It was another wet weekend and another 48 hours of the kid complaining they are bored despite the ridiculous mound of toys that surround them. BY Saturday night I could take no more and was trolling the internet in desperation looking for something we could do the following day. It was the picture of the seal that first captured my attention. Believe it or not, not all Canadians think Seals are only good for culling. The picture was sufficiently soppy enough to convince my other half that the trip was a good idea and so it was planned.

***Attractions***
All displays include descriptions of the animal, their habitat, feeding habits etc and include some very interesting trivia on each species.

Also on display are tanks of angry looking Piranhas, a variety of crustations including bright blue crabs, star fish and a number of smaller shark species. A woman in a wet suit walked amongst the small sharks and held one for visitors to touch. My youngest was the only of the three boys brave enough to touch the angel shark and was very excited to tell his nursery friends all about it.

*underwater tunnel*
The tunnel is what makes this place shine. It stretches almost 120 metres, with a moving floor that will carry you slowly under the watery home of the sharks, eels and other slippery creatures including the Tiger Shark and the Sand Shark. We were lucky enough to see two divers feeding the sharks while a guide explained what was happening and the feeding habits of the animals being fed. It was fantastic to see the sharks swarming only a couple feet in front of us and the divers were great about stopping, waving and interacting with the kids.

*Seal enclosure*
I was unfortunately, disappointed by the fabulous seal enclosure the centre boasts if. All we found was one seal swimming around a small murky pool no bigger than my living room. It only peaked its head out once and although he was lovely, the boys were soon shifting from foot to foot wanting to move on. I suspect it is a hit or miss situation with the seals as they rear young pups to be released back into their natural habitat. If you go expecting a circus show of seals bouncing red balls on their noses, and flipping 10 feet out of the water (like I must admit I did) you will be disappointed.

***Location***
Deep Sea World is located in North Queensferry, Fife and is situated just beneath the Forth Rail Bridge. It is easily accessible by car at just a mile from the M90 and is a manageable 45-50 minute drive from Glasgow and roughly 25 minutes from Edinburgh.
***Opening Hours***
Monday to Friday – 10am to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday and bank holidays – 10am to 6pm

***Accessibility***
The centre claims to be fully accessible to those with disabilities although I am not convinced a wheelchair could easily fit onto the rotating walkway in the underwater tunnel, however it could be that arrangements can be easily made with staff. I was impressed and encouraged to note that carers of those with disability are eligible for free entry.

I stood in queue for 20 minutes while Rikki patiently entertained the three hungry boys. When I finally got to the front of the queue I found out there were no baguettes or sandwiches left, no baked potatoes and only two servings of the hot food option left – either a soggy looking pizza or ironically, fish and chips. I ended up with a kids chicken nugget meal and the chicken was hard. I don’t mean, just a little over-cooked. I tapped the table with it and was amazed it didn’t collapse under the strain.

***Was it worth it***
As I looked into the back seat of our car on our way home to find three boy sleeping soundly, I knew that, yes it had been worth it and the day had been a success. It is a constant struggle to find things that are entertaining for our 3 year old right up to our 1o year old and Deep Sea World seemed to hold their interest well. Who knows, they may have even learnt something!