Reviews of Oceanarium. (Museum) in Bournemouth (Dorset).

Oceanarium

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367 Comments

Museum

Aquarium

Oceanarium Pier Approach, Bournemouth BH2 5AA, United Kingdom

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Information of Oceanarium, Museum in Bournemouth (Dorset)

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Reviews of Oceanarium

g. h.

Wonderful afternoon out and reasonably priced. Big variety of sea animals and some other animals too such as tortoises and otters (which were very shy when we visited!). The keepers were really happy to tell us more about the animals, especially at the penguin enclosure (which sadly we couldn't go in due to bird flu), but it was a lovely day out regardless. Also has a lovely reasonably priced gift shop. Would recommend for any age.

T. M.

Bournemouth oceanarium was brilliant!!! There was a huge amount of fish and marine animals and every tank was well looked after. The tunnel was an absolute favourite and the sharks were super scary! We watched the penguin feeding time but watch out for the birds overhead, they poop a lot! This is our second time visiting and we had just as much fun as the first time! Would definitely go again and 100% recommend.

M. D.

Absolutely amazing! This is the second aquarium we've visited and definitely the best so far! The live feedings are brilliant and the tunnel is incredible! I didn't want to leave. So much to look at, we went round 3 times and every time saw something new we didn't see the first time! So definitely take it slow and make the most of the time, go round multiple times as you may catch a new fish that was hiding the first time! Gift shop was reasonably priced too with lots of variety for different ages.

A. L.

Lovely place to take the family all the kids loved it including the baby (great sensory interaction). We was able to turn our clubcard points into vouchers we could use to make the cost even cheaper 😁 . If you get a stamp on your hand or have your ticket proof you can return and go round as long as you like for that day.

K. A.

Amazed at just how much can be packed into such a small place. Great selection of fish, both marine and freshwater. 3 really cute otters, and some grumpy looking penguins. Spent 2 hrs in there and found the otter talk informative.

T. P.

Wonderful afternoon. A bit of a last minute trip for us with our gran. Whoever worked on the tills today 27/06/21 amazing customer service. 2 adults and a senior.. so blooming kind to put one of us through as her career. (She uses a wheel chair for trips out now days) they even called the lift down for us and told us where to go! Haven't been for years. Changed a little now but all for the best. Looks so fab! Top staff and still a lovely place to visit. You made our grandmothers day. Thank you!!

D. J.

Absolutely loved it. From the outside it looks tiny but don't be fooled. An incredible place, that myself and partner spent over 2 hours in. Cannot be missed!

T. I.

If this is your first time visiting Bournemouth I would definitely recommend going to the Oceanarium. It is entertaining for children and adults alike. We watched the penguin feeding which also had a presentation from the lovely staff there. All in all, we are very pleased with the experience, it is just wonderful.

A. M. P. a. P.

A great place for a visit. Well laid out, lots of interesting exhibits, nice little shop. Shame the cafe is not open and the penguin exhibition is closed.

D. J. K.

Lovely place to have fun and learn. Child friendly. It is very close to the beach, you may go from the oceanarium to the beach. You’re in for unlimited fun 🤩

V. V.

It's an amazing and very interesting place to visit! There is different kinds of fish, penguins, sharks, turtles, octopuses and so many sea creatures. Also there is a cafe and a gift shop. We spent a great time with my family!

T. J.

I booked online and visited on the day storm Eunice hit! I could have walked around in 10mins but I dragged it out to 50mins with the kids because of the weather. There were no staff around to ask questions, some displays were empty and we couldn't see the penguins as we couldn't go outside. All in all I think it was over priced for what is there. The tunnel was a favourite of the kids as you had a great view of the sharks.

M. Z.

It was nice experience overall. I would prefer if they would get rid of coffee on the top and extend place for animals(penguins). Coffee was closed, empty and nobody really wanted to sit there. Water tunnel was the most disappointing thing. You cannot see animals as sky is above you and the light makes it difficult to see anything. Sharks were swimming in the circles and I felt bad for them. No tunnel needed. I would also prefer if they would get rid of it and opened placed for animals. People can see better from the sides.

P. H.

A wonderful sea world. More people needs to know about our wonderful sea world and it's diverse life, and the impact we have on them and us. Recommended for adults and especially the children as they are the future to defend and keep. Very diverse creatures from sharks to a giant turtle that is over 200 pound in weight. Just amazing.

L. M.

The main tunnel was great seeing the sharks swim overhead. There are some large tanks with glass walls which are great for kids to look through. Unfortunately the penguin part was closed.

R. D.

The array of sea life in the actual aquarium was great, however they don’t seem to have any limit on the number of guests that can be inside at any one time and if they do those limits are way too high. We visited the cafe first as we wanted to eat before going in and since it was fairly early for lunch (11:45) we managed to get a table but by the time we were leaving the place was packed, there were literally people just standing around the outside waiting for a table and as soon as you stood up you’d get asked if you were leaving. Then when you go in, there’s crowds around some of the more popular attractions like the otters, we just skipped them in the end as we couldn’t see anyway and didn’t want to push through crowds especially during these times to get a quick glimpse. There was a queue to get through the tunnel which was about half way round because the guy manning the station just let people stand and look for ages. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a good aquarium and maybe we just went at a super busy time (not school holidays but was a Sunday). However, there needs to be more of a limit on the number of people that can go in, it would be annoying even before Covid and now it’s just annoying and stupid.

J. W.

It's quite a small aquarium for the entry fee, but there's a good number of animals to see. The large tank with sharks is fantastic, and the enormous sea turtle in their is breathtaking and beautiful. The big disappointment is the signage. It's absolutely dreadful, so many displays with no information at all, and those that do using video screens that only show one fish at a time. Standing waiting for the one you want to identify to appear is really frustrating when paper signs would work.

A. L.

Awesome experience at this attraction. Feel they packed alot of things into small space. Highly recommended. So much to see and they offer a great range of souvenirs in the gift shop at reasonable prices. Definitely worth the money.

K. M.

Great day out for all the family! Wonderful aquatic life: interesting & informative & pretty good value for money too. Shame the cafe wasn't open, but there's plenty of other places nearby to get refreshments. Gift shop 'wares' were, predictably, over priced. Overall would highly recommend!

O. O.

Enjoyable place for the young kids. Good point - has a cafe, bad point - too expensive for what it has to offer. We spent there looking around about 40min.

J. G.

Local aquarium on the seaside, perfect for kids and very informative. My favourite was the underground tunnel, there was something amazing about walking in the tunnel surrounded by beautiful aquatic life all around.

S. E.

Really nice place, had a lovely conversation with a lady that works here when we asked about the turtle she gave us lots of information and was really friendly.

K. S.

Small attraction compared to the entry free. Also the queues here get very long so best to book online. The attraction itself is decent and the walk through tunnel is pretty good, plus you can see the tank for above and also from the sides.

M. L.

Love visiting here, animals always look healthy and happy. Good variety of animals, well designed viewing areas so even if it's busy you can get a good view from multiple angles

E. M.

A great place for a family day out with lots of aminals to see. Good administration prices and knowledgeable & friendly staff.

S. K.

Smaller than expected but was still enjoyable. Just missed out of feeding time with the penguins. The ray was absolutely stunning.

S. A.

They have a lot of sealife here. It was really interesting. We didn't have the kids with us so it was just me and my partner and we still spent 45 minutes inside and even then we walling around quite quickly. We really enjoyed.

T. T.

Was great , seen the others get fed . My grandson loved the big turtle and penguin 🐧 . It's a great place we really enjoyed going there .

D. G.

Great place to visit with otters who were very entertaining, a crocodile, iguana, sharks, penguins and loads of fish. Very interesting whatever the weather and for all age groups.

L. C.

Lovely visit today with our granddaughter who is 10, she loved learning about the marine life and their habitat😄

A. M.

My daughter loves it. I'm glad they do annual tickets as we are here every week now.

J. M. S.

Great place for kids and adults ! Easy Less than two hours (1.30) visit all aquarium . Not big fan of amazon fish's on first part of visit. After the rest of tanks is very good to see, diversity of species. Amazing views on tunnel and big windows as well for main tank.

