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The National Marine Aquarium
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Dedicated to increasing the understanding of the oceans through the excitement of exploration. |
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| The National Marine Aquarium |
| Rope Walk, Coxside, Plymouth, PL4 0LF |
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| Enquiries: 01752 22 00 84 |
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| email: enquiries@national-aquarium.co.uk |
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| Open Daily |
- 1st November to 31st March - 10am to 5pm.
- 1st April to 31st October - 10am to 6pm.
- Last entry 1 hour before closing.
- Closed on Christmas Day.
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We recommend you allow at least 3 hours for a visit - however, many visitors spend a whole day with us. Check at the information desk for the day's programme of special events, activities and talks throughout the day. |
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| Dive into the Depths. |
Take the plunge beneath the waves and enter an alien world. Your journey starts here at the National Marine Aquarium, where towering reefs and teeming coral seas are home to awe-inspiring creatures of the deep. It's an experience guaranteed to open your eyes - and change the way you look at the sea forever. |
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Stand transfixed in front of the panoramic 2-storey high Atlantic Reef. Look up from the seabed to the surface while majestic rays sweep past and 2 metre congers lurk in dark crevasses. Then visit the Mediterranean Seas and tiptoe to the edge of a giant ravine, experiencing the sensation of total underwater immersion, where fish swim all around and even above you - only 9cm of acrylic separating your world from theirs. Suddenly, gliding out of the gloom, an awesome Sand Tiger shark confronts you, nose-to-nose. |
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| As close as you can get without getting wet. |
The bright and busy metropolis of the coral seas will entrance you with its flashing neon colours, amaze you with its fantastical and sometimes comical inhabitants - maybe you will even spot a human trespasser diving to deliver food. |
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| Hunt for hidden treasure. |
Take a trip to the seashore and peer into rock pools, where starfish, crabs and sea anemones make their home. There are daily talks and friendly guides on hand to make sure you don't miss a thing - and remember the more you look the more you see! |
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| Enter the secret world of seahorses. |
Enjoy Britain's largest collection of seahorse species. Watch these shy and delicate creatures perform a magical underwater ballet as they dance and twist before your eyes! |
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| Spying behind the scenes. |
Discover for yourself the work that goes into maintaining Britain's Biggest Aquarium and enjoy a privileged glimpse of the marine nursery, where the serious work of conserving our planet's precious marine ecosystems continues. |
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| Shipwreck |
Flooded portholes, the sound of rushing water, flashing red warning lights ahead - and then a klaxon marks the beginning of the multi-media show, Monsters of the Deep. Travel with us to an alien world of perpetual darkness, untouched by the light of day. Return to the surface and go eye-to-eye with a real life monster of the deep - a preserved giant squid - Britain's only specimen on display. Over six feet long and not even fully grown, imagine the size of its parents! |
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| Holiday Workshops for Children. |
Don't miss our holiday workshops, available at no extra charge during the Easter, summer and half term holidays. They're the perfect opportunity for families to have fun together. Great entertainment, making your visit even more worthwhile. |
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| Meet the friendliest species of all - our staff! |
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| Why don't the sharks eat the fish? |
| Can the fish see us looking at them? |
| Which is the biggest fish in the Aquarium? |
| How much water is in the tank? |
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| Beyond these walls. |
A few miles off our shores at Whitsand Bay, a warship built in Plymouth more than 30 years ago has just become an artificial diving reef - the first of its kind in the UK - and a new home for marine creatures. Placing Scylla on the seabed creates a unique ecosystem, which will develop as the years go by, watched by visitors to the Aquarium thanks to the latest technology. It's the ultimate reality show! |
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| The Scylla - Photograph by Sally Shorrock |
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| How to find us. |
The National Marine Aquarium is located in the Coxside area of Plymouth. Most visitors find the easiest route is the A38 to Marsh Mills (Sainsbury's) then along the A374Embankment Road, Follow the brown and white fish signs, which can be found on all entry roads into the City. The route for the Aquarium and Barbican car park (main Parking for the Aquarium) is signed from here. |
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| Parking. |
If you are travelling to Plymouth by car, many visitors use the Park and Ride at Milehouse, only a few minutes from the A38. Take the Manadon exit, following signs to Plymouth Argyle Football Club. Please phone Citybus on 01752 222221 for details. Local parking at the Barbican Multi Storey car park is available to Aquarium visitors for half the normal price (applies to minimum parking of 4 hours) on production of your National Marine Aquarium ticket - prices available on request. |
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www.national-aquarium.co.uk |
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