For our latest Bank Holiday outing, we decided to visit the Blue Planet Aquarium in Cheshire. A friend of mine had been and enjoyed it, so we decided to take a look ourselves.
WHERE IS THE BLUE PLANET
AQUARIUM ?
****************************************************
You will find the aquarium at Junction 10 of the M53 in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire. Once you come off the motorway, simply follow the brown signs and it's easy to find. There is a large carpark which is free. If you are travelling by train, the nearest station is Ellesmere Port which is approximately 2 miles away.
WHEN IS IT OPEN & HOW MUCH IS IT ?
***********************************************
The aquarium is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. It opens at 10 AM, but the closing time varies according to the time of year. It is a good idea to phone the information line to find out exactly.
We purposefully went for when it opened at 10 o'clock. Even at this time, there were quite a few
cars waiting in the carpark. On the website, it advises you to use the Queue Buster scheme on Bank Holidays, whereby you book your tickets in advance and then simply go through the Fast Track turnstile when you arrive. This means you avoid queuing with everyone else. We weren't able to do this as you have to book at least 48 hours in advance, and as is usual with us, we decided to come at the last minute ! Anyway, it only took us about 5-10 minutes to pay and enter, which wasn't too bad. The downside of going for when it actually opens is that a lot of people start the tour at the same time, which makes it quite crowded and hard-going at the beginning. If we had used the Queue Buster method, we would have been able to get in before most of the first visitors. I can't say what the queues were like later in the day, but there is nothing to lose by booking your tickets in advance and I would do this if I was to go again.
The admission prices are -
Adults - £8.95
Children ( 3-15 ) - £6.50
Concessions - £6.95
Family ( 2+2 ) - £30.00
WHAT DOES THE AQUARIUM DO ?
******************************************
As well as being a visitor attraction ( the largest one of its kind
in the UK ), the Blue Planet Aquarium is actively involved in environmental and conservation schemes. There are several successful breeding programmes in place such as for Southern Stingrays, seahorses, Blue Poison Arrow Frog and the Dyed Poison Arrow Frog. They are also trying to breed the Pinstripe Damba which is in grave danger of extinction.
WHAT IS THERE TO SEE AT THE AQUARIUM ?
*****************************************************
Once you have paid your money, you can immediately start the tour. You walk through a series of different environments over little bridges, in caves, around rock pools, and finally through a 230 ft Aquatunnel. It is really well set out and exciting for children to explore. It can get a little crowded at the beginning as obviously everyone wants to get a good look at the fish. However, as you make your way through, this does get better.
The whole thing is set over 2 floors and it is wheelchair and buggy friendly. There are no awkward steps or bumps to overcome and there is a lift to use.
As well as actually looking at all the fish , frogs etc, there are interesting facts to learn about. These are contained in signs next to each exhibit. As we were with young children, we didn't read every single thing ! We just chose what was of most interest to us.
There are 8 areas / environments to explore at the Blue Planet. Each has many different types of fish to look at, some of which are very strange-looking indeed ! Some are downright ugly ! Here's what you can expect to see.
Freshwater
rivers and streams
------------------------------------------
This is where the tour starts and it portrays what you would find in the rivers and streams of the Northern Hemisphere, and that includes Britain.
I think most people will have heard of the fish here. Pike, carp, perch, trout and bream are all included in this part.
Amphibians
-----------------
Some of the things you see here are amongst the most endangered species in the world, and the aquarium is helping to prevent their extinction by breeding them. This includes a type of Dart Frog which is supposed to be the most poisonous creature in the world. Don't worry though. They are all safely behind glass, so one isn't suddenly going to hop onto your shoulder !
Lake Malawi
-----------------
In this part, you will see things such as the Nile
Perch, Living Stonii, Vundu, and Giraffe Catfish. Aren't there some wonderful names for these fish ?! These and many others are what you find in the actual
lake itself in
Africa.
Amazon
-----------
Amongst other things, you can see the legendary piranha, a Redtail Catfish and something called an Arapaima, which is around 2 metres long and is huge !
Mangrove Swamp
-------------------------
In case you didn't know, a swamp is found where land meets water. It's sort of an inbetween place, and has its own variety of fish and animals such as the Archer fish, Rainbow Crab, Shark Catfish and Red-eared terrapin.
Coral Bay
--------------
This is supposed to represent the coral reefs of the Indian Ocean and contains such species as the Batfish, Clownfish and Blue -Spotted Stingray. It made me wish that I was really in the Seychelles !
Rocky Shoreline
----------------------
Ah, the good old British shoreline ! This must be the favourite part of the aquarium for kids. Why ? Because this is the place where you can get your hands wet. Literally. They can put their little hands in the 3 rockpools that contain fish such as plaice, spotted dogfish, mullet and Thornback ray. Don't worry because you grown-ups are allowed to touch the fish as well ! The purpose of this is to get visitors to actually experience, and thus appreciate, the marine environment. It does not harm the fish at all. In fact, I think some of them actually like being stroked as they keep coming to the surface ! There is an area with wash basins and so remember to
wash your hands afterwards.
Caribbean Reef
----------------------
This was my favourite part and the most impressive. You walk through one of the longest aquatunnels in the world, and above you and to each side, you get to experience a Caribbean reef as close as is possible without actually being in it. You can either stand on the slow-moving walkway, or walk normally. There are 10 different kinds of shark at the aquarium and in the Aquatunnel they swim so close to you that you could actually touch them. And they look big. Very big ! I found out on the website that they are even bigger than they look as the curvature of the glass makes them look 30 % smaller than they actually are !
You see the actual reef which is both stunning and beautiful, and the thousands of fish that seem to swim around following one another ! There are Sand Tiger Sharks which are 10 ft long, Nurse Sharks and huge Rays, which are fascinating to watch.
There is also an Aquatheatre in this part which puts on shows throughout the day. They tell you about all the fish that swim by and you can watch them being fed. We left before the first show so I can't say what this was like. However, my friend who has seen it said it was well worth taking a look at.
FACILITIES AT THE BLUE PLANET
*****************************************
Disabled visitors are very well catered for. Care assistants are admitted free, and there are wheelchairs available for use. There is a lift and the toilets on both floors are suitable for wheelchairs.
There is a shop selling souvenirs,
toys etc. We had a quick look around it and it seemed to be on the expensive side. There is also a
restaurant if you find yourself hungry after your exploration !
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT ?
**********************************
Yes, although I'm not giving it the full
5 stars. We all had a good time and there is no doubt that it is both fascinating and educational. It is extremely well laid out, and the kids will love exploring it. The fish are both beautiful and weird-looking !
The main problem that I have with the Blue Planet Aquarium is the admission price and what you actually get for your money. We got in at just after 10 AM and we were out at the other end in less than an hour. Granted we didn't see a show, but I still feel that £8.95, and especially £6.50 for children, is a lot to pay. Like I mentioned before, the shop wasn't cheap and in the carpark area, it cost £1.50 for a bottle of Coke from a machine.
If I could, I would give the Blue Planet Aquarium 3 1/2 stars. Seeing as I can't, I'll give it 4 stars because of its conservation work. All in all, it is worth a visit, but don't expect to make a full day of it !
OTHER INFORMATION
****************************
If you are interested, you can Adopt an Animal, Dive with Sharks, have a birthday party and hold a corporate event at the aquarium.
Blue Planet Aquarium
Cheshire Oaks
Ellesmere Port
Cheshire
CH65 9LF
0151 357 8804
www.blueplanetaquarium.com
Thanks for
reading.
Escape To The Blue Planet 
Sounds great we are going here in a few weeks time.