N. D.

It's a good place if yhe weather is bad. Interesting visit for a few hours.

D. N.

Experience was pretty disappointing for the price we paid to enter.... its nice if you have kids but for adults is meh.... very limited things to see. We were in and out in 20 min and paid 26 pounds for 2 adults.

G. B.

Definitely a nice experience, kids loved to see so many different sea lives

M. G.

Very nice, you need to see, but I hope next time they will be more organised and don't let 100 people inside in the same time. Was formed a queue on the stairs.

J. B.

Really nice aquarium - clean, tidy and well laid out. It was well organised especially with current restrictions - it is requested that you wear a face covering still which wasn't an issue and everyone was complying. You do have to queue before entry even if you've booked tickets but the queue moves quickly.

M. J.

We really enjoyed ! Quite cheap for the family ticket of 3. Small but nice. Some much to see !

B. M.

We went to Bournemouth for the weekend and thought we could pop into this aquarium where the kids love them, I wouldn't say it's the best I have been too, it's really nice but just really small can get around it so fast

S. K.

Compact layout but nice varied collection of aquatic life. Spent close to 2 hours. Amazonian fish collection was very impressive.

E. B.

Lovely oceanarium with interesting displays. Lots of beautiful fish and animals to see. My 6 year old loved it.

A. P.

Great aquarium. Needs a few more boards saying what species your looking at, but generally a great experience

s.

Great distraction from the nice Bournemouth beach. Kids loved the fish aquarium and the penguins. Nice tunnel through which you can see sharks, sea turtle. It was nice but I'm not sure it's worth the entry price.

D. S.

Animals were all out fish all looked healthy and full of life kids loved it and the gift shop pluss right on the beach front for ice cream

M. E.

Third visit and kids love it! Amazing place must visit!

S. B.

absolutely lovely place to visit. very clean and staff are very friendly. all creatures looked well looked after. Will be returning again.

E. B.

Really good value for money! It isn’t massive but for only £12 per person there is a really good range of sea animals! A great attraction to kill a couple of hours, will definitely return!

N. I. M.

I love this place! For a reasonable price we have managed to witness a good variety of sea creatures, especially penguins! It was really cute. I like what was done with the temperature and the humidity in each part. I think it is to comfort the animals and represent their habitat much better. I was also pleased to see the abyss part. Even though not much is known about it, there was still something to look at.

R.

We had a fantastic trip to the Oceanarium today. It took us probably less than a hour to go round, we probably could have spent longer as there is lots of information to read but our toddler was to excited to see the next thing. We did have to wait to enter as it was very busy. It's a very easily to follow one-way system. You do start by going upstairs but there is a small lift if you can't us the stairs. I do hate taking the pushchair here as it can get busy and it gets on the way when looking at the animals. Otters get fed at 11am and are always super active before this also watching them hunt after just after is hilarious. Since Covid they have stop animal talks.

M. L.

Great day out amazing tunnel so much to see

G. M.

Despite being rather compact, and small in appearance at first glance, this Oceanarium offers great bang for your buck. The highlight, invariably, is the walk through tunnel with sharks, rays and a massive turtle flying (OK swimming) overhead. There are, however, some unexpected delights such as the penguins, otters and even a handsome iguana! If you're in Bournemouth, make this a definite stop. You'll be glad you did.

A. T.

Small but interesting aquarium. Get two hours in there but easily done within an hour. The walkways through the tanks put you right in the middle of the exhibits giving a unique view of the variety of sea creatures.

D. K.

Enjoyed visiting here & seeing the lovely penguins, fish, sharks & turtles. Never been that close to a shark was amazing to see. The otters were obviously hiding as didn't see them & would have been nice if the cafe had been open on such a hot day. Would definitely recommend 😊

S. C.

Fabulous fish and displays but there were way too many people inside the building. It felt very uncomfortable from a Covid safety point of view but also in places it could have presented a fire risk. I know it's peak holiday season but the numbers should be limited to something more manageable.

r. c.

Very good place to visit for all the family,

N. M.

Lovely place to spend time with family 👪 all the tanks are very well maintained, very clean and you can easily explore them. Plenty of hand sanitizer and one way systems throughout the place.

k. s.

Well worth the money. Not the best I've seen but was very good. Reasonably priced. I liked the one way system in place and the fact you can go round more than once. Lots to learn and plenty to see.

J. A. P.

Amazing place to visit well worth the money!

s. p.

Great for all ages!!! Absolutely loved it.

g. 2.

Great place 2 see animals clean great for a wet day.. or dry

S. L.

We had a lot of fun, the penguins were a real highlight. The staff were friendly, but there was a lot of bits closed due to Covid restrictions like the play area and interactive exhibits. Hopefully we'll return when the restrictions end

J. T.

I enjoyed visiting. Through no fault of the Oceanarium the only annoyance was the walking in a single line it felt quite restrictive but they have to follow the governmental laws. Beyond this out of their control situation, it was wonderful to visit. The animals seem really healthy and well cared for. They have adequate space to live. Worth making a visit. It was a great place the Penguins are my fave parts.

F. C.

Fantastic experience with lots to see - friendly staff Perfect for kids and adults or families to fill a gap in your day Animals including: iguana, crocodile, penguins, sharks, jellyfish, stingrays, fish and many others Cafe on the side and reasonable priced gifts at the shop attached on the way out with something to remember the experience

S. R.

Lovely oceanarium, very good for kids and fantastic priced

K. H.

We visited here whilst on a weekend getaway to Poole. We brought a long our toddler son and he really enjoyed it. I do feel we went through it very quickly but son is 16 months old so he can loose interest quickly, not the attractions fault. Animals do look cared for and nice enclosure/tanks

J. R.

It's just about okay. Nothing special. Cost 30 quid for 2 adults and 1 child. I thought that was way too much for an experience that lasted all of 30 minutes. Also saw a really big sea turtle in there I felt very sorry for.

R. W.

Went to the Bournemouth Oceanarium. Because of, covid you now have to book online, They have a one way system throughout the place. Once I managed to get away from the SCREAMING KIDS it was an enjoyable experience. They have fish and water animals from all over the world. My favourite exhibit has to be the lovely otters. I will definitely be going back there again sometime.

C. L.

Firstly, covid secure: this place has done a lot to make the place accessible and clean for visitors. There are a large number of sanitation stations around the place, most of which situated around doorways. Adults must keep their facemasks on at all times but kids under 11 dont need to. I feel like they have outdone themselves with making this a safe environment so that's a good thing! However, that's also adds some negative points, as there were a number of elements to the oceanarium which appeared to be out of order or not accessible, and covid was being used as an excuse. I.e. signs would say along the lines of "due to covid this is turned off or not available" however I almost feel like that was a bit extreme, and it was like they were using covid as an excuse to provide less of an experience...which is a shame. Overall the exhibits were good, and the kids enjoyed it, but for the time spent there, and the number of things restricted because of covid, then the price paid to enter was definitely not worth it. I'm giving 3 stars because it was ok...but I won't be returning in a hurry thats for sure.

G. C.

Poor crowd control and flow of visitors, regularly left waiting as groups stopped in front of attractions to take photos and selfies (which is fine if managed to allow others to move on). No sign of any penguins or otters despite marketing.

Z. W.

Good experience overall with a 2 year old. Cafe was closed, not sure why. Penguin area is really smelly, something should be done about that. Good selection of fish and other sea creatures.

S. S. (.

A little rundown inside but the wildlife is great and the variety makes it enjoyable. The tunnel is really cool and it's really interesting seeing how the glass changes scale and perspective at later points

A. I.

2nd time here. It's really good with lots of different fish and also iguanas and penguins. My 2 year son loved it as it was his first time. We booked online to get a saving. 2 adults and son was free as only 2. All for under £20. Well worth it. We will be back soon

P. B.

Pleasant experience, not too busy so had plenty of time to watch the fish etc. Shark tunnel was enjoyed by our little one, especially the rays.

A.

