SEA LIFE Loch Lomond Aquarium — Attraction in Scotland

Upon first impressions of the Sealife Centre itself, it looks totally out of place. Far too big for such a small exhibit and just blocks the view of Loch Lomond. Typical local authority planning. This Sealife Centre is definitely aimed at very small children. If you are an adult without children, don't bother at all. There is almost nothing educational for adults. There are a few small tanks, a few larger tanks and a single otter that they fed at set times. Should this animal even be kept without a mate in captivity? There is absolutely nothing displayed to say that this Sealife centre supports conservation work except for a turtle from the Maldives that was flown over as it had lost a flipper. Just seemed such a bizarre attempt at conservation as the turtle now spends it's time trying to breathe while swimming in a circle around a tank with small children staring at it. How much did this cost the Sealife centre to take a turtle from it's natural environment all the way to Loch Lomond to live the rest of it's stressed life looking at the walls of it's tank and unable to dive due to lung injury. There is one exhibit that's points out the problem of plastics in the sea but at the same time filling the souvenir shop with plastics and soft toys. My wife and I don't agree with zoos or Sealife centres unless they have a point to their existence, such as conservation work or defined education. This establishment is neither and is based solely on parting you with your hard earned money. Don't bother supporting Sealife centres such as this, try to teach your children the importance of treating animals with the respect they deserve. We didn't venture into the cafe as this isn't a review about what coffee you can or can't get or the cost a a sandwich. Overall the Sealife centre is not worth one star but it's the lowest...

Overall I guess I was disappointed. The exhibits were really good with good information screens. The touch pool wasn’t anything that was alive - it was fake/plastic type items mainly for touching. The floor signs are worn away in many places. Sea Life tries to promote plastic pollution yet on the outside deck by the otters there were discarded plastic cable ties lying on the ground that had clearly been discarded from the banners that they hang outside. There were also a lot of plastic decorations in the tanks and visible cable ties. The cafe also had plastic items and not plant based or wooden.

The talks might have been good but the reception of the radio microphone was very temperamental and kept cutting out. That mixed with sound distortion didn’t lead to a good mix. This was the same in two different talk areas we visited and was disappointing.

This sea life centre do not have any step-stools that you can take around for younger children to stand on to help them see in all the exhibits. Some exhibits were not accessible to shorter children without them being lifted up. Many other aquariums we have visited do have step stools that can be taken around, or have raised step areas, for shorter/younger people to use.

Viewing deck on the top floor gave a nice view out over the Loch. Disappointing to see quite a bit of litter and discarded items lying about on the deck up there though.

Overall it filled in a couple of hours and the exhibits were nice and clean and varied. However, it’s a prime example of why the Sea Life centres through the country are closing and loosing...

We recently visited SEA LIFE Loch Lomond with two children (6 and 8), us two parents, and a senior. Tickets cost £94 at the door with online purchase, with no discounts for families or seniors—quite steep for what we got.

The attraction itself felt dated and small. Our visit, including a bathroom break and ten minutes in the gift shop, lasted just 55 minutes and we really tried to take our time in there. While the animals appeared healthy, it was disappointing that every plant (and white plastic ropes in most fish tanks) in the tanks was plastic, especially considering their emphasis on plastic pollution awareness. It would have been far more engaging (and less contradictory) to see marine life in a more natural environment with real seaweed instead of artificial strands.

Another frustration was the lack of physical information signs. Most details were only accessible via QR codes, which isn’t practical when visiting with young children. We don’t want to be glued to our phones while trying to enjoy the experience as a family.

The main highlight was April, the sea turtle rescued in the Maldives. A touching story and a wonderful creature. Our extra star goes to April.

Otters were hiding, so the kids were quite disappointed.

Overall, we all agreed that a fair price for a family of five would be around £45, not nearly £100. Unfortunately, it felt like poor value for money.

Wouldn’t recommend unless the price is significantly reduced or they invest in...