Exploring SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth

You know it’s going to be a good day when you drive past a herd of horses. Magnificent wild horses in flat fields strewn with yellow flowers. Norfolk is a wonderful part of the country.

We were there to visit SEA LIFE which promised a world of strange, beautiful and amazing creatures. Situated on the Great Yarmouth seafront, there are close-up views of everything from jellyfish and penguins to crocodiles and sharks. Some 50 displays including a 250,000 litre tropical ocean exhibit and tunnel where you can gaze at SEA LIFE’s largest inhabitants. 

Having not visited an aquarium the size of SEA LIFE before, POD squealed with delight when we arrived. Submerged in darkness, she was thrilled to be transported into an underwater wonderland. There was much pointing and cries of “look Bubba look” as POD pointed excitedly at the giant tanks in front of her. Bubba is one of her grandparents and lives with ‘Gaggam’ (as POD dubbed him) in nearby Suffolk.

There’s a wonderful atmosphere in the shipwreck area. We saw large fish called Giltheads plus conger eels and spiny starfish. POD even did a celebratory dance at one point – sadly I missed that one on camera!

Jellyfish are interesting creatures. In the open sea even the harmless ones terrify me but behind glass they’re fascinating to watch. These Compass Jellyfish were amazing. For the most part their tentacles trailed gracefully beneath them but they also had the ability to suck them under their bell.

These Upside Down Jellyfish were exactly as you imagined them to be and again captivating to watch. We also saw Moon Jellyfish Polyps and Moon Jellyfish as well as Edible Jellyfish.

Next stop if you’re following the route is the Humboldt Penguin pool. They were more than happy to be photographed! There’s also a baby penguin at SEA LIFE and although we didn’t get to see it. I’m sure Mum Moozles and Dad Woody are keeping it safe in their enclosure.

In the Great Yarmouth Harbour section we saw Pacu which are related to Piranhas but vegetarian. POD enjoyed feeding them although as you’d expect it was a fairly speedy affair.

Nearby was the most fabulous display of rays. We’ve swum with rays on holiday before and they’re intriguing creatures. Little did we know they peep above the water as if they’re attempting to say hello. You could almost see their faces smiling at you.

Heading towards the SEA LIFE Nursery we saw another Catfish and a fabulous collection of anemones. They reveled in a bathroom style tank complete with a bubble generating toilet – much to POD’s amusement!

SEA LIFE is the World’s biggest Seahorse breeding network. They’ve also had behind the scenes breeding successes with various species of shark, tropical fish, jellyfish, octopus and corals.

Not the greatest of photographs but we absolutely loved this baby ray!

POD’s never seen a rockpool before so it’s no wonder she didn’t want to touch the starfish. A stark contrast to our usually fearless three year old! Although she missed out on the medal at the native rockpool, she was fascinated by the hermit crab, sea urchins and anemones. There were also tropical rock pool cleaner shrimps which offer a manicure.

Around the corner we came face-to-face with two African dwarf crocodiles (named Ntombi and Masozi) sunbathing.

We were most excited to see the sharks. Dragons Den provided a great introduction to the lost city of Atlantis display where we could see them swimming around.

The Ocean Tunnel was awesome. We saw Noah the sea turtle first, initially resting to the side of us and within minutes gliding above our heads.

There are several species of shark at SEA LIFE including the nurse and zebra sharks. The Ocean Tunnel provided an ideal means of watching them especially when they glided above us. POD has never seen sharks before so it was an amazing experience for her.

POD always enjoys the film Finding Nemo so she was thrilled to discover Nemo’s Cave! You can absolutely see the joy in her face here although it does look like she’s about to eat Nemo! Clownfish are all born males but once they grow older the biggest and strongest ones become females. Who knew.

There’s a new section at SEA LIFE called Sea Stars which enables you to get up close to starfish. POD loved the Sea Star tunnel but there are also peek-a-boo holes with starfish of various shapes, sizes and colours. You can also feel the different types of starfish and see the Sunflower starfish which is the Ocean’s largest.

We had the best time discovering this fabulous underwater world. To top it off our meal deal in the restaurant meant POD ate for free. Although we skipped the pirate themed soft play, Buba kindly bought her her own Nemo for the bath! SEA LIFE has recently launched a parent and toddler ticket which is great value at only £10. POD is already asking when she can go to the ‘qarium again!

Linking up with #whatsthestory here on PODcast.

Disclaimer: We received complimentary tickets to SEA LIFE Great Yarmouth for the purposes of this review. All opinions are our own.