Well looked after by staff, fish in excellent condition, but hot and can be crowded as lots of buggies in narrow passages. can come and go all day on one ticket which is great.

L. D.

Good place to visit although we did the whole thing rather quickly which we didn't realize until we came across the gift shop. If your a couple best to go when the kids are at school. The feeding times are good but there just wasn't as much as we remember from previous years. The others were hilarious though.

L. S.

Lovely place to enjoy with family and friends. My children really loved walking through the glass tunnel to watch the fish, sharks and huge turtle. I personally spent quite some time watching the otters fighting for a spot on their raft in the water! The penguin feeding show was very entertaining and informative.. we also loved the dark room, I think called The Abyss... Wear something white!! We visited the cafe beforehand, where they serve hot snacks such as chips, and serve Starbucks coffee. Soft drinks and tea also available. Good selection of pocket money toys like magnets, fossilised sharks teeth and gemstones. More expensive items were carved figures of sharks and dolphins, jewellery, and large plush toys. Very reasonably priced entry - if you visit the cafe you get a discounted rate, but please check before making a purchase. The staff were all professional and approachable, nice bunch!

c. l.

Great place, sea turtle looked a bit sad but all around it was decent, loved the black tip reef sharks. Cafe was good value and the ticket price was reasonable and you could use it all day

H. C.

Loved the tunnel and it was good despite being quiet. Personally don't think however, that it is worth the money paid. Can get through it in 30 mins. Maybe a reduced price during Covid since some activities were and are on hold.

C. A. A.

Nice way to spend a few hours

D. W.

Great experience today with my grandson. Useful entrance fee offer which we used. Enjoyed the exhibits, especially the tunnel. Otters and penguins were amazing to watch as we were in time for feeding. Well worth the visit but leave your buggies behind add there is not much room to manoeuvre.

C.

Visited Oceanarium first time and it was a easy entry after purchasing tickets via the website. Simply walked in and shown the e-ticket to scan and obtained our hand stamp and pass. Lots of sea creatures to see and really enjoyed the penguins and the big turtle. Great for children and families. Recommend

N. H.

This is a lovely place with some really great sights and nicely spread out feeding times. My only qualms are the difficulty booking tickets online and the fact that I wish there were more attractions as it does not take a long time to complete. Saying this though, the staff are friendly, the place is clean and I could not say I didn’t enjoy my time there but I couldn’t go again too soon as there’s not enough to do and see.

J. G.

This was a lovely find. Right on the seafront and with plenty of interesting sea life of all kinds. The gift shop was large and with plenty of variety. There's also a cafe open to the public which has Starbuck's coffee at a good price. Also a single ticket allows multiple entries on one day so you can come and go as you please and see it all in intervals. A great place to bring the children. Book online to get money off. Highly recommend.

B. T.

Difficult to social distance here, but that's not the staff's fault. They ask and people ignore. Kids were in awe of sharks, giant turtle. Octopus. Penguins. Urchins, eels, clown fish. Lots of other fish. Tunnel in shark tank. Jellyfish. Great time.

N. H.

First time I've been and will be the last. Had a bit of variety which was good. But was around it in half an hour (with a pushchair) and overpriced for what it was. Wouldn't recommend

s. r.

Definitely did not expect so many creatures here. Must visit for children as well as adults. Takes about 1-2 hours for the whole tour. Probably longer with children. Sharks and tortoise were the best surprise!

J. P.

*2 1/2 stars Aquariums are always hard to judge. This one was quite small and confined, over the course of two levels. Penguins didnt have an outside area (that I was aware of), and the sea turtle seemed too large to be in that tank. Also, I've been to some zoos that are the same price, and you're there much longer, this was an hour, and we walked round twice.

B. A.

A great showing of marine life and not to devastating on the wallet. Staff friendly and easy to access with our disabled grand daughter.

D. T.

Love an aquarium and wasnt disappointed with our visit to the Oceanarium. Covid-19 measures in place operating a one way system around the exhibits and lots of hand sanitising stations around the building, managed to time it right so we got to see the penguins being fed! Lots of different species and information available to view. Friendly staff, very happy with visit 😊

A. S.

Pretty good Oceanarium. Entrance fee is okay for what is usually a 60-90 minute trip. The talks are sometimes a little muffled but with something to listen to every 30 minutes there's a great schedule for the day. The staff are very friendly and the kids enjoyed the day.

M. M.

A great place to spend a nice time with family. Good prices. Tickets allow unlimited same day entry. Buy your tickets to the Oceanarium and enjoy the best discounts. The Oceanarium is located on two floors with access, as well as stairs. recommend

K. &. O.

Despite the crowds at the weekends and the amount of pushchairs (even though there's a buggy parking place) it's a very lovely place. It's calming if you have anxieties, it's educational, exciting and makes you conscious of the environment. The food is great and worth the price in my opinion. All in all, this makes for a great date, family day out, educational trip or just a time filler.

M. “. F.

Great place, smaller than London of course but tickets were very fair family of 3 for £28 was good value

J. A.

It was clean with friendly staff and i got a family ticket at a reasonable price. The animals are well looked after which pleased me alot . The only negatives were the staff never gave us any leaflets it was our first time going there so we got abit confused and it only took about 30 minutes to have a look around

A. I.

The oceanarium is not big, but it is well planned and kept. You can check feeding times on their site and plan a visit to see penguins or sharks during their lunch time. The guy with penguins explained a lot about their life, so not only kids, but adults were interested. To save some money, go and book tickets online, which is easily can be done from mobile phone as all you need is scan codes to present at the counter. Definitely worth to visit

B. J.

A very short but pleasent experience. Well run facility with an organized entry (considering Covid restrictions and guidelines)

T. S.

Decent aquarium with selection of tanks including 'shark' tunnel. Penguins, otters, tortoises and crocodiles as well. This is quite a small aquarium so can be very crowded. Pushchairs can be a nuisance particularly blocking the shark tunnel.

C. M. I.

People don't keep the social distancing. There many things to look at and the informations about the animals and fish are really helpful. They say you can spend maximum of 2 hours in there but we spent around 1 hour and a bit with time spent reading the notes.

M. H.

A great little aquarium with a nice mixture of animals to see. You can also see the penguin and otter feeding at select times and your tickets are open on the day so you can pop back in if you missed some on the day such as the feeding. There is also a playarea for kids and 2 if the cafe areas over look the sea which looks amazing on a sunny day. We also got a free cup of tea by showing our receipt in the cafe. All the animals looked well kept and it's right on the beach which was nice. Sadly a few parts were being refurnished when we went but that only means it will be better next time!

M.

What a place to go to!! My kids loved it. I loved it. Lots of information so you can learn all about the different animals they have. Feeding times are brilliant. Listening to them talking about the turtles and sharks. Love the fact you can leave and come back all day. So a quick sneak off to the beach. Then back for the feedings. The yearly tickets are perfect. Makes it worth coming any day all year round. We will be back again soon!!

D. P.

great place to visit. Plenty to entertain and inform. Don't miss the turtles being fed and help yourself. Enjoy the others playing and the penguins doing their thing. The fish are great to stand and stare at and be amazed. Watch out for the sharks. Handy for Cafe and town centre. Surprised that only one turtle in the big pool they were found together but as they grew they did not get on so one has gone to Madrid.

J. H.

Small place but don't be put off by the size it's a real highlight to Bournemouth. Lovely day out and you can come and go as you please all day. Great for kids and adults too. Gift shop prices are reasonable too with a wide range of gifts. Staff are friendly and you can tell they're passionate about there job. Highly recommend a visit.

J. P.

It was OK, wasn't the best tbh. Kids enjoyed it main thing however it was all over in 30 mins and it was packed everyone pushing to get to the tanks.

C. H.

Lovely day out on very windy wet day. Loads to see. We enjoyed it as much as 2 year old grand daughter. You can go in and out with your day ticket. Loved the penguins and turtles. Definitely good value for the money

Z. B.

A bit small but otherwise worth the trip. Took about 45 minutes to go around. Loads to see. Penguin, stingray, Sharks underwater tunnel. They have a few shows throughout the day so worth seeing that. 10% or 20% off for students, not sure. Right by Bournemouth Pier so once you finish, you have more to see and do.

