It was early spring and with the unpredictable British weather, we decided that a trip to SEA LIFE Scarborough would be a great choice for a family day out thanks to its combination of indoor and outdoor attractions and exhibits which would appeal to everyone in our party.
SEA LIFE Scarborough
There are loads of great family-friendly attractions in and around Scarborough, on this occasion, we wanted to visit an attraction that catered for all the family and wouldn’t be spoilt by the unpredictable British weather.
SEA LIFE Scarborough Tickets
You can save on entry to Merlin Entertainment’s attractions by using 2-4-1 vouchers from Kellogg’s cereal boxes or Tesco Clubcard points, we also occasionally feature half-price family passes for SEA LIFE Scarborough on our offers page.
Friendly Staff
We had pre-booked our tickets and despite it being a Bank Holiday and the attraction being quite busy, entry was seamless. I had forgotten to print copies of our tickets but the receptionist was able to look us up on their system and confirm our booking. He took the time to interact with the children and get an understanding of what Marine life they were keen to see and with this in mind he notified us that a penguin talk and feed was about to commence and showed us a quick route to access the penguins so we didn’t miss the presentation. He also suggested that we take a photograph of a screen which listed all of the talks and feed times so we could refer back to this during our visit.
Sharks That Can Walk on Land!
During our visit, we had the good fortune that a lot of the tanks we were viewing had staff on hand feeding the fish and answering any questions we had. This also meant that we got the opportunity to see some of the creatures that are normally concealed under rocks or inside giant urns. One of the highlights was seeing the epaulette sharks which were much larger than we had anticipated, when they came out from within their urns to collect the food which one of the animal care team had dropped into the tank for them.
The animal carer took the time to provide us with some epaulette shark facts and also answer our questions. It was amazing to learn how these sharks have adapted to walk on land!
Epaulette Sharks
The environments that epaulette sharks inhabit are complex, shallow, obstacle-filled coral reef systems. In order to successfully navigate the cracks and crevices of this habitat while pursuing their prey (crustaceans, worms, and small fish), epaulette sharks evolved the ability to walk along the seafloor using an undulating, crawling motion.
Jellyfish
SEA LIFE Scarborough has a fantastic jellyfish display with tanks lit using different colours meaning that these amazing creatures really stand out and presenting some great photo opportunities.
Standout Animals
The boys loved seeing the penguins and seals. It was great that guests are provided with the opportunity to view these animals both above and under the water. the penguins would playfully swim up to the glass when viewing them underwater and the seals appeared to be having a great time showing off their swimming skills too.
Touch Pool
The kids loved getting hands-on with the creatures in the rockpools. They ran their fingers along the sea anemones and held a mermaid’s purse, which are used to protect stingray eggs and shark eggs.
Rainforest Adventure
We spent quite a bit of time watching the ants in the Rainforest Adventure section of the attraction. Here, they had a giant ant hill from which the ants could head through a series of clear pipes to a tree where they would cut off sections of the leaves and carry them back to the ant hill. It was amazing to see these small creatures carry leaves up to 50 times their body weight.
Ocean Tunnel
Like all SEA LIFE Centres across the UK, your journey ends with a walk through the awesome Ocean Tunnel.
SEA LIFE Café
On the upper floor of the attraction is a café serving paninis and rollover hot dogs. We all opted for hot dogs and considering they have a captive audience the prices weren’t overly expensive with the hot dogs being a nice large size.
Pirate Adventure Mini Golf
If you visit SEA LIFE Scarborough on a dry day, there is a nice Pirate Adventure Mini Golf course which you can add to your booking when purchasing your tickets. you can also pay on the day if you choose and it is a fun way to spend some time together.
VIP Experiences at SEA LIFE Scarborough
SEA LIFE Scarborough now offers a wide range of VIP experiences, you can find out full details of what’s on offer on the SEA LIFE Scarborough Official Website. These VIP experiences are not limited to Scarborough and vary by location, pay a visit to our SEA LIFE VIP Experiences webpage for a full rundown of what’s on offer.
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SEA LIFE Scarborough Summary
A fun-filled half-day out for all the family, combining learning with entertainment and conservation. Perfect for a visit regardless of the weather. The exhibits are hands-on, so the kids can have fun interacting whilst learning about our diverse marine life. There is a wide range of animals on show with the added benefit of talks and feeding sessions from the animal care team.
Great Family Entertainment
SEA LIFE Scarborough is one of many SEA LIFE centres located across the UK, they are all focused on the conservation of marine life and feature a similar layout but each has its own unique attributes.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will definitely be visiting again on future trips to Scarborough.
We visited SEA LIFE Scarborough on Monday 6th May 2024.
More Reviews
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Travelling to SEA LIFE Scarborough
SEA LIFE Scarborough is located on the outskirts of Scarborough at Scalby Mills. Visitors can choose a number of methods to get to the attraction. A pay and display carpark is located adjacent to the attraction but alternatively, you can walk along the promenade from Scarborough’s North Bay. If you prefer not to walk then you can also take a ride on the miniature railway from Peasholm Park where a number of other family-friendly attractions are also located.
Travelling by Train
You can access SEA LIFE Scarborough easily by catching a train to Scarborough Train Station. Once at the train station, you can either jump in a station taxi or catch the 3A bus from directly outside the station which will bring you to the centre.
Travelling by Coach
If you would like to travel by coach we recommend that you try National Express.
Nearby Accommodation
There are loads of places to stay in Scarborough, if you are looking for accommodation then try Hotels.com or Travelodge and Britannia Hotels are always a good option for budget hotel accommodation.
If you prefer self-catering, take a look at some of the wonderful cottages available from Snaptrip.
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Author: Dan
I am passionate about Theme Parks and Attractions. I love riding roller coasters and thrill rides. With two young boys I understand how expensive family days out can be and this was one of the main driving forces behind Attractions Near me. My aim is to help you and your friends enjoy some great days out without costing the earth. Thanks for reading and have a great time - Regards Dan
