The owner of the Trafford Centre said it plans to open an aquarium at the mall's Barton Square annexe. The plans are for an aquarium, which would be located next to the Legoland Discovery Centre. No further details have been released at this stage. It said it had agreed terms with an operator, subject to planning permission, for “a major new leisure attraction at Barton Square.” Capital Shopping Centres to open aquarium at Trafford Centre's Barton Square | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk
Planning permission has been granted for the new 36'000 sq ft site at the Trafford centre. The Trafford Centre given go-ahead for £6.5m Aquarium | Manchester Evening News - menmedia.co.uk
And after 2 hours their you will be wondering what to do next...! The thing is, what else could be done to make it at least more of a unique experience? I would like to see more about British freshwater and marine fish, molluscs, crustaceans and company (including plants), but I doubt it would appeal to the majority of potential visitors. Lets face it, ever seen a gift shop selling toys of Pollock, Rudd, Wrasse or limpets
I'd like to see whale sharks, belugas, manta rays, manatees and more sea turtles, why can't the UK have a Shedd/Monteray Bay/Georgia Aquarium
Sealife seem to have the whole one design/way to fit all going on. They seem very anti large fish/sea creatures. I would love to see more independent companies open aquariums, The Deep is a great one and has such a lovely main tank that blows any Sealife centre out of the water (excuse the pun)... Sealife feels like the ASDA of the zoological world really and I always feel so unimpressed after visiting one now. Blue Reef at least have a different take on it and their displays go down quite well with me.
I prefer the term McDonalds of the Aquarium world better that your chosen choice of Asda,as I think it fits far better as they are on the whole all the same,over priced and crap!!
Sea Life Centres and their Sanctuaries(sic) have done more damage to the credibility of zoo and aquaria than the Born Free Foundation, CAPS and PeTA put together. Over priced and formulaic attractions run by accountants and marketing men - as is sadly the fate of an increasing number of animal collections. Sea Life's idea of conservation is getting in bed with The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society against cetaceans in captive care and writing about it on their web site. "SEALIFE, its parent group Merlin Entertainments and WDCS are working on a project for the rehabilitation, release and retirement of dolphins that have been held in captivity." I think when they can actually start breeding the vast majority of their livestock rather than taking them from the wild perhaps we could then talk about dolphin in captive care - most of which in the US and mainland Europe are captive bred.
Merlin taking over the chain didn't do any help to them either, they are only interested in making a problem and probably couldn't care less about education or the welfare of the animals. Its just a shame they have to make each one exactly the same as the last, I've never been impressed by an exhibit in any of their centres. I wish they hadn't snapped up the London Aquarium either, I went a few years ago and it was just embarassing to call that the main aquarium of London.
Agree James. I worked at London Aquarium some years ago when it was privately owned. So much better. Really disappointing what has happened. Sea Life lost it way when it got bought out some years ago. And don't get me going on what it has done to Brighton Aquarium which now looks even worse than when Aquarium Entertainments owned it!! I suspect that in time Merlin will be sold again - this is what venture capital groups such as Blackstone do - and it will be interesting to see what happens then. Tussuads (part of Merlin) have already been own by at least one venture capital group in their history. These things don't last. It's all about profit margins not a zoological businesses.