A.

Lots of fun, lovely animals, great place for kids. I'm an adult but definetely enjoyed it. The tunnel is great and everytime I passed it I saw a new fish species.

g. h.

Great day out with my little one. Fascinating array of sea creatures. Reasonably priced and all displays were appropriately maintained. Ideally located on the beach and there is a gift shop and cafe with hot food and drinks.

C. D.

Buy tickets on line for discounts the day before your visit. You have your hand stamped so can come & go during the day if you want to see them being fed. Feeding starts at 11am with the otters. Good selection of fish from around the world.

A. D. P.

Very beautiful site, great variety of species, organized your tour, biosecurity protocols are taken. Site highly recommended for children and adults.

G. A. (.

Great experience , we did spend around 2h I think or maybe more . I personally enjoyed watching the otters playing and the small reef section (sting rays , tiger fish etc) it's a shame that some of it was close due to renovating because I really wanted to see a sharks and others but I think it was reflected in the price as we paid with a big discount .

M. B.

Smaller than we thought it would be but for only £23 with the offer of a third off. We was told about the shark tank before hand but this didn't put us off going in. I wouldn't have paid anymore though as it was very small even with the shark tank. Some of the tanks were empty or near empty.

H. S.

I really enjoy it here, it is small and can all be seen in a couple of hours however they do use the space really well with multiple levels to see enclosure in different ways. Entrance is reasonably priced and cheaper if you book online. Great for adults and kids. Has a small cafe and well stocked gift shop.

S. M.

Great activity for a wet afternoon. Very informative and interesting. The shop was good and had a great selection of gifts. The Penguins and Turns were facinating, really loved seeing them. The Loggerhead turle was georgious. Very playful Otters.

s. c.

Good for kids ,not to big to get bored but enough to keep them interested. Shame no otters on this visit and no information why they weren't in there enclosure but the turtle made up for it !! Reasonable entry price best to buy tickets on line and save a couple of quid before entry .

R. H.

It's fine. Some of the animals (such as the turtle) didn't seem too happy and all the glass needed cleaning. But overall its a good way to a spend an hour or two.

P. R.

It's one of the smallest aquarium called Oceanarium as compared to other aquariums specially Sealife. It is of course a feather in a cap to Bournemouth apparently your journey ends within half an hour which makes you feel like really? That's it? But if it's your first time in any aquarium, you have a lot to explore. Well the ground floor has aquarium tunnel with a shark, a turtle and sting ray. Which is a great attraction to most. It also has a kids corner with jellyfish on the wall and a souvenir shop next to which is cafe. First floor has penguins, a huge pond looking structure which actually is exposed part of the tunnel. Some fishes, and some invertebrates like polyps and medusa, starfish, porifers and skeleton of a turtle. Next to it is a rooftop restaurant which was closed on the day we visited. The overall common man verdict is it's a great time saver if you are in hurry but bit conjested so that everything is placed in that tiny little place and also felt like something is missing. I felt like I visited a big restaurant with aquarium. Anyways my boy enjoyed it.

J. G. p. a. v.

Bit expensive but a lovey little aquarium with an underwater tunnel which was cool. The octopus was fascinating!

T. C.

Loved it even tho we went during restrictions being in place so had to walk around only once and in a que the animals were great the views and ways to view were great especially the otters and penguins and the staff were all very helpful and friendly as per any aquarium there is also alot of useful info about and it's great for all ages

N. G.

Great experience in the middle of the city. Parking is a bit of a struggle but overall great value for the price!

J. C.

Bournemouth Oceanarium The Oceanarium is an interesting and fun experience for all ages although it's not a cheap experience at £13.50 for an adult ticket. Plenty on display although some of the tanks are looking a little tired and grubby.

M. “. A.

As aquariums go... and I can admit to having been to a few... this is a good one. One of the big attractions (imho) are the turtles but there is a great variety of marine and freshwater life in clean looking and well presented tanks. Plenty to stare at! We spent a good afternoon there and also enjoyed the talks.

C. B.

Half price entry for locals during March ! However £12.50 entry for adults and £2 discount for students isn't the cheapest for this small aquarium. It's right next to the pier and the beach so it's very popular, which makes it very busy, I'd dread to think how busy it would be during peak times. Some of the tanks were bland, the best one with the most enrichment was the otters enclosure, they also have a view of the sea. The penguins was a bit sad, and also having birds fly around their encloure was a bit risky and there wasn't a very good "double door" system to prevent them from escaping. The shark tank is very small but it's nice that it's not over crowded with sharks and turtles. All around the oceanarium there are lots of posters about preventing global warming and reducing plastic waste but they don't stick to it themselves, selling loads of plastic items in the gift shop, (Sea Life have biodegradable pens made from recycled material), also selling lots of plastic bottles and plastic buckets wrapped in plastic wrap. I mean if you're going to preach about plastic use, stick by your morals.

K. S.

Fantastic!!! So much to see and tickets are valid all day. You can always re enter if wanted.

E. S.

Is good for kids, my nephew who is 2 particularly liked it last summer. However last weekend I paid over £13 each for my sister and I to get in and you couldn't go and see the penguins and the iguana wasn't there. I felt they should have told us when we paid as my sister mainly wanted to see the penguins, or should have offered tickets at a lower price

f. W.

We spent a pleasant hour here during half term-but do book ahead to avoid being turned away. It was really really busy and whilst everyone behaved and took turns it would have been better if there had been fewer people. It was hot inside, even in feb so dress light in the summer! I also felt very sorry for all the mums wrestling with prams-the pram park was inexplicably shut. Great fish and animals...very engaging, especially for younger kids or those clued up on nature.

D. C.

It is a lovely place for family the sharks were cool the turtles were cute and the amazing design of each room is amazing would recommend

K. S.

Good place. Small but cover most of the fishes and creatures. There is a cafeteria and small kids play area inside. You can spend around 1.5 hours here and kids will enjoy the most.

Е. Г.

Not so big but you could see many kinds sea inner residents 😁

T. P.

It's no so big, or with a lot of variety of animals but they are all really well-taken care, and it's a nice place to spend a few hours if the weather doesn't cope.

j. b.

Reasonably priced, good selection of fish (including sharks and rays) and a nice mix of ways to view them(tunnel, pool, tank, underwater). Very good location and good booking system.

A. C.

Lovely way to spend an hour or so. Some lovely exhibits. Very reasonable entry price and easy to book online. The shop was very reasonable too.

I. K.

Oceanarium had some great areas to explore but the whole place could be done in less than half an hour, some areas needed serious cleaning especially the penguin area as it was filthy and smelly which is to be expected but staff could work harder at keeping it more clean, maybe more filters to the water? It would have been more enjoyable if it was alot bigger.

S. F.

Fairly decent, tank is not that large or deep. No interaction. Turned up on warm afternoon, so all the animals were intent on having a nap.

R. A.

Good attraction. But felt it was too busy, so difficult to take your time to look at the fish etc

R. F.

Really lovely venue. The kids were entertained for ages. We all loved the tunnel and it's in a great place where there's loads to do outside and beautiful views.

S. G. (. G.

I paid for a family ticket which costs £29 odd. I felt it was really good value for money. I was told we could stay for up to 2 hours, I don't know if that's a covid related restriction or if that's what it normally is. The penguins were amazing and the large turtle took my breath away, I couldn't believe the size if it!!!

A. C.

Staff here are always friendly, and an expansion last summer means there are Penguins now too! It's worth booking online before visiting, and you can get a discount if you prepay.

R. D.

The biggest problem with this aquarium is it's size , that being said it is priced accordingly and is a great few hours out

B. R.

We had a really great day out with plenty to see and do. It's all so good that you can come and go all day so that you don't feel like your stuck in there. Will definitely return and recommend it to anyone who is in the area and looking for something to do.

