Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium

Kelly Tarlton 's Sea Life Aquarium (formerly Kelly Tarlton 's Underwater World) is a museum and aquarium in the suburb of Orakei Auckland in New Zealand. The main entrance is located at 23 Tamaki Drive on Waitemata Harbour.

It was opened in 1985 and was built on the initiative of the marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton ( 1937-1985 ). It was built in what was no longer needed underground waste tank. For a vaulted tunnel instead of for aquariums up to then usual flat vision panels was made for the main basin with a newly developed technique. The project is also one of the first, in which visitors are transported to a slow conveyor belt through the observation area.

History

1983 beat Kelly Tarlton the construction of an aquarium in the no longer needed since the 1960s underground wastewater storage in a hillside on the shore of Auckland before. The fish should this can be observed through a 110-meter acrylic tunnel from the inside of the pelvis from.

After ten months of construction, the aquarium opened in 1985. Tarlton established the need for tunnel segments by laying flat acrylic glass blanks on a form and heated in an oven until the plastic of the form was adapted. Some of the segments weigh over a ton. Because of refraction between air, acrylic glass and water the fish about one-third appear smaller than they actually are.

After the construction of the tunnel and its tightness test was constructed of concrete a landscape of cliffs and caves. In a portion of the basin in 1800 marine animals were used, in a second section sharks ( including bronze sharks, Kammzähnerhaie, carpet sharks and dogfish ) and stingrays. The native sharks are only held for a short time in the pool and then exposed again in the fishing area.

In 1994, the Aquarium was complemented by a replica of the used by Robert Falcon Scott on his Antarctic expedition hut. In addition, a colony of Antarctic penguins was created in a refrigerated room.

In December 2004, Stingray Bay, a 350,000 liter comprehensive open basin was with depth up to 2.6 m opens with walls made ​​of acrylic glass.

In 2008 the company Village Roadshow bought the plant for 13 million New Zealand dollars. The company is also the owner of the Sydney Aquarium, Oceanworld Manly, Sea World Gold Coast and other similar entities.

In December 2010, Kelly received five Tarltons sand tiger sharks from the U.S..

In 2011 sold Village Roadshow Kelly Tarlton 's Underwater World and other from Sydney, Australia, from facilities to Merlin Entertainments managed on. In March 2012, Merlin Entertainments announced an investment of 5.5 million New Zealand dollars in new exhibitions, a modified layout of the rooms and a multi -focused interaction concept, which should be implemented by 29 September 2012. At the same time the aquarium was "Kelly Tarlton 's Sea Life Aquarium " renamed to fit Merlin Entertainments global brand Sea Life Centres.

Facilities

The most important exhibits are Antarctic Encounter and Underwater World.

• Antarctic Ice Adventure and the Scott Base opened in 1994. Visitors can observe the penguins through a pane of glass in their refrigerated enclosure. After that, the trail crosses a replica of the cabin that Robert Falcon Scott had used on his South Pole expedition in 1912. Thereafter, the Followed with the snowcat, snowmobile used for research, modeled vehicle, driven by a separate area of the penguin enclosure. In this there are king penguins and gentoo penguins.

• NIWA Southern Oceans Discovery is a space at the Stingray Bay and serves the education of children to the marine environment and the Antarctic in an entertaining way.

• Stingray Bay is a 350 m³ comprehensive, open acrylic basin. In addition to the Stechrochenart Dasyatis brevicaudata and eagle rays the basin is home to some other fish species such as the Blue Maomao ( Scorpis violacea ). In this part of the museum is a fast-food.

• Pacific Shark Zone and Shipwreck Explorer were the first parts of the aquarium. Through a 110-meter acrylic tunnel through the aquarium glass, visitors are transported by a conveyor belt. The shark aquarium holds 3785 cubic meters and is home to several species of sharks. , The second tank of mainly schooling fish like the Blue Maomao. For an additional fee you can be drawn in a net cage through the shark tank or go in a diving suit in the company in the shark tank.

• The Fish Gallery and the Seahorse Kingdom accommodate smaller aquariums, which are usually occupied by each species, including Natterer Sägesalmler, a collection of seahorses, eels, crabs and poisonous fish like stonefish and pufferfish.