AD Dive Into SEA LIFE Blackpool

In the line outside there were big 2m markers, hand sanitiser available in every doorway for easy access, and reminders in the gift shop to only touch items you were likely to buy, but inside it was super difficult to social distance because the tanks just aren't laid out that way, and understandably children get excited to rush from room to room, so parents follow them.

It would definitely be helpful to have some reminders on the floor, and if you are particularly wary I'd recommend heading there on a weekday when it's likely to be quieter. 

SEA LIFE Blackpool is home to a huge array of animals, from lobsters, to rays, and even a very bizarre guitar shark. The exhibits are built so you can get as close as possible to really appreciate the beauty of each animal, with an underwater tunnel, lighting to enhance the colours and shimmer of the scales, and an immersive rainforest experience.

Something I really enjoyed about this visit was the information dotted around about SEA LIFE's conservation efforts, such as their coral breeding programme, and their amazing sanctuary for Little Grey and Little White, the beluga whales that hit the news earlier this year after they were released from an entertainment park in Shanghai. With donations from Merlin Entertainment, who own SEA LIFE and other attractions, the whales now have a perfect home in Klettsvik Bay, Iceland.

Obviously I'm no expert but I didn't feel that that care and attention translated to some of the animals within the attraction. My friends summed it up when she said 'there is education about not putting plastic in the sea, but there is plastic in all the tanks' about the numerous fake plants. She also pointed out that some tanks didn't have details about the fish inside, so it felt like they were more for decoration and didn't matter as much as the bigger animals. A lot of the tanks also seemed very small or overcrowded.

For that reason I wouldn't visit SEA LIFE myself again while it is run like this. It's a nice rainy day activity in Blackpool for children, to get them interested in the oceans and the animals within, but personally I would choose another of Blackpool's Merlin entertainments like Madame Tussaud's or The Blackpool Tower Dungeon.