S. H.

I loved it, it was very educational and had a lot about the effects of climate change and how we could help. The penguin feeding was adorable and the person giving the talk was very knowledgeable. The deep sea bit was so exciting and so were the turtles! The only downside for me was that it said online there were seahorses but I couldn’t find them. There was pipefish though! And starfish too. I loved all the different areas like Africa, Florida keys etc. I would like to return when the India bit is back open. Great aquarium.

U. M.

I did the whole tour in 30 mins, was ok a little dated, felt sorry for the penguins and otters as they are just sat in there jail cells but what can one do

A. M.

Very well designed with lots to see and informative. Great place to take the family

M. “.

Visited this place for the first time yesterday. Not the biggest attraction like this I’ve been to but it is definitely worth a visit.

C. Y.

Kids like fish so it was fun for them. Pros: abyss was very cool. Massive turtle was eye catching. Using Tesco Club helps reduce the cost. Reasonable price. £30 for a family 4. You can learn something new! Cons: play area is very small. Best to go when there is no half term and not raining. I went during half term and it was raining. Was very busy but that made is stay there longer so I guess that was good. I guess like everyone else says. Clean the glass?

M. S.

Amazing how much you can see in such a small place. From fish to sharks to penguins and turtles, indoor and outdoor, and a kids play area... Definitely a fun place especially for families with kids

S. F.

Small and expensive for what you see, so bit of a let down when you can get around the complete venue in 45 mins so not great if trying to entertain kids for a day!

R. B.

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit.. Lovely well presented it was nice to see such a variety

D. M.

It's not huge but it has penguins, otters and a great variety of fish. It's really nicely laid out. There is a tunnel through the sharks enclosure! There is also a soft play area half way round.

J.

Have an adventurous day with family. All sorts of sea creatures to see. There is souvenirs shop and coffee shop. This place have lifts to wheelchair access. Good place to spend time with family.

L. S.

Fun place to go however the shark tunnel was small and constantly busy so I couldn't get pictures

D.

Pretty nice aquarium, not much to do there but it is a pretty nice place with the cool and relaxing environment.

E. W.

Great value for money and absolutely amazing animals! As a turtle/tortoise lover, I was not disappointed when seeing the sea turtles. The penguins were an unexpected surprise but Ioved how close then got and how interested they were in me. In depth facts are provided on the animals and a green screen souvenir photo is available.

L. R.

Me & my family arrived there it is a nice place to take children to view the various creatures however for the amount of money paid I believe there could of been more for the money so I believe it was a little too overpriced hence 3 stars

K. T.

Great service and so well organised in the current restrictions. We were totally enthralled by the otter noises and the penguins. The giant sharks and enormous turtles are stunning.

M. G.

Had a great time at the Oceanarium, would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Bournemouth.

G. C.

For a small aquarium it has some lovely species of fish and marine animals however it's very hot inside and a little poorly kept. Cafe was small but adequate and a nice gift shop not too overpriced. My 9month old baby loved meeting the turtle up close!

K. C.

It was small but nice there were some decent exhibits only issue being that due to the size it was hard to have time to really look at each attraction as there were alot of people pushing to see the same thing

G. K.

The Oceanarium on Bournemouth seafront was opened in 1998. I have been promising myself a visit since then which happened on the 26th March 2018. I have to say after visiting the Sea Life Centre in Bangkok, Thailand this was nothing compared to that venue. The covered walkway was quite narrow in the Bournemouth venue compared to the Bangkok one. The sizes of the the tanks were small compared to Thailand, I would go as far as to say they were really far too small. The Otter display was a disappointment, they were sunning themselves outside and could not be seen clearly from the walkway. The Penguins seemed almost bored and lifeless many even refusing food when the feeding display was on. The day I went they had an offer on for half price for local OAP’s at £5.25 each. I have to say if I had paid the full amount I would certainly have been disappointed. It advertises ~ This venue offers all visitors a journey around the waters of the world! 10 recreated environments include the Amazon, Key West, the Mediterranean, Abyss, and the Great Barrier Reef. Another attraction called the Oceanarium’s interactive feature and launched in June 2008, Global Meltdown, looks into the possible effects of global warming. Visitors are transported to an imaginery time in the future when sea levels could have risen to such an extent that tropical fish and sharks swim through the streets of London or Britain. Displays illustrate to visitors the effects of peoples actions may have on ocean levels and allows them to record personal pledges to reduce their carbon footprint via a special interactive video pledge wall. The Oceanarium gets in excess of 225,000 visitors per year and in November 2008, the Oceanarium was announced as Tourism Attraction Experience of the Year at Bournemouth’s annual Tourism Awards. The attraction is owned by Spanish leisure giant Parques Reunidos, who operate 67 parks across the world. Parques Reunidos UK parks comprise Oceanarium, Blackpool Zoo, and Lakes Aquarium ( formerly Aquarium of the Lakes ). The Oceanarium displays are situated on two floors with lift access, as well as stair access. Wide passageways are throughout the displays for ease of access. There are some steps within the Oceanarium but all of these are clearly marked and alternative routes are available. Disabled toilet facilities, the Offshore Café and Cove gift shop are all located on the ground floor. The Oceanarium is open daily from 10am throughout the year, except Christmas Day.

K. P.

Had a birthday treat coming here with my daughter and granddaughter who is 11 months. So much to see, I fell in love with the penguins 🐧. Great day

P.

Not a huge amount to see but what there is is good and informative. Its nice and clean and well laid out, especially for children. I felt it is quite expensive for what it is but I guess it's on par with most places like this.

Y. E.

Great activity for rainy days. No social distance. It was so crowded !

P. R.

Great range of animals in the exhibits but the information boards are seriously lacking. Animals in some enclosures with no board to show what they are. Watching the turtle pace up and down endlessly and repeatedly bumping into the wall is a horrific display of boredom and too little space. Amazing to see such animals but sad to see at the same time.

S. M.

If you have a spare couple hours in Bournemouth this is a good way to spend your time.

W. A.

A fine little Oceanarium with many displays. Once paid you can leave and then return for free as many times as you like throughout that day however it is quite small and seen very quickly.

R. B.

Great little place. It's very child friendly and there's a fair amount of variety. The tunnel is great!

A. S.

Quite small but we had a great time. Definitely amazed our little ones

K. N.

We spent a lovely hour at the Oceanarium. Interesting for adults but can imagine kids would love it. Highlight for us were definitely the loggerhead turtles, especially during their feeding time.

M. P.

Nice place Interesting things to see but it is very short as in you'll be done in a hour...

P. B.

Decent day out but could do with improving the info sheets about the fish. The digital displays change very slowly and some didn't include the fish that were in the tank.

S. E.

Went here for a day trip, but it only took us an hour to walk around the whole place, so had wasted a £5 on the car park. Other than being a bit small was a fairly nice place. Good to go to if you just got an hour or so free. Play area was also a bit small and crazy.

E. H.

A great little place to spend the day with tasty food in the cafe! Also has a good little walk through tunnel where you can walk underneath fish and a giant turtle!

r. g.

Good dispays but dont olan on spending the day as we did it in 30minutes. We booked online and got a decent price for a family of 4. On arrival we entered a stairwell with a large display of tropical fish, the sort of tropical fish you would see in a home aquarium, its not a complaint but it does set you up for whats ahead. Up the stairs your met by a good looking lizard, random for an aquarium but still good for the kids to see. After walking around taking in the view of a few displays your met with a view over the main attraction, on our visit it was being cleaned which seemed to be stressing some of the tank occupants. The turtle was amazing. We then walked through the tunnel that was under the main tank and through another area to be greated by the start again. There are 2 cafes inside although the downstairs cafe area doesnt have a lot of space but has a small play area for the smaller kids. The upstairs looks over he beach which on a sunny day would be very nice. Theres a coffee shop that serves hot food and drinks at the start but it was busy as it also serves the beach. In summary good clean dispays but like all good things its over too soon and not as big as it looks online, still worth a visit if you are in the area.

O. H.

Their lock down restrictions are a one way system and social distancing which is good however it might make some feel rushed as it was quite busy when i went with my partner and you could tell people were just walking through without properly looking just because others were being not so nice as we were, the aquatic animals are cool to look at regardless, I'm going to recommend going here once lockdown rules have more or less gone and you can walk about freely as I feel that will be a even more fantastic experience.

