The Ultimate Undersea Safari - A warm welcome awaits you at the Blue Reef Aquarium in Newquay where you can enjoy amazing encounters with the fantastic creatures that live in our seas and oceans. Our displays take you on an undersea tour through the marine world; from the British coastline to faraway tropical reefs and lots more in between.
During your visit you’ll come face to face with everything from giant British crabs and lobsters to seahorses and tropical sharks and, what’s more, you’ll get a chance to find out more about these creatures’ incredible lives. Our aim is to show you some of the natural wonders of the underwater world and help explain why it’s so vitally important to look after them.
Our aquarists love the marine world and many of them spend as much time as possible in it, on it or under it. They also enjoy talking about it so if you’ve got any questions or want to find out more then please ask us.
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS - Everyone here at Blue Reef believes it’s only by getting close to and, in some cases, actually being able to touch, marine creatures that you’re fully able to appreciate just how incredible they really are. Our displays are specifically designed to allow you to get as near as possible to everything from starfish to stingrays. We also run daily ‘meet the creatures’ sessions where visitors can enjoy hands-on encounters with a variety of sturdy rockpool animals like crabs, starfish and sea cucumbers.
You can enjoy feeding displays and entertaining talks all day, every day. We also run special activities; from Pirates’ Weekends to Shark Week - there’s always lots of great events going on at the aquarium. Check out the website for details.
BLUE REEF CONSERVATION - We aim to inspire a deeper interest in the marine environment by ‘opening a window into the world beneath the waves’. But it’s not just theory; we’re also involved in practical conservation work, much of which takes place behind the scenes. As well as breeding programmes for seahorses, clownfish, sharks, rays and lots more we’re regularly involved in rescue, rehabilitation and release work with anything from stranded sea turtles to injured seal pups.
UNDERWATER WONDERS - The aquatic world is home to some truly incredible creatures. The sheer variety of size, shape, colour and behaviour makes the world of land animals seem quite tame in comparison! From jellyfish and giant octopus to freshwater turtles, puffer fish and living corals there’s literally oceans of extraordinary characters to meet at the aquarium. Nothing’s ever quite what it seems in the underwater world either; there are fish that can walk, living fossils, creatures that can change shape and colour to fit their moods and even males that get pregnant and have babies.
NEW FOR 2007 - Seahorse Ranch. Seahorses have enchanted humans since Classical times. This spectacular new display is home to dozens of seahorses offering visitors the chance to observe these magical fish. Virtually every one of the world’s seahorse species is now endangered; Blue Reef’s hugely successful captive breeding programmes helps ease the pressure on the wild populations.
Open daily from 10am (closed Christmas Day)
CORNWALL TOURISM AWARDS VISITOR ATTRACTION OF THE YEAR BRONZE AWARD 2006
