SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
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It's the perfect gift you can give to your children. My 5-and-a-half-year-old enjoyed seeing the sharks and penguins. Although it's not very large and doesn't have a wide variety of sea fishes, it's well-built considering the limited space. My daughter especially enjoyed playing the role of a doctor and receiving a certificate for checking the teddy penguins' health, which is placed near the front after the penguin exhibit. They have plenty of penguins, and it's nice to see them swimming and resting in the artificial rock. It was her first encounter with penguins, and she enjoyed it a lot. I've been to Cape Town and had the opportunity to see them up close, witnessing how they care for the young and interact with each other. Apart from the fish and other sea animals, there are lots of small activities for children. There's a small play area attached to a cafeteria where you can grab something to eat and drink. Next to the cafeteria, you'll find big and small fish, sharks, and stingrays. Children will love this part. There's a massive transparent glass aquarium filled with these big fishes, and the pathway is divided into two sections—one for walking and the other rotating on its own, allowing you to stand and enjoy the fishes. The next area features starfish that you can touch, lobsters, colorful deep-sea fishes, and seahorses. At the end, you can buy goodies from the shop, although they're a bit expensive. Considering the price tag, it may not seem like a big aquarium, but we got a discount using our AA membership card, making it a decent deal for us. Regardless of the price, it's a nice way to spend 2 hours and make your kids happy while enjoying the sea creatures. While you may not see all the sea creatures, they've managed to showcase a maximum with the minimal space available.
Renjith ccRenjith cc
60
This place offers a truly amazing experience for visitors of all ages, whether you're a marine life enthusiast or just seeking a fun outing. It's incredible to see how they transformed this space from a large sewage system into a captivating underwater world. Upon entering, you are immediately immersed in a magical marine environment, teeming with a diverse array of sea creatures. The aquarium features unique walk-through tunnels where you can marvel at sharks, stingrays and other fascinating marine life up close. The well-maintained displays provide an intimate look at the animals, including penguins, creating an engaging and immersive experience. Standout creatures such as the giant lobster, penguins, and New Zealand freshwater eels add to the aquarium's uniqueness. In addition to the impressive exhibits, SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium offers interactive experiences like penguin encounters and shark dives, perfect for those eager to interact closely with the animals. The aquarium also provides various engaging activities, such as the "scan the turtle card" game, which is especially enjoyable for kids. The dining area offers a pleasant ambiance with ocean views and indoor tanks showcasing rays and turtles. Visitors have the option to bring their own food if they prefer not to purchase meals on-site. I highly recommend including SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium in your Auckland itinerary, especially if you have a couple of hours to spare to discover unique ocean creatures. It's a memorable experience that showcases marine life in a captivating and educational way.
HLHL
00
This was our first visit of Sea Life visit at Auckland. We like to visit aquariums. We generally take our time and many photos. Our visit lasted 4 hours. It is pleasant and the children will appreciate it, with a diversity of animation for them. My partner and I found the section with the penguins remarkable. This is the first time that we have been so close to penguins and have confortably observed them. We took best shots of penguins, even better than the one we took at Bird Park @ Singapore. Sea Life deserves a high score for this. The other parts are worth seeing but average compared to other aquariums. The aquarium is small, quickly overloaded, noisy with the crowd. It may need some renovation. It needs better education materials, to help identify the species, to describe their ecosystem. The photo taken at the entrance were not even given or e-mail to us as a souvenir for free. As any attraction park, all is made for paying additional services or else. You feel more being moren in an attraction park than a conservation « zoo / aquarium ». Note: Our favorite aquariums remain that of La Rochelle for its diversity and quality (min 6-8 hours of visit) and that of Singapore which, although small, offers huge aquariums with a wide range of fish and crustaceans together (4 hours of visit).
STEPHANE ROMEISTEPHANE ROMEI
00
