Merlin takes over Melbourne Aquarium, Underwater World

Merlin takes over Melbourne Aquarium, Underwater World
12-06-2012

Not sure how we all missed this, but apparently Merlin bought out the parent company that runs both aquariums as well as other assets such as the Otway and Illawarra Fly attractions. As long ago as December, in fact.

Coupled with Sydney Aquarium and Oceanworld Manly, it means that AQWA and Sea World are the only remaining major aquariums here that are not owned by the company, which is better known in the northern hemisphere for its Sea Life chain.

I guess this has its good and bad points. On the one hand the company might have the ability to coordinate collection planning and do some good things for species like grey nurse sharks which are conservation-dependent. On the other hand, there is now virtually no competition between major facilities in this country and no good reason to expect excellence from a company which is, frankly, not known for it overseas.

I last visited Sydney Aquarium in February and was upset with some of the very "Sea Life" developments - notably the "Claws" exhibit. One strong point of Sydney Aquarium used to be its near absolute focus on Australian species. The result is that there are many native species displayed there that cannot be seen elsewhere. "Claws" put the first chink in that policy and I fear more will follow. There were also ridiculous Lego statues everywhere (Legoland being a brand owned by Merlin that I'm sure will turn up in Australia at some point), detracting I felt from what traditionally was a mature presentation style at Sydney.

I can also now see, I suspect, Merlin's hand in the Easter period promotion at Melbourne Aquarium "Dance of the Rays". Yes, it featured a small school of juvenile rays but the main focus was headphones for children that played music in a certain part of the Aquarium, which in turn was used as a dance floor. I'm not averse to institutions having activities for kids (something has to pay the bills) but the live animal component of the promotion was very tokenistic. More than ever, in fact.

What are everyone's thoughts? For better or worse, probably two-thirds of the Australian aquarium industry is now in the hands of Merlin Entertainments. Is my dissatisfaction with that unfounded?

12-06-2012

that is quite something for us to overlook! What about Mooloolaba, who owns that one?

12-06-2012

Mooloolaba is Underwater World. I realise I tagged it as Melbourne Aquarium as I could not tag both. But both are apparently now Merlin aquariums.

12-06-2012

oh, of course it is. For some reason I completely overlooked that it wasn't just Melbourne Aquarium, even though you'd plainly put Underwater World as well and said "both aquariums" in the first sentence! I must have been having an absent moment!

12-06-2012

I don't know if I really have an opinion on the buy-ups. I've never been to a SeaLife aquarium so I have no first-hand knowledge, and I haven't been to Kelly Tarlton's or the Australian ones since they were taken over, so I don't know how or if they've changed much. All I really know is that the UK Zoochatters hate them

12-06-2012

I only went to one SeaLife aquarium (mostly disappointing), the London one, but enjoyed picking up brochures for local SeaLife aquariums in many European cities, from Berlin to Helsinki. Each brochure had the exact same design, and each folded out into a map of the aquarium, the similarities between each were insane. All had very similar main attractions, but each often had one exhibit focusing on a local ecosystem and species. Each brochure also featured a small spiel on the latest attraction, such as "Crab Attack". I really hope the Sydney Aquarium (and Kelly Tarltons, and the other Australian aquariums I haven't visited) don't go this way, and become a copy of the European ones.

12-06-2012

I think the London one is generally considered the best of the European ones, and that's probably because it didn't start out as a SeaLife aquarium.

19-06-2012

Well Sydney Aquarium's latest attraction looks pretty classy, like a relaxing cocktail bar on a beach, complete with fairy lights: Tropical Bay of Rays | Explore | Sydney Aquarium

I had always wondered where the Mamma Mia! set pieces ended up...

Attached Images

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19-06-2012

Chlidonias: "Leopard Whiprays"



Hix

19-06-2012

Final proof. It is against the fundamental rules of space and time for Merlin to operate an aquarium without a 'Bay of Rays'.

19-06-2012

luckily for Merlin Kelly Tarlton's already had Stingray Bay when they took it over: zooboy28, have you been to Kelly Tarlton's lately to see if they've changed that into a tropical paradise like Sydney's one?

19-06-2012

No, I haven't been since takeover, but I don't think it has been renovated yet, as its not mentioned as a 'new attraction' on their website (which I'm sure they would had they bought out the fake palms and fairy lights). Articles about the current $5.5million upgrade seem to indicate that most of the focus is on the penguin exhibit and attached Scott Base display.

EDIT: They did add a 'Seahorse Kingdom' last September however, apparently with the only Spiny Sea Dragons on display in the world.

19-06-2012

And Melbourne Aquarium's newest exhibit is a separated part of the main oceanarium for a school of eagle rays...living inside a sunken ship's hull.


p.s. This could be quite an old addition because I've not been since late last year.

19-06-2012

Ha! That's the other one that's always there - though not usually with the Spiny SDs!

20-06-2012

In semi-related news, Manly Oceanworld has been ominously re-named as "Manly Sea Life Sanctuary".