Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World
Kiwi diver Kelly Tarlton (who died in 1985) had a big dream. He envisaged an Underwater World where the whole family could make like divers without getting wet: moving along a conveyor belt beneath an acrylic dome while sharks, stingrays, eels, and numerous other species swam overhead. And that’s what you can do here, as well as watching rays clamber up their keepers during feeding time in Stingray Bay, meeting king and gentoo penguins in a Penguin Passport tour, or freaking yourself out in a Shark Dive, or seeing Antarctica penguins up-close in the Antarctic Ice Adventure. Although the aquarium first opened in 2000, it hasn’t remained trapped in time. The newest $1.4 million addition, Sea Cave Adventure, opened in 2022 courtesy a partnership with DOC. It consists of four themed chambers where visitors encounter local species like native octopus, eel, and crayfish. Kids will love the opportunity to handle starfish and other sea creatures. Budget two hours for this underwater adventure.
Kiwi diver Kelly Tarlton (who died in 1985) had a big dream. He envisaged an Underwater World where the whole family could make like divers without getting wet: moving along a conveyor belt beneath an acrylic dome while sharks, stingrays, eels, and numerous other species swam overhead. And that’s what you can do here, as well as watching rays clamber up their keepers during feeding time in Stingray Bay, meeting king and gentoo penguins in a Penguin Passport tour, or freaking yourself out in a Shark Dive, or seeing Antarctica penguins up-close in the Antarctic Ice Adventure. Although the aquarium first opened in 2000, it hasn’t remained trapped in time. The newest $1.4 million addition, Sea Cave Adventure, opened in 2022 courtesy a partnership with DOC. It consists of four themed chambers where visitors encounter local species like native octopus, eel, and crayfish. Kids will love the opportunity to handle starfish and other sea creatures. Budget two hours for this underwater adventure.
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