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Our Visit To The Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary

ByLouise
A rocky beach and shallow water under a blue sky with white clouds. Overlaid text reads: "Our Visit To The Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary." Explore the wonders of marine life at Scarborough’s renowned sea life sanctuary.
A few weeks back, we were invited over to the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, and it was great timing as we were actually over at the coast on holiday at the time. We have previously visited Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary before and the boys loved it so much that it was great to go back and see if there were any new sights. 
We were invited as part of their half-term A-scarium fun.  A-scarium is an immersive trail which takes you past some of the creepiest sea creatures. For a limited time only ofbeing during the school holidays, five potion ingredients will be hidden in various tanks throughout the A-scarium, and it was up to us to find them.

Several fish swim near an old, round clay pot at the bottom of an aquarium in the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, surrounded by pebbles and brown seaweed with blue lighting in the background.
A copperband butterflyfish with yellow and white stripes swims near greenish coral polyps in a brightly lit aquarium at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary.
And let me tell you, we did struggle a little. Not only were some of the items hidden very well in the tanks, but we ended up being mesmerised by some of the gorgeous marine life as we passed through, that we had to go back and start again to make sure we didn’t miss any the second time around. 
As you walk around, you get to see jellyfish which are just stunning to watch as they glide through the water, and rays who like to come to the edge of the tank to say hello as you peer in. Penguins are obviously a big pull to some visitors and they are super adorable to watch. You can go underground and watch them swim around in their pond, or go overground and see as they waddle around.
A glowing pink-lit aquarium at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary displays translucent jellyfish drifting inside. At the top of the tank, a small sign reads, "We were born here," whilst the surrounding area glows with purple light.

Two children peer through a magnifying viewer at a Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary exhibit, bathed in blue light. Nearby, tropical fish glide in a large tank, while a "Caution Wet Floor" sign stands on the ground.

But from clownfish (hello Nemo!) to sharks, there are so many marine life here. There is even a Seal Hospital which is the only one in Yorkshire and provides help and rehabilitation to over 30 seals a year. 
As you walk through the Seal hospital, you can follow their journey, from being rescued, treated and the released back into the wild with the help of RSPCA to ensure the seals get the best possible getaway and chance at a healthy life in the wild. 
A penguin swims underwater, surrounded by greenish light at the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary. Bubbles rise from its beak, and its wings are outstretched as it moves near a dark structure in the background.
A group of penguins stands on rocks beside a pool of water at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, their outdoor enclosure featuring sandy ground, stone walls, and lush green shrubs in the background. One penguin swims whilst others watch nearby.
You get to walk through the amazing Ocean Tunnel which holds 156,000 litres of natural seawater and is home to an array of different colourful species of fish, and sharks, as well as the majestic Loggerhead sea turtle, Antiopi. 

A sea turtle swims underwater near the surface at Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, illuminated by light beams filtering through the water, creating a shimmering effect. Bubbles rise beside the turtle.
A starfish with five arms clings to aquarium glass at the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, surrounded by tall green aquatic plants and a rocky backdrop.

As well as being the tanks to lose yourself in as you walk by, there is also a rockpool which gives us the chance to see that the conditions within them are different from the open sea. In this part, you can touch a starfish, or feel the shell of a crab.

Whilst we were there, they were talking about sharks and how some lay eggs that are shaped like corkscrews – they actually had a few eggs with them, and T took the opportunity to feel one saying how odd they looked compared to eggs we are used to seeing.

A boy with glasses and a red hoodie holds a large dark sea snail shell. He stands indoors at the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary, in front of an exhibit display about ocean conservation.

Back to the A-scarium though, and once you’ve solved the puzzle, the Sea Witch will cast her magic spell and open the treasure chest, giving those who successfully navigate the trail a special prize. Now this event has finished, I can say that it was your very own beaker.

I thought this was a nice touch as it something that can be used over and over, or kept as a memento, so you can always look back and remember that time you visited the Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary…

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