We visited Brighton Sea Life Aquarium and it is the perfect activity for a rainy day – Yasmin Syed

Today (July 26) marks the start of the six-week summer vacation.

While this is great news for kids who are happy to have a long break from school, it can often be a source of trouble and stress for parents who have to keep the little ones entertained for over a month.

And with bad British weather often bringing us downpour even in summer, it can be even more difficult to find activities when you’re limited indoors and can’t make it to the park or the beach .

Read More: 15 Exciting Things To Do In Sussex When It Keeps Raining

There is a place, perhaps slightly underrated, that parents and guardians can take the children to this summer, right on Brighton seafront – perfect for hiding if it starts to rain unexpectedly.

Sea Life Brighton is not just any aquarium, it is also the oldest working aquarium in the world, so it has an added appeal beyond the aquatic creatures.

I decided to go on the first day of summer vacation to see if it was really a rainy day activity worth trying. had set up to encourage people to save oceans and marine life.

You can pre-book your ticket online with slots to enter the aquarium every ten minutes, and you can change slots for free.

It cost me £ 21.50 for an adult ticket, necessary for all visitors aged 15 and over, while children under three are free and those aged three to 14 cost £ 16.95 .

When you arrive, you are strongly encouraged to continue to wear a face cover indoors and to log into the NHS Test and Trace.

You then enter the main aquarium area and instantly encounter large reservoirs of exotic fish and aquatic species.

The amount of tanks on display is staggering, and there’s plenty of space to walk past and watch the different sea creatures, even with a school vacation crowd.

There are also many signs next to the reservoirs informing you of what’s inside, habitat, threats to this species, its conservation status and diet.

It might be one of those clichés, but the aquarium is truly one of those fun and educational experiences for the little ones, who will learn a lot about the different species and their habitats without even realizing it. ‘they acquire additional knowledge.

Even in the first section of the aquarium there was an array of different tanks, from closed tanks on the wall to a huge open tank with rays inside, to smaller tanks on racks that housed tiny starfish the width of a hair.

One of the tanks had a magnifying glass so you could see the characteristics of the fish up close when they were swimming, while the huge open tank had an observation deck so you could climb up and watch the larger creatures marines from above.

In the center of the main area there was also a cafe, great for adults who want a chill out moment or a cup of coffee to chill out, and all the tanks in the room are visible from the seating area so that it offers the chance to sit and let the little ones run around watching the sea creatures.

It’s after passing through the main area that the cool features begin though, and there are exhibits where kids can stick their heads through a dome that puts them right in the center of a tank.

You can also see the world’s first beluga sanctuary through an impressive live-streamed dome that makes you feel like you’re there, and switch to the Day and Night exhibit that shows sea creatures in different conditions, with pretty lights lit the ceiling of a room that looks like stars.

In the area, you have the option of boarding a glass-bottom boat for an additional charge, which floats in a large reservoir housing magnified sharks and sea turtles.

There’s no need to pay the extra fee to see the creatures – you can hop off and discover them from below with a lighted tank showing the sharks, a huge open window revealing the bottom of the tank the boat is floating on, and best of all, an arch you can walk under to see the sharks swimming directly above you.

Other highlights include the chance to see seahorses, jellyfish in a backlit tank making them glow in the dark, and some unique species of common sea creatures.

Kids can also see real life Nemo and Dory – the clownfish and the blue flavor – although I felt incredibly old hearing kids more turned on by Dory than Nemo because they were all the age for Le. Finding Dory for being the blockbuster film of their childhood rather than the original Finding Nemo.

Having previously had concerns about the morality of Sea Life, it was very reassuring to see that there were signs throughout the aquarium with suggestions on how to help save marine life, as well as to share things the Sea Life Center does to protect the ocean.

Leaving Brighton’s Sea Life you also have the option to play some entertainment and even a VR experience which has proven to be popular, and of course the trip ends with a visit to the gift shop.

Certainly, even at the age of 22, I got carried away in the shop and I was delighted to receive as a gift some money in my bank account from my boyfriend who told me to m ‘gifting a stuffed penguin, then I recommend saving some extra money to give the little ones a gift if even I was drawn to the allure.

I was really surprised at how much I enjoyed my walk in the aquarium and I firmly believe that if I can love it as an adult on a solo trip it will be the perfect thing to do with the family on a rainy day.

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