Rainy Day Activities: Uncover underwater life at the National Marine Aquarium

Plymouth, Devon

Need a rainy day idea? Visit the UK's largest aquarium to be amazed at its fascinating underwater world, and learn how we all play a part in conserving it.

On days when it’s too wet to hit the beach, it’s always good to have an indoor option up your sleeve. One for the list is definitely Plymouth’s National Marine Aquarium, where the staff stand by their open-topped tanks ready to give you an insider’s look at the resident sea life (no umbrella required).

Travelling through the Shallow Waters, you’ll move onto the Atlantic reef to play ‘spot the stingray’ on the tank’s sandy floor. Then it’s onto the pulsing jellyfish, bred here in their hundreds, before delving deep into the Atlantic, where there’s just a sheet of glass between you and resident two-metre-long sand tiger sharks. Still not close enough to the action? There’s always the 4D theatre. 

Your journey will take you across the world's oceans, from Plymouth Sound to the coral reefs of the tropics. In the first aquarium in the UK to be set up purely for the purposes of education, conservation and research, you can experience hands-on learning and incredible sights of underwater life.

The knowledgeable hosts deliver action-packed displays like the must-see dive shows, shark feeding and talks about marine animals from around the world. The Atlantic Ocean display is the deepest tank in the UK too, holding an incredible 2.5 million litres of water!

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National Marine AquariumNational Marine Aquarium © P.DeRosa, VisitPlymouth
National Marine AquariumNational Marine Aquarium © P.DeRosa, VisitPlymouth
National Marine AquariumNational Marine Aquarium © P.DeRosa, VisitPlymouth
Underwater Classroom at the National Marine Aquarium Underwater Classroom at the National Marine Aquarium © VisitPlymouth

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