA LIFE Centre and that was enough to see everything. It’s well worth going to visit and kids and adults of all ages will enjoy different sections. I recommend having a pit stop during your visit and checking your guide while you sit sipping a latte as you might miss something but what’s the harm in going round again?
It’s a 3.5 stars day out for me.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tickets cost £19.50 (walk up price), save money by booking online in advance.
For more information or to book tickets visit www.visitsealife.com/brighton.
SEA LIFE Brighton, Marine Parade, Brighton, East Sussex, BN2 1TB
