Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium
There is much beauty to be found at the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium – the ability to experience a marine environment up close is breath taking and will be long remembered.
When: Daily 9.30am – 6pm (last entry 5pm)
Where: Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, Cnr Flinders & King Sts MELBOURNE
Cost: Pre purchase online and save, adult ticket box $38, adult online ticket $30.40, book here.
Review
Seeing the sea life up close feels like a magical and special privilege. The breadth of species of marine life on display is mind boggling – and the Aquarium is massive. Expect your visit to take about 2 hours (possibly longer if you want to return and revisit sections again).
The design of the aquarium is fantastic – plenty if different viewing opportunities for all ages (and the kids sized tunnels with viewing bubbles was a favourite). There are opportunities to learn more about the inhabitants via the daily feeds and talks held throughout the day, there is even opportunities to get your hands wet in the rock pools, plus visit the Art Aquarium to see your own fishy creations come to life on a 9m screen and my school aged children loved completing their passbooks we collected when we entered.
We were so excited seeing the marine life up close – some of them so colourful, others almost alien. It’s one thing to see a documentary on TV but a very different experience to actually see the animal in real life. To appreciate their scale and their detail and engineering – it’s really only possible up close and personal.
The Aquarium actively participates in rehabilitating and releasing sea turtles as well as educating visitors about the importance of our oceans and marine life. The aquarium is also promotes sustainability, from the cleaning products they use to the food served in their venues and cafes.
“By displaying these animals, we seek to inspire guests to learn more about our underwater world, with interpretive signage communicating messages of conservation.”
But I need to get something off my chest.
I struggle with feeling 100% comfortable about aquariums (maybe this is a misguided and subconscious link to Seaworlds I visited around America as a child).. hence this review has been four years coming. The last time I went to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium Immi was a pre-schooler (she’s now 9). Back then the king penguins had just arrived – and seeing them in their glass enclosure made my heart sad. Perhaps I am a romantic fool – but I just couldn’t feel 100% comfortable about seeing a group of animals who were born to travel and survive extreme conditions just stand about in a giant windowless refrigerator.
I appreciate this is probably a complete double standard on my part – can I really feel distressed about this group of penguins yet embrace enclosures at other types of zoos? I went to the Aquariums website to see if I could find more information about the animals welfare – there really wasn’t much to make me feel better, but there was talk about their very successful breeding programs (Melbourne being one of three aquariums in the world enjoying such success) and this success being a “testament to the health, welfare and comfort of the penguins living within the state-of-the-art exhibit”.
So I am torn. Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is full of so much beauty and wonder (the number of photos I took is a testament to that!).. I have to believe that the staff who work there are professionals, that they care deeply for their animals – you don’t just study marine biology, or veterinary science, without being passionate about animals. Having animals on display is never the ideal natural life they were born to have – but if it means that their cousins in the wild have a better chance because of this exposure and education (and their needs are being met in a humane way) then is it all bad?? What do you think? Have you been?
Laura I hear you.. thank you for your thoughts, it’s a tricky proposition educating. I think asking questions is a great way to encourage transparency.
It is an interesting thing, on one hand we want our children to experience these wonders up close and hopefully eave with a sound love of conservation and how to help. BUT I do feel strongly that some of these venues do not practice what they preach, not all animals are rescued, many that are rescued could have been rehabilitated and returned to the wild. I DO get the point that many are only alive because of being in captivity and would not have survived a re-entry into their natural environment but at what cost. Once I went to the zoo with my children and saw how a beautiful tiger had a worn a path pacing back and forth in its enclosure, there is not enough room to satisfy their primal urge to run and be free. And we need to think the same about all creatures large and small, it is no different to see tropical fish in an aquarium, which has no doubt been pilfered from the deep sea. We have plenty of opportunities to learn and experience nature without it being at the cost of another living being locked in an eternal pattern of pacing/swimming back and forth. We wouldn’t accept it for mother natures cuter creatures we need to advocate for some of the other less furry popular beasts.
Danielle – I totally agree with you! We have also been to the Shark & Ray Centre and loved it. I hesitated about accepting their invitations to come and told them why, they explained to me that their marine life is all rescued. I’m not sure if that necessarily makes it better, but it helped me overcome my prejudice.. and we found an affinity with marine life that I had never imagined, so it was an incredible experience.
I LOVE aquariums, although I do struggle with aspects of the larger marine parks that keep mammals. I had never really thought about the penguins at the Melbourne Aquarium though and you have given me pause for thought. We recently visited the Melbourne Shark and Ray Centre and I had to have a good think about what whether I believed it was ok. Utimately though, my own kids left the Melbourne Aquarium, and Melbourne Shark and Ray Centre with such a strong ecology message that I felt our visits to both was positive and I’m comfortable recommending to others.
Kelly – thank you! Believe it or not I had to restrain myself, there was so much to photograph!
Totally get where you are coming from. It’s such a privilege to see these animals up close, and can play an important part in education, and yet, without knowing all the ins and outs of how it’s all run, it’s a hard call.
Great pics by the way!