D. F.

Good for kids under 3 they go in for free and tickets are good for all day. Best to break it up into smaller visits during feeding times

M. G.

This aquarium/penguin/bird attraction was a great place to visit in Bournemouth. There's a variety of fish, coral and penguins to see. It's a nice place to go with kids.

S. M.

Great social distancing measures put in place. Only a shame no talks around main tank, cannot be helped though with present covid-19 situation.

N. W.

A fantastic way to spend a few hours and for the whole experience of seeing such majestic creatures from far away places in a town near you, I think it is remarkable value for money, loggerhead turtles, black tip reef sharks gliding through the waters above you in the underwater tunnel, penguins and piranhas through to sting rays and otters, brilliantly helpful staff with plenty of time for questions about the animals. 10/10

B. B.

A good place go with family the little ones will enjoy it to

j. a.

Wonderful experience. Kids enjoyed well.

R. P. R.

A very enjoyable and relaxing visit. A little confusing one way system. Not marked very well. Will be better when covid rules relaxed.

V. S.

Small aquarium, which includes most of the fishes and also some of penguin, sharks, stingray, Turtles, one iguana, and moon gely fish. It's really a wonder for family with childs.. You can enjoy it in front of Bournemouth sea beach and exactly nearrer to Bournemouth Giant wheel.. during weekends too much busy.. they don't provide any discount on student card... And they have different entrance fees for adult, family and child. It's really interesting place to visit once....

R. M.

cool fish and sharks 10/10 one fish had a shell so I think it was dressing up as a turtle

A. D.

Beautiful place for kids and adults. Well maintained everything. Lots of creatures inside it. The most attractive is fish tunnel.

J.

Smaller than expected and some of the exhibits were a bit disappointing - penguins were very forlorn on the roof next to a shut cafe, and some exhibits needed the windows cleaning. The whole place felt a bit tired and in need of some TLC.

s. l.

Had an absolutely amazing day yesterday one way system and hand sanitizer everywhere 👍staff were brilliant 😁😁will definitely be back

N. A.

Really nice place where you can see so many fishes.

L. L.

The kids really enjoyed the tunnel where they could see all the sharks up close. The octopus was amazing.well worth a visit.

B. S.

A great time spent observing the ocean wildlife. Would have given it 5-star rating but for the refurbishment that closed 1 section

G. H.

It is a nice experience for family. but I think that the turtle is too big for the tank and need more space to swim around freely. But apart from that really clean really nice setup beautiful I recommend you to have that experience with your family for younger kids

L. C.

Quite small, but they have lovely animals and your ticket is valid all day so you can see all the feeding of the animals.

K. S.

The most amazing place. For my little one was amazing experience to watch animals and fish life under the water.

R. J.

Took the grandkids they loved the tunnel with all the sharks swimming around, and the giant turtle.

R. I. A.

Great place with nice stuff!!

P. S.

Great to visit for the entire family. Tanks are clean and fish are all healthy. Otters are fun to watch (if awake) and the large turtles / tiger shark are the highlights. The new penguin enclosure is also well worth a visit. And yes... I found Nimo

M. T.

Nice little aquarium centre. Good mix of sea life including sharks, turtles, penguins, piranhas. Fairly reasonably priced. It may work out cheaper buying a family ticket 2 adults and 2 children. Really well organised regarding COVID and all in all worth an hours entertainment for the kids and adults too. 👍

K. L.

Busy but really good, the fish look healthy and the tunnel is brilliant, there's so much to see all at once.

R. S.

Rather small . OK but can get round it very quickly.

G. D.

Of course when visiting Bournemouth, you have to visit the oceanarium. However it's looking a bit dated now and the ticket price is a bit extravagant. But once you see the excitement on your kids face you forget all about the small things. The fish are incredible and the walkthrough tunnel under the water is amazing.

E. B.

Great place and a favourite when away for my 2 year old

m. k.

Brilliant place to visit when you are in Bournemouth and it starts raining, which to be fair could be any day between April and August !!! The Bournemouth Aquarium is an aquarium located on the seafront in Bournemouth, England. It offers visitors a journey around the waters of the world.

J. I.

Wonderful Oceanarium for all ages, my boy loved watching the sharks and turtle swim by as he stood at the glass, great for only £13 👍

P. E.

Amazing place to visit loads of fish to look at from allover the world the only downfall for our trip is the other members of public when you have a 6 month child and the buggy gets barged in to constantly because there out for themselves (non English) but that sums it up for them no respect for others

S. E. S.

All grandchildren loved it, has shop and cafe on site loverly opportunities for them to see all sea life close up

R. H.

Very accessible and easy to get around with pushchair. Friendly staff and great place to go for young and older!!

K. W.

A good family adventure for all ages then plenty of restaurants and other activities to fill your day.

B. B.

Was great ...Best one iv been to got to see everything and all the animals looked in good condition

a. r.

Didn't go in this time but in the past it kept my son happy. Interesting place to take children.

R. C.

Great place for younger children, ideal with the weather here in Bournemouth too! Highlights were how friendly the penguins are. Staff do need to be aware we did see people entering via the gift shop toilets for free then pushing past everyone in the opposite direction.

M. C.

I always visit the Oceanarium when in Bournemouth, it’s fantastic to see all the sealife and other animals! My favourite is seeing the penguins, sadly on my most recent trip the exhibit was shut due to avian flu restrictions, but you could still view them from the windows. Gift shop is good too.

M. C.

A smaller oceanarium, but very nice. Definitely worth to visit.

N. R.

Small but packed with a good variety of species. Lots of information about the animals /fish for older children and adults and small enough that young children won't get bored. Good value for money.

K. O.

Nice selection of aquatic animals

S. A.

Very nice, amazing sea life...I would not pay the full price though as it seems to be a bit overpriced for me. Fortunately you can always find good deals and even up to 50% discount.

S. T.

Although it looks relatively small for an aquarium on the outside, there are so many different animals and things to do. We had a great time here and got some up close action with some of the animals.

A. W.

Nice place to spend an afternoon with the family, very busy though felt we were having to rush through, very popular attraction just by the beach. Really liked the well stocked shop too, reasonably priced for a family of 5.

a. b.

Amazing collection of aquatic animals. Can spend a couple of hours!

a. r.

Was perfect birthday treat for my grandsons birthday Highly recommended

M. J.

Really great, well priced day out for all the family. Really enjoyed our visit.

C. S.

Nice aquarium. Lots to see, ingeniously fitted into quite a small footprint. Great for kids but we enjoyed ourselves too.

M. K.

Everyone was very friendly and happy to answer our questions. It was our first time visiting and we really enjoyed it!

A. M.

Great! Lovely experience for the kids! Highly recommended

R. M.

Quite a small location for the animals they have. Did notice a few sickly looking fishes in a couple tanks. Went round the oceanarium in the afternoon and was disappointed to find all cafeterias were closed.

A.

I loved it. It is informative and an absolute delight to walk around.

F. A.

This place has quite a lot of sea life. Even penguins! The price is very reasonable and at the time (June) they were doing a good deal to enter. You have the normal fish tanks and also an area where you can watch the animals from above and below which is so cool. And outside there are penguins and a cafe. It’s right next to the pier so in the heart of everything.

N. T.

Very child friendly. Lots of different types of marine life that are well presented.

E. C.

Incredible! So many species, a great environment, the tunnel... wow! Worth every penny.

D.

Nice little place which is well run.Loved the views of the beach.Maybe a bit over priced.

A. B.

Went to the Oceanarium last week as we had a few hours to kill in the area. Didn’t regret it! Got there in time to watch the turtles and the penguins get fed, both of which were quite fascinating! It was out of tourist season so the place wasn’t too busy but we enjoyed those few hours we spent there. It’s not massive so a couple of hours should be enough but if you have kids, you might need more. Your ticket is valid all day so you can always go somewhere else for lunch or something then go back to watch the different feedings.

W. B.

Good value for the money, everything you would want to see in a oceanarium, love the giant turtle.

