The New Rainforest Adventure begins at Brighton SeaLife Centre

 

You know you live in a great city when you can satisfy your child’s urge to see all things fishy with a trip to the Brighton SeaLife Centre (which, fact finders, is the world’s oldest aquarium). This is where the ‘Octonauts’ and ‘Finding Nemo’ come to life. The newest addition which opened this week is the ‘Rainforest Adventure’…a chance to discover what lives in the swamps and jungles underneath the rainforest canopy…and a chance to come face-to-face with a 9ft green anaconda!

My daughter was invited to enter the new Rainforest area via the roots of a Giant Mangrove. A brilliant idea, however I think it might have been a little too dark and daunting for her, so she opted to come with me through the other entrance (I did notice braver children squealing in delight and a few parents nipping through too!). Once inside, the floor felt different under foot with a clever textured ‘rainforest carpet’ and we were surrounded by the noise of rainforest creatures. We were also invited to stand in front of a mirror and mimic the anaconda’s massive jaw opening. I think my attempt might have scared all the children away!

It was fascinating to get up close to the new anaconda (who is currently searching for a name via a competition running through local schools). But my daughter’s absolute favourite part (where we could have stayed all day) was the tank with fresh water terrapins and turtles. They put on a very good show peeking at us out of the water and slowly climbing on their pal’s backs for a better look at us. I also loved seeing the Piranha fish…which were surprisingly beautiful. Unfortunately I’d explained that Piranha fish ate meat…and my ‘too much’ detail really put my daughter off having a closer look. These really were the prettiest flesh-eating fish I’d ever seen. They were blue and sparkly…a great combination. There were also frogs and other small fish hiding out in the rainforest.

The 140-year-old aquarium has recently had a £2 million refurbishment to restore much of its original Victorian splendor. Some parents commented on various areas of damp in its nooks and crannies, but I think it’s always to going to suffer from being this old and this close to the sea. Mind you if you are whisked through by an eager toddler, you really won’t notice, but I’m sure you will be talking about your experience in the days to come. The first thing we did on our return home? Why, make our own aquarium of course!

Top 5 tips for enjoying the SeaLife Centre:

1. It can get very busy in the middle of the day…we always get there early to have a bit more breathing space and a chance to get up close and personal with the stars of the show.
2. Wear layers. It can get very warm inside and we’ve always had to shed layers, so having a bag to hand might be a good idea (and somewhere to store your camera and emergency snacks)
3. Take advantage of the coffee shop which is right in the middle of the main hall, so you can have a drink whilst still checking out the fish and rays.
4. Don’t feel you have to do and see everything with a small child…it can be too exhausting and overwhelming…cue meltdowns in the gift shop!
5. Ah the gift shop…it’s a well stocked shop with lots of lovely treats which can add up. Be focused on what your budget is and stick to it. Or simply say ‘yes, that’s nice, let’s get some bubbles which we can play with outside!’ (and hopefully making it a bit easier to finally leave).

Find out more (including booking online in advance to get a discount and feeding times!) by visiting www.visitsealife.com/brighton