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SEA LIFE Brighton is an aquarium attraction in the English city of Brighton. Opened as Brighton Aquarium in 1872, it is the oldest operating aquarium in the world. The attraction was bought by Sea Life in 1991.

Description

SEA LIFE Brighton is an aquarium attraction in the English city of Brighton. Opened as Brighton Aquarium in 1872, it is the oldest operating aquarium in the world. The attraction was bought by Sea Life in 1991.

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We recently visited Sea Life Brighton with our three-year-old child, and overall, it was a delightful experience. The aquarium is beautifully set up, with a historic charm that makes the visit unique and engaging for both children and adults. From the moment we walked in, the underwater world captivated our little one, and it was clear that the exhibits are designed with younger visitors in mind. There’s plenty to see and explore, making it an excellent place for family outings, especially with young children. One of the highlights for our child was the interactive rock pool, where kids can touch some of the sea creatures like starfish and anemones. The staff there were very friendly and patient, explaining things in a way that was easy for young children to understand. Our three-year-old loved being able to gently touch the starfish, and it was a great way to introduce him to the wonders of marine life in a hands-on way. The diversity of sea life at the aquarium is impressive. From seahorses and jellyfish to the striking colors of tropical fish, there’s plenty to keep kids engaged. The ocean tunnel, where you can walk through and see sharks, turtles, and rays swimming overhead, was a big hit with us all. Our child was fascinated by the large green sea turtle that gracefully swam above us, and the sharks moving around the tank were equally mesmerizing. However, one area we felt could be improved was the turtle and shark feeding session. While it was an exciting part of the visit, the presenter’s voice was not clearly audible, which made it difficult to follow along. This was a little frustrating as we were quite eager to learn more about these incredible animals. We found that the presenter was speaking rather quickly, which compounded the problem, especially in a space with lots of ambient noise from the crowd. If the presenter had spoken a bit slower and clearer, it would have been easier to engage with the information. Additionally, while the presenter was mentioning different fish species during the feeding session, it was often unclear which fish she was talking about. Since the tank has many types of fish swimming around at once, it would have been helpful if the presenter had been positioned closer to the fish being discussed or used a pointer to make it easier to follow along. This is something we felt personally, as it would have helped us connect the commentary with the actual fish we were observing. Despite this minor issue, our visit to Sea Life Brighton was highly enjoyable, especially for our little one. The exhibits are well-maintained, and there’s plenty of information for those who want to delve deeper into marine life. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and the interactive aspects of the aquarium are a huge plus for families with young children. In conclusion, Sea Life Brighton is a wonderful place to visit with kids. We came away with some fantastic memories, and our three-year-old had an amazing time exploring the different sea creatures. With a little improvement in the presentation of the feeding sessions, it would have been an even better experience. Nonetheless, we highly recommend Sea Life Brighton as a fun and educational outing for families.

Lino JamesLino James
00

I love aquariums and tend to frequent them whenever I can. I was very excited to visit especially considering that they had a lot of marketing IN Brighton as the world's oldest Aquarium. The fish and exhibits looked happy and well taken care of and I especially loved the sea turtles. I've seen sea turtles before but never AS BIG as they were here. I also loved the fact that they leaned into exhibits that focused on the shores and waters of the area of Brighton/Sussex, it was exciting especially during a beach trip to see the animals we were swimming near :) I also LOVED the ants display. Maybe that's a unique comment but I adore leafcutter ants and the tube displays on the wall were amazing. The experience was fun, though we happened to pre-book tickets at the same time as two school groups and one other large group, I can ignore that as I tend to take my time through aquariums and just let children pass. If this bothers you, maybe you would have had an issue. Again though this doesn't bother me. I do however wish that the aquarium was a bit bigger. For £28 per person it seemed very small. I am not pressed enough about it that I complained or wanted money back but it is a little disappointing. Both things said, I was reaaaally hoping to add a magnet that boasted world's oldest Aquarium but they didn't have anything that said it at all, which I was upset by considering all the marketing towards it. :( I would have even taken a postcard or something, but everything in the giftshop was the same sort of generic fodder, nothing unique or exciting so I didn't get anything.

