SEA LIFE London Aquarium

This was a bit of a disappointment and poor value for money. L30 for 2 adults (children under 3 free) and we were in and out in less than an hour and a half. We visited London Zoo recently and for only a little bit more money, you get a whole day out with the kids with plenty to do and see.

On the plus side, the sharks and turtles were quite interesting and liked the open tank with the rays but that was about it. The place was poorly lit, a bit dingy & dirty in places and badly sign posted. No staff around to help or ask questions, just one person hurrying you through the tunnel. The tunnel was no big deal really and didn’t notice any signs of recent refurbishment. We arrived at 4pm but it was still very crowded at this time and so difficult to manoeuvre the buggy or get near the tanks with our toddler.

Toilets and baby changing facilities were in short supply and were poor for somewhere supposedly family friendly. We queued for the lift to get out, then again no directions to Exit and then steps down with the buggy to get out! A lady in a wheelchair was having real trouble due to the steps but again no staff around to help. So to summarise: a few unique sights but generally a frustrating experience for young families. They need to rethink this attraction or at least lower the prices. There are better London tourist attractions to spend your money on. If you want to see fish, you’d be better off going to your local garden centre’s aquarium. This will probably be a more enjoyable experience and free!

I considered that maybe it's just my bias towards all things fishy that I couldn't understand the string of harsh criticisms about this aquarium, but that didn't really add up because a lot of the reviews for London attractions baffled me. Example, the London Eye which has a healthy four star rating. My experience of it was; long queue, expensive ride, obscured view in packed cable car, half hour of ... nothing!

I've been to aquariums in Paris (more expensive), Vienna (much smaller) and Barcelona (less variety) and generally you get the same at all of them ... fish.

It's true that the settings are underground, but I really don't see why this is a huge problem, this is London after all, did people expect open air shows with dolphins leaping from large pools?

I've been to the aquarium several times in recent years and never failed to be star struck by the variety on offer. If you're attending for picturesque architecture then you're liable to be disappointed, but if you come to see a wide range or aquatic life, then I can't see how the aquarium fails to disappoint. I acknowledge that it gets crowded at weekends but again, I don't see this as a criticism of the aquarium itself, obviously it needs funding to maintain its livestock and that generally comes from ticket sales. London is one of the most widely visited cities in the world, naturally people will want to visit attractions. The aquarium isn't any more crowded than the London Eye or the Tower of London.

The aquarium has recently undergone some extensive and expensive refurbishment, in particular to the shark tank (the old design appeared in a scene between Clive Owen and Julia Roberts in the film Closer) to bring it more up to date, there is now a tunnel and conveyor belt opposed to a straight forward tank. I can't comment because I haven't been to the aquarium since this refurbishment has been concluded but I have read only positive things about it in the press and trust me, the English press isn't shy of criticism when it feels that it is warranted.

All things considered, I have no complaints with the aquarium plus it has only been improved in a multi-million pound revamp since the last time I visited it.

I'm not usually a big fan of aquariums, but I loved my visit at the London Aquarium. It has a beautiful, calming atmosphere and is organized and presented excellently. Check out the dancing robot at the front of the aqarium, and take lots of pictures of the beautiful fish and sea creatures inside the aquarium.