Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth — Attraction in Portsmouth

I'm only leaving a review in the hope that the owners actually read these reviews and take note. This venue used to be lovely and well kept. Sadly it now we'll past it's best. Many exhibits have been boarded up. The shark one has been boarded up for years now. So you have a large section of the aquarium you just walk through in darkness as it's closed. Where did the otters go? The whole attraction is now closed. That's a big chunk of the facility. All there was smack bang in the middle of the attraction is a sign to win an opportunity to feed sharks. The outside area could be sooo much better. They could in corporate a hut for drinks / ice creams in summer, there is room. It needs a massive overhaul. Again the big tank outside is boarded up and the facade of the building is damaged , blue reef signage is ripped. Walking past I would think it was a derelict building. Other attractions are given over to just displaying rubbish you find in the ocean. Look we all know the ocean has its issues with pollutants but people aren't paying to see tubs of rubbish or tanks with floating plastic. That's a cheap cop out on every customer. The only saving grace is the aztec , walk through tank and even the rays ...if they can manage to keep that going that is. People moan its not a big venue...well size isn't everything, it's keeping people's attention and sadly because big chunks of this aquarium is now boarded up , it's a huge disappointment. Best bit...gift shop. That's where their moneys gone and that is pretty bad. I felt sorry for the inhabitants as it makes you wonder if the owners are even bothered.

If you've stayed to the end of my review, thanks, and if you want to visit.... its OK, there are some nice bits but like I've stated the big chunks of it being boarded up are a huge disappointment and it's likely your be considering if the admission fee was even worth it.

This facility could be a real little treasure of...

I enjoyed attending this place.

Although the admission fee was slightly pricey, for the most part, I had a good experience.

In relation to some of the exhibits, such as the Bumblebee Frogs and The Reeves Turtle, the windows showcasing the exhibits could have been bigger, allowing more people to see them at the same time. If the Aquarium is crowded, it is frustrating to wait to see something and when you finally do, one feels rushed because of the amount of people who also want to see animals such as the frogs.

The Snapping Turtle was amazing to see, as were The Monsoon Falls. I spent ages looking at The Longhorn Cowfish, which was one of the better aspects of the aquarium.

This place, however, could use some improvement. For example, some of the areas are not well maintained and the amount of darkness in some of the places is slightly dangerous because one is unable to see properly. Furthermore, the Axolotl enclosure was slightly disappointing. I had expected something bigger and more substantial. On the other hand, the Monsoon Falls exhibit (the one in which there is a Giant Gourami) is one of the more impressive aspects of this place.

I doubt that this is feasible, but it would be lovely to have days in which people could enjoy the aquarium silently. For example, many places have days upon which visitors attend and do not speak loudly and do not shout. These days are designed for Persons with Autism, who might be sensitive to louder sounds.

Although I recommend this place, it is slightly expensive. Many of the reviews of this place consistently raise the same issues, such as the exorbitant price, the atmosphere of the place and that it should contain more things to see.

I do hope that those who are in charge of making decisions about The Blue Reef Aquarium do take the time to read the feedback. It has the potential to be...

The aquarium was a lovely day out with the family and we got to see some nice fish. With some great staff who were polite and knowledgeable.

However I have to give it 3 stars as the facilities were not the best. The aquarium felt worn and run down, it desperately needs a fresh lick of paint, it is not appealing to look at the large amount of chipped and peeled paint, especially around the Ray tank and the door leading out to the sand pit area. But generally everywhere could do with a fresh coat.

The glass in the snapping turtle tank needs cleaning, it's fogged up above the water line and does not look good.

There are large amount of weeds growing in the outside sandpit area and an overrun and empty enclosure out there that looks poor.

The baby changing toilet was closed for maintenance, which was not good, with the nearest replacement, outside of the actual aquarium, a short walk, but not ideal. The male toilets were dirty, with a broken urinal and a broken hand dryer.

The lady doing the tank talks was really good and knowledgeable, she knew her stuff and presented it well. The only thing I'd suggest is if she, or anyone who does the talks, wore a microphone. So everyone can hear the talk.

It also felt small, with a plywood wall that looks to be blocking a large chunk of the aquarium.

The last negative thing I noted was that they were building a new tank, during the holidays and having a building site in the middle of the aquarium, looked bad. I'd assume it would have been built in the winter months.

I understand that money might be tight and you are putting money into the aquatic life and conservation. But surely having a spruced up place will get more crowds in? Sometimes you have to spend money to make money, besides I note that Blue Reef is part of a large family of aquariums, so there must be...