We love, love, love, The Deep. We have been regular visitors here since the beginning of children-times. I reckon we have visited The Deep about 50 times over the last 7 years and we have never tired of it. It is a particularly Child-friendly environment - It is full of interesting things to look at, visually entertaining and educational and there are lots of things for young children to touch and explore.
The down-side for us of having been so often, is that the children know the layout of The Deep like the back of their hands and race round it at break-neck speed to all their favourite bits, with me often in hot pursuit. I know the preferred route extremely well, it goes like this:
Down the ramp, pretending to be a Megladon, a go on the spinning the handle fish race game, to the Lagoon of Light where they pause to gaze at the very mesmerising fish, saying hello to their favourite, the curious Picasso Triggerfish. Off to the crabs, sea urchins and starfish, where if you time it right you can touch them in the touchpool session (every hour from 10.30), a quick splat of the animated jellyfish in the Magic Pool, then off to the penguins.
The down-side for us of having been so often, is that the children know the layout of The Deep like the back of their hands and race round it at break-neck speed to all their favourite bits, with me often in hot pursuit. I know the preferred route extremely well, it goes like this:
Down the ramp, pretending to be a Megladon, a go on the spinning the handle fish race game, to the Lagoon of Light where they pause to gaze at the very mesmerising fish, saying hello to their favourite, the curious Picasso Triggerfish. Off to the crabs, sea urchins and starfish, where if you time it right you can touch them in the touchpool session (every hour from 10.30), a quick splat of the animated jellyfish in the Magic Pool, then off to the penguins.
Up the ladder to have a look through the glass dome and then down the ramp to the big window into the massive Endless Ocean tank. Here we have another pause to marvel at the beautiful rays and sawfish and nurse sharks, white tip reef sharks, zebra sharks, the metallic Horse-eye jacks, the huge potato grouper and the most recent stars of the show, the loggerhead turtles, Sensa and Mabouche. (There is a dive show every day at 2pm here.)
Next we have a look at Nemo in the Anemone, watch the spotted garden eels popping in and out of their burrows, try and get the limpets to stick on the wave game and count how many blue poison arrow frogs we can spot. Then to try and spot the tarantula, a quick look at the very archaic-looking ripsaw catfish and then running off to touch the cold wall. Being retrieved from touching the cold wall, we then go round the Cool Seas exhibit, where he loves watching the emperor Nautilus bobbing gently up and down and the jellyfish drifting around in the current and then to the spinning blue globe which shows how sea currents work.
Also in this area is a tank demonstrating the damage that plastic is doing to the marine environment. We are always genuinely shocked by the vision of all the plastic bottles floating in the water. The Deep are trying to promote the use of refillable water bottles and paper water cartons as part of their effort to reduce the use of plastic and we wholeheartedly support this.
Next we have a look at Nemo in the Anemone, watch the spotted garden eels popping in and out of their burrows, try and get the limpets to stick on the wave game and count how many blue poison arrow frogs we can spot. Then to try and spot the tarantula, a quick look at the very archaic-looking ripsaw catfish and then running off to touch the cold wall. Being retrieved from touching the cold wall, we then go round the Cool Seas exhibit, where he loves watching the emperor Nautilus bobbing gently up and down and the jellyfish drifting around in the current and then to the spinning blue globe which shows how sea currents work.
Also in this area is a tank demonstrating the damage that plastic is doing to the marine environment. We are always genuinely shocked by the vision of all the plastic bottles floating in the water. The Deep are trying to promote the use of refillable water bottles and paper water cartons as part of their effort to reduce the use of plastic and we wholeheartedly support this.
Back to the cold wall, then down to watch the penguins zooming about underwater, badgering me for money to put in the coin spinning thing, then racing off to what was often the highlight of our visit – the soft play area, but oh dear, as they have grown older, they have obviously also grown taller. ‘Twas the end of an era when they realised they were in fact over 1m tall and could no longer go in...this suits me though as I no longer have to wrestle my shoes off to go in and intervene in the case of disputes over whose turn it was to go on the dolphin see-saw or then try and coax them out when they had absolutely no interest in leaving...
Then through the tunnel to look up at the majestic rays gliding overhead and then up in the lift if we are lucky or up the stairs for one last look in the big tank. The lift and stairs bring you out at the cafe. The cafe is good. It is situated in the nose of the building so is all glass windows and very bright and airy with a great view of the river. The food is also good with a variety of hot and cold food to choose from (already prepared so not long waiting times). They provide for younger children too with high chairs and a food warming area. There is also a picnic area near the cool seas bit if you prefer to bring your own food.
Lastly, out through the shop and past the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtles in the last tank. These are actually one of our favourite things here. They seem feisty little things, full of character, jostling for prime position on the rock. One last badgering for coins for the coin spinning thing and then homeward bound until the next time! Thank you, The Deep, you have been a very enriching part of our lives to date.
Useful Information:
The Deep can get quite busy at peak times, we have found it best to go early or quite late in the day. If you get there just before 5 (this is the last entry time), there are not may people there and it is almost like your own private aquarium. I know this is not very practical with smaller children, so in that case get there as early as you can, it opens at 10.
Links:
The Deep: www.thedeep.co.uk/
Then through the tunnel to look up at the majestic rays gliding overhead and then up in the lift if we are lucky or up the stairs for one last look in the big tank. The lift and stairs bring you out at the cafe. The cafe is good. It is situated in the nose of the building so is all glass windows and very bright and airy with a great view of the river. The food is also good with a variety of hot and cold food to choose from (already prepared so not long waiting times). They provide for younger children too with high chairs and a food warming area. There is also a picnic area near the cool seas bit if you prefer to bring your own food.
Lastly, out through the shop and past the yellow-spotted Amazon river turtles in the last tank. These are actually one of our favourite things here. They seem feisty little things, full of character, jostling for prime position on the rock. One last badgering for coins for the coin spinning thing and then homeward bound until the next time! Thank you, The Deep, you have been a very enriching part of our lives to date.
Useful Information:
The Deep can get quite busy at peak times, we have found it best to go early or quite late in the day. If you get there just before 5 (this is the last entry time), there are not may people there and it is almost like your own private aquarium. I know this is not very practical with smaller children, so in that case get there as early as you can, it opens at 10.
Links:
The Deep: www.thedeep.co.uk/