F. S.

Good aquarium,lots of species and very clean. It's well layed out, designed and doesn't look tired.

s. r.

Excellent value for money, £36 for 2 adults, 1 under 5 and 2 seniors, this was with a 30% discount leaflet picked up from our hotel reception. Lots of exotic fish and reptiles and two very large gorgeous turtles 😍

L. M.

Fantastic place. Reasonable entry fee. Wasn't too busy when visited. Loads to see. Good gift shop.

A. V.

Great place and good price for entry

M. N.

Great aquarium, amazing fish, especially liked the sharks and sting rays.

L. A.

Its was a cute place book before hand

Z. J. B.

Small size but well organized. Lots of things to see. Don't miss the otters :)

W. G. 3.

A great day out whith the family worth goingto highly recommend this place if your into nature and fish

D. G.

Spent a good 2 hours here good family place and good value for money recommend

B. S.

Great aquarium for kids, lots of different spaces for fish & reptiles, and with a small play area with climbing frame on the lower levels. Our littlun loved joining in with the other littluns running around the tanks and generally having a fishy time. Highlights were the penguins, and main tank, which can be viewed from multiple angles including a glass tunnel showing fish all around :)

A. B.

Great place. Really cool but is on the expensive side, and pack to the rafters during summer and school holidays.

J. C.

Awesome aquarium. Good value & a great variety of different animals as well as lots of educational literature. The sea turtle was dope.

F. F.

A lot more to see than expected... Well worth the money

D. H.

Quite expensive, but a good variety of sea life on show. It was a little sad seeing the large sea turtle in it's fairly small tank.

F. L.

Interesting, great for kids interactive, great to watch the animals being fed. Parking only a few mins away though expensive £2.50 an hour!

S. U.

I think I had high expectations. But however a lot of children where having fun. Maybe it's more for families with young children

T. N.

I always enjoy visiting Bournemouth Oceanarium, our one year old loves looking at the fish. It's not the biggest attraction but for us it takes just the right amount of time to get round. Can be very busy when it's raining.

S. C.

Rather small place and doesn't take long to walk around. Marine life all seem to be looked after which at the end of the day is what a place like this should be doing. Aquariums like these are a benefit to the young people of the future, to promote that we should be helping our own oceans and marine life and not destroying them.

W. C.

Seemed abit pricey for what I saw But good entertainment for children with a play area for them, if the weather not great. Maybe it wasn't fully open because of the time of year

A. V.

A lot of exciting fish and animals for a 3 year old and her parents.

K. M.

Really good with some great viewing points, missed tge water Dragons though. Definitely go again.

R. S.

The fish have lots of room to swim, and I love the otters and penguins but I think they could’ve had more open/bigger enclosures for those animals

J. B.

A great way to spend a couple of hours whilst I'm Bournemouth. Very affordable with offers available when pre-booking online.

J. R.

Very good display. We had a wonderful time

L. S.

This is a very good sized Oceanarium with plenty of sea life to learn about. There are feeding time opportunities and challenges for kids to do as they go round the different sections. It can get very cramped here but there is lots to look at so you don't get impatient. The staff are enigmatic and care about the work they do, remaining enthusiastic when telling you about each species. As expected, there is a well stocked gift shop, and the onsite cafe offers a good variety of food choices.

R. m.

Excellent value for money, lots of animals to see. And the family ticket was a bargain. I've been to a lot more expensive aquariums and have felt ripped off! Well worth a visit with the family for a couple of hours. Staff were very friendly and keepers were very knowledgeable. will go again for sure

J. H.

Absolutely brilliant, had a great time and excellent value for money

M. M.

You can't believe what kind of wild animals they have! Mystical creatures from which you should keep distance or you will put yourself in to danger. Love it!

C. A.

Fantastic!!! Very educational experience and was lovely day outing - they offer many interesting experiences as well as an Aquarist for the day. Penguins are adorable !!

B. K.

Aquarium was pretty good value for money. Nice variety of sealife and all kept clean. Downside was cafe was overally expensive for cheap food, which is normal for this places sadly.

J. B.

Loads of fun just a shame that there's not more shows on!

R. H.

Excellent views of a variety of fishes with comprehensive information on their habitat.

M. K.

It was so exciting. I can absolutely recommend it to everyone.

k.

Interesting oceanarium with a large variety of sea life, however, we didn't see any otters in the enclosure

J. R.

Great day out for the family. Lots packed into this aquarium to keep all the family entertained. Cafe is good with lots of choice, recommend the chicken burger.

X. B.

Really good experience. Have been before, but took my girlfriend there for the first time and she thoroughly enjoyed it. The big center tank with its walk through tunnel, the "great barrier reef display" was unfortunately closed for renovation but will hopfully reopen in February 2019 and we hope to visit again. Due to the closure we got a "Return for £5" voucher so that we can come see the new display.

s.

Great family experience. Very reasonable price for family of 5. Variety of fish to see. Children were ery excited. Especially seeing the penguins. Overall 1hr for full tour. But you could go for another round. Was slightly busy so we had to come back. Gift shop is overly expensive (expected) and the cafe is really nice but super busy.

R. T.

We walked in and brought tickets, the fish penguins birds and reptile look in good health and clean

M. N.

Interesting place. Try to watch some of the "Feed and talk" It's just that the tanks are quite small for the amount and sizes of some of these fish.

K. O.

Brilliant aquarium! Just wish it was free so could go back all the time as the kids love it!!! Lol

Y. H.

Love making many visits so purchased a gold pass, that speaks volumes. Educational as well as enjoyable, such a variety.

J. J.

Good fun here The young girl at the main desk was possibly one of the politest people I've ever met. There is enough stuff going on here to keep anybody entertained. It was reasonably priced considering your ticket gains you entry all day. I'd come back here if I had small children as a lot of the tanks are designed for children to veiw the aqautic animals.... I can imagine it being a nightmare here in peak summer as it could get crowded and enough selfish people could ruin it for you...blocking views and hogging picture opportunities. Great though and well worth it.

m. m.

Nice place good, got alot of different different verity of fish.

J. D.

Didn't really enjoy it. Looks like it needs updating only two penguins and many information boards about what was in each tank where not available so u was left trying to guess. Luckily we visited on a discounted ticket lot of money at full price.

D. W.

Fantastic seaside attraction, wonderful for the children, the adults liked it as well.

W. S.

Went on December day - was nice and quiet. Enjoyed ourselves but would probably avoid in summer. Also has toilet and cafe on beach. Exhibits were interesting and had good atmosphere.

W. O.

We liked this place but found it to be quite expensive for what it was. We were only in there for about an hour and that wasn't rushing.

C. R.

Great place to visit for all the family, friendly staff and lots to see

M. D.

Lovely area. Has a balcony facing sea, whivh is great for sea view.

D.

Great aquarium, it's got everything you would hope for and has an octopus turtles and even a dwarf crocodile. It takes about 45 mins to walk round with kids so is quite expensive but at least you know some of the money is going to a good cause... Rescuing injured sea turtles.

D. R. T.

Lovely place to spend time with kids , not very big but has almost everything you need. Well maintained and good design. Usually fully booked if you went straight away better to online prebook. Single and Family tickets available with reasonable price. The shop has good stuff for the kids. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in the aquariums. Walking distance from town Centre.

H. a. A. U. K.

Getting very tired. Time for a reno. Good hour and a half for kids. Don't expect social distancing.

