Sea Life London Aquarium

Located on the ground floor of County Hall on the Southern bank of the River Thames in central London near the London Eye, the Sea Life Aquarium is the largest of its kind in Europe. It opened in March 1997 as the London Aquarium and hosts about one million visitors each year. It is the largest aquarium in London and in the United Kingdom.

It features 45 exhibits showcasing 30,000 specimens including over 350 species of fish, invertebrates and marine life, from different zones around the world.

The aquarium is also designed to conduct educational programs; for instance, it contains two classrooms themed around the Zoo’s cardinal conservation scheme. Every year, more than 40.000 school children benefit from the Zoo’s conservation educational program. Alongside pupils, members of the public can also make use of its educational program activities, especially when not in use by schools.

In May 2001, 10 gentoo penguins from the Edinburgh Zoo were introduced into the Zoo, pioneering a penguin exhibition in the aquatic setup.

The aquarium is also well known for its breeding program, including the Cuban crocodile, seahorses, butterfly goodeids and jellyfish. More so, the Zoo works in collaboration with numerous other conservation organisations; including Whales and Dolphin Conservation Society, Save Our Seas, Shark Trust, Rainforest Concern, Earth Sea Sky and South Pacific Projects.

In the aquarium is displayed an extensive variety of fish and sea life from all over the world, including stingrays, sharks, piranhas and sea scorpions. Visitors to the park are privileged to engage in a Shark Walk experience, during which they walk over a floating glass platform, with sharks swimming just below their feet.

Californian cownose rays which swim in synchronised formation are another recent feature, as is a tunnel constructed from a 25-metre-long whale skeleton, beneath which visitors can view a tropical ocean of fish, coral and green turtles. New for Easter 2013 is the Ocean of Stars display, showcasing six different species of starfish, with a central pop-up display, enabling visitors to get a close-up view in the tentacle tunnel. The Rainforests of the World area, complete with exotic vegetation, a tropical waterfall, is home to a pair of six-foot dwarf crocodiles.