Sights @ Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. . The brainchild of New Zealand marine conservationist and diver Kelly Tarlton, this underwater world showcases over 30 live animal exhibits in natural habitat displays. . Renowned for their 110-metre underwater viewing tunnel, a world's first-and-only at the time (it's since been replicated worldwide), this Shark Tunnel allows visitors to walk under Sand Tiger and Broadnose Sevengill sharks, and Eagle and Short Tail Stingrays. . They also rehabilitate turtles, including species of Hawksbill and Loggerhead. They look so serene just swimming around. . Penguins! So close to these adorable flightless birds. Was trying to take photos of a handsome fella, only to have another chap charge over... . The King Penguin, recognizable with their distinct yellow face markings, is the second largest of the 17 species of penguins. . The Gentoo Penguin is distinguished by the wide white stripe across the top of its head. . During mating, the males present the females with a pebble as a gift, and if accepted, will then continue collecting more pebbles to build a nest.
Ivan TehIvan Teh
20
The Penguin Passport is a must do if you love these sweet little creatures. The private penguin tour starts with 2 guides who take the group (in our case, the 3 of us) to the outside of the enclosure. There, they spoke about the facts of the two Penguin species they have in their enclosure and allowed us to ask questions. This was a perfect time to watch and listen, as the penguins were being fed in the pool. Watching them get excited for food was wonderful. After suiting up in warm snow clothes provided by Kelly Tarlton's Sealife, we gingerly stepped into their enclosure. Three cheeky juveniles couldn't help themselves with their curiosity of us. They stayed with us the whole time and even gently touched us with their beaks. One of the guides took photos of the penguins and us during our experience. The photos were beautiful and were part of the package. I highly recommend anyone who loves penguins or animals to do the Penguin Passport tour. The guides were lovely women, who made our time with the penguins very enjoyable. It was a wonderful experience and something I will always cherish. 🐧
Wendy EddlestonWendy Eddleston
10
Before arriving I messaged sea life via their Facebook page to ask if we could bring our own food, I didn't receive any response at all. There is no contact number for sea life on the website. I checked the website for more details and it said we could not bring our own food. Upon arrival we noticed many people had bought their own food. There were only 8 tables in the Cafe and 2 small tables for kids drawing. We visited during school holidays and found that there was no where near enough seating available, although there was room for more tables and chairs. We found the restrooms really unclean, it was quite a shock for the amount of people there during school holidays there was not more staff on to cater for these times. The actual aquarium itself was great! I would be good to see more resources going into the upkeep and maintenance of the rest room facilities and a revamp of the Cafe area. Hopefully one day they will revamp the parking so there is move available spaces. We purchased our tickets in advance but found we didn't get in any quicker as everyone was queuing in one line.
Charis WorkCharis Work
30
Nearby Attractions Of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park
Bastion Point
Ōrākei Domain
Michael Joseph Savage Memorial
Orakei Playground
Okahu Bay Wharf
Five Knots
Orakei Marine
OKAHU
Mantells Tamaki Drive

Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park
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Bastion Point
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Ōrākei Domain
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Michael Joseph Savage Memorial
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Nearby Restaurants Of SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
Akarana Eatery
Tamaki Yacht Club
Auckland Sailing Club

Akarana Eatery
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(200)$$
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Tamaki Yacht Club
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Auckland Sailing Club
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Basic Info
Address
23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland 1071, New Zealand
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Website
visitsealife.com
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Overview
4.3
(3.3K reviews)
Ratings & Description
entertainment
family friendly
accessibility
Description
Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium is a public aquarium opened in 1985 in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at 23 Tamaki Drive, it was the brainchild of New Zealand marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton.
attractions: Michael Joseph Savage Memorial Park, Bastion Point, Ōrākei Domain, Michael Joseph Savage Memorial, Orakei Playground, Okahu Bay Wharf, Five Knots, Orakei Marine, OKAHU, Mantells Tamaki Drive, restaurants: Akarana Eatery, Tamaki Yacht Club, Auckland Sailing Club

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