Sunny FawkesSunny Fawkes
00

First time going to the sea life centre and I've got to say it wasn't what I was expecting, the pictures used to advertise it made it seem like you see one huge tank with loads of different marina life in it, instead it is loads of separate tanks, I wasn't expecting that. There is plenty to see and it does take a while to go around it all, so you would say it is worth going. At the front desk they push selling everything to you claiming it is cheaper and will be the "last chance" the back stage pass cost £3 a head which isn't expensive but for what you get, some questions not answered because they don't know full information. And it was a little rushed I felt! Don't waste your pennies. As expected the cafe is a little more exspenive comparing it to your local add an extra £1/1.5 on top of the drinks... I didn't look at the food as we had eaten before hand. It gets very warm in there!! Lastly, we have a 1 year old who is still in nappies at the moment. So of course we headed to the baby changing to find they don't even have a room but instead you have two pull down stations outside the toilet area... it might be just me, but I don't feel comfortable changing my daughter's bum in public where everyone can see her little lady parts... Anyways don't think I'm just complaining we had a great time there just felt we should let's outs know what we thought so they too know what they are going into.

Lollie williamsLollie williams
40

The remaining 2 stars is for everything other than the disappointing encounter I had towards the end of our round at Sealife. I want to start off on a positive note and point out that staff are lovely, variety of fish and aesthetically more pleasing than that of their London and Bournemouth branch. I was disappointed with the pond where kids could queue and touch the starfish and other anemone. At no point was there any signage that indicated hands must be washed, and when it reached to my 4 year old’s turn (20min wait expected) we were told that hands are to be washed and if we leave the queue to wash we will have to queue from the back again? Annoyed, the family behind me washed their hands and I ushered for them to go in my replacement whilst my 4 year old operates the tap herself. (Nearby). My daughter was crying because she was under the impression she was next, and then she was told to leave and wash her hands. The tap was stuck and she panicked and started to cry. The attendant said us leaving the queue would be necessary as it would delay other children to have a go. With him saying this, he noticed my daughter crying and had overridden what he had said in the first place and let my daughter in without even apologising. Causing a toddler meltdown for what reason? It’s a shame because the rest of the experience was nothing short of perfect, that really pissed me off.

Kim PhamKim Pham
00

The thought of going to Brighton, I would always think of SEA LIFE as the main attraction. So when me and my fiancée went there, I made sure to visit it. Going inside is as simple as scanning the barcode ticket on your phone and you're good to go. COVID restrictions were no longer observed but was still encouraged. Upon entering, you will be welcomed by aquariums featuring different aquatic animals from around the globe. But I was very disappointed because the tanks were dimly lit you could barely see how beautiful the fishes are, plus the tank's glasses were "sweating" and some were actually leaking. Some of the aquariums looked overly populated too. Most of the fish looked tired and unhappy. The only thing that I liked the most was the large marine aquarium which also has a short tunnel underneath it. It has different types of sharks, including blacktip sharks, and a large sea turtle. SEA LIFE also has a souvenir shop which sells products mostly for kids. Overall, I quite enjoyed my visit here but I wouldn't come back in the near future unless there are improvements or new attractions added.

Really Ner BalotReally Ner Balot
10

Beautiful place. Ignore the negative reviews. What are people expecting? That the fish will sing a song and give you a personal tour? We entered around 11:45 am and exited around 2:30pm Plenty to see and unless you will go in and walk past everything in a rush, without even looking at creatures or reading the boards, this will take you minimum 1.5 hour. I've spent a bit of time observing fish and sea horses. Also we stopped in a caffe which is located once you enter the premises and have the photo taken (it costs £15 and we didn't bother btw). The prices in the caffe are very reasonable. 85p bar of chocolate. Coffee was I think £2.50-£3, so not much more to ordinary coffee shop. Sandwich was around £2 I think. Yes, the bigger toilet cubicle didn't have a soap. And yes, people are pigs and leave cans of drink by the aquariums. But everything was clean. Yes, octopus was taking a break, but so what? Creatures are entitled to a break too. Plus it must cost a bomb to run place like this. Some Sea Life centers have penguins, but this one doesn't. But I would still recommend it

B. ButtB. Butt
10
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Overview

4.2(3.3K reviews)

Phone

+44 1273 647707

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Website

visitsealife.com

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Deep Dive

A deep dive into SEA LIFE Brighton