G. J.

Online tickets sale, not crowded. Very interesting sea creatures, perfect for kids entertainment

S. K.

A nice lil place on the beach front. Not badly priced and for just under £30 we updated our day tickets to an annual pass for Sunday visits. To do this you had to pay the annual price but then you get your day tickets refunded a few days later. They have 3 levels of membership to choose from we just went for the cheapest which was bronze. It can be done as quickly or as slowly as you like and you're free to come and go as you want throughout the day of your ticket. They have various feeding and talks on, which when you arrive you're given a piece of paper with the times on. It's probably best suited to visit on the warmer days when it's beach weather if you want to come and go throughout the day because in between you can top up your tan! The otters and penguins are great addition. The otters are quite comical at times and interesting to watch. The penguins are in an outdoor/indoor space so dependant on weather it can be quite chilly or a cool down out there. Be aware of the birds flying over your head too! The two turtles are magnificent. You can also find nemo in several places! They have a gift shop and cafe on site and a lift to access up the upper floor, plus a play area for younger children. There are windows down here that let you see under the water of the penguins. The main pool area that has turtles, sharks, eels, fish and sting ray can be looked at from various places: from above where its an open pool and they are fed from up here, there is a walk through tunnel and in another part big windows to see from the bottom up! There is a darkened area which has uv lights so if you're wearing white you're guna glow! All in all a nice lil family place to visit or go on a date! I've put a few photos with my review as I've already uploaded a lot of them separately onto Google.

H. L.

Small, nice, neat and clean but quite expensive! Worth seeing it with Kids!

#. F. T. M.

Have visited here several times over the years, for both family outings and work related visits. Never ceases to amaze me how consistently positive the experience has been. Team at the The Oceanarium seem fully invested in the idea of creating a fully immersive experience from the point of promoting awareness of sea life environments and conservation. Also for the casual observer or tourist its certainly one of the high points of Bournemouth Beach ⛱ in season and out of season. I would also like to point out that the Oceanarium has evolved a lot over the years to feature different animals or species connected to the sea e.g penguin and otter enclosures, my son is particularly fond of their resident iguana 'Ziggy'. All of the sea 🌊 life and animals from what I have learned from previous visits have been rescued creatures. All the more reasonable to visit The Oceanarium.

M. M.

Cool place. It's best to get membership and be able to come again and again.

G. K.

Amazing staff. My sons Christmas present was a shark feeding experience and the staff looked after him and made sure he got as involved as he wanted. He thoroughly enjoyed his experience and was grinning all day. Thank you.

M.

Literally was sat in this bubble thing playing with a penguin for ages and I’m a bloke in mid 30s. I still can’t find my family! Was amazing!

S. N.

Lovely little trip, cool penguins, cute otters, and giant turtles. They also offer feeding experiences, and have a cafe where they serve hot food. Ideal for young families.

K. C.

It is under renovations right now but it is a great place to take kids for an fun afternoon.

J. B.

Well priced and thoughtfully laid out with plenty to read and see across a good hour.

L. B.

Not worth the money at all. We were out in 35 minutes. One penguin, one crocodile, one big turtle and no otters. Very disappointing

K.

Small but perfectly formed. Love the educational parts..so important

J. D.

Fascinating animals including loggehead turtles, penguins and jellyfish. Interesting fun for all ages.

D.

Booked in advance and had a great time here. Not too crowded and the underwater tunnel had my little boy transfixed! Only four stars because its not that big compared to some other aquariums but we still had a good time.

E. A.

Great activity to spend a day with family or friends. Lots of different kind of fish, otters and penguins! Everything are well presented with big glasses and good light. The shark tunnel was amazing! Good price as well! Book in advance to avoid disappointment!

A. S.

A nice place to visit but it is just too small for me.

S. B.

The staff was great, the talks were interesting. And for the price there was more than expected

O. A.

Great place to visit. The kids loved it.

p. b.

Easy booking tickets on line.Car parking at BIC as all outside car parks full in area.Easy to find as right next to pier.Busy entrance but very short wait to get in. Many people still wearing masks but narrow corridors means social spacing not possible. Good number sea animals but even taking it slowly only 3/4 hour to get round. My 6 year old grand daughter enjoyed it especially the penguins and otters. Lot of exhibits were small and creatures difficult to see.Too many small plastic toys in the gift shop not in keeping with stopping plastic waste. Overall enjoyable.

A. R.

Great place to bring kids on a rainy day. Lots of interesting animals to look at.

C. T.

Wow.. amazing place, it’s my favourite place..loved 😍😘

N. V.

Good place tonl go with family for a visit. Very nice. I would recommend .

j. P.

Great place to visit great price on entry fee

L. C.

Overpriced for the experience. Plenty of variety to see & everything is well explained, but going round is over quickly.

T. A.

Worth a one time visit! Not a huge place, the entire place can be seen in 45 mins if you are not planning to stay for watching the animal feeding sessions.....good fun for kids.

E. P.

If you go in Bournemouth, you have to visit this place!Is very beautiful!

A. D.

A great place for an outing with the kids on a day when the weather isn't so great! A good selection of exhibits with the underwater tunnel at the end being the real highlight! Not overly expensive, but worth pre booking online. Park in the Bournemouth International Centre multi-story.

J. T.

Nice to look around but some animals look like they could use a slightly bigger enclosure

N. W.

Great location, nice and open, good flow through and a great selection of creatures to learn about.

F.

Good value, great staff and lots to see

R. H.

A lovely place especially good to bring children. Notsuitable forpushchairs or wheel chairs sadlydue to the number of stairs

A. Z.

Great experince for kids! Unfortunately we could't come closer to the penguins :-( anyway it is a place worth visiting!

D. H.

Fantastic place. Not huge but very enjoyable. A little expensive, but it must have huge overheads so don't mind paying.

K. R.

My 3 yer old son loved this place xxx

J.

Excellent variety of ocean wildlife however on a day like today the experience wasn't brilliant it was just far too busy.

K. S.

Lovely aquarium definitely worth a visit very good prices

A. T.

Handy place to be on a rainy day but not only. Quite impressed the variety of species they have here. Prices are a bit high but overall worth paying a visit 👍

A. F.

Fantastic place for a afternoon in family. Its not a very big oceanarium but it was a lovely visit and the staff was very friendly.

K. A.

Amazing place other than the penguins having avian flu.

S. W.

Lovely little venue for toddlers. Enjoyed seeing the massive fish, sea turtles, otters, jelly fish and sharks. Lovely location for beach and fish and chips before or afterwards too.

W. D.

It was good. The fish look a bit cramped, I felt sorry for the big turtle. But it was good anyway.

M. M.

Absolutely fantastic. We took our disabled son there today & the staff were wonderful, kind and friendly. It was really busy so I would advise booking in advance. He loved his first experience of the Oceanarium and we will return. Bournemouth Oceanarium should be very proud of the 2 members of staff at the entrance/till & the 1 in the shop on Father's Day morning/lunchtime. Their customer service was 100%.

j. g.

An absolutely fantastic experience. Every space has been utilised to fit all kinds of life within the premises, a lot of interesting ventures and information kiosks await you the further you delve into your journey. :) Good job Oceanarium team - touché!

B. B.

Good for the kids, they enjoyed seeing the aquatic life

L. R.

Great place to visit if you want to go somewhere in Bournemouth. Although the house itself is not that huge, the multiple floors and the floor plan make it appear as a very large aquarium. Greatly enjoyed the time.

O. B.

Place is absolutely gorgeous, well worth a visit Considering how cheap the ticket prices are if you book in advance it is a great day out

E. M.

It was amazing, we absolutely loved it 😍

D. H.

An amazing place. Educational and fun. The wild life is incredible enough to last the whole day

D. K. g. a.

A lovely day I really do recommend any one to go and visit the oceanarium I will be making a video shortly all on the oceanariumAnd how good it is If you would like to watch video please pop over to dans kitchen garden Allotment

R. C.

I had the most amazing time there on my birthday! They have so many species for a reasonably small oceanarium. I was buzzing when I left. I don't like to see sea animals in tanks, but you can see how well looked after they are. Let's face it, I wouldn't like to see a shark in the wild, so going through that tunnel made me smile all day!

C. F.

It was OK, small go but don't expect to see a sea world. The tunnel looking through into the tank was great

m. s.

Very good place to visit for families. Ideal for children and grownups alike

L. S.

It was fun with my daughter seeing sea live thank you very much yours sincerely lee Swinscoe and shanna

C. z.

it's great, just check out the website... shame was so busy so choose the time and day carefully for the best experience

C. T.

Awesome place with beautiful creatures, nice chance for some nice photos however it does get very busy at times to try to go off peak hours and book ahead online to save some cash!

A. D.

2 year old loved it! Great choice of animals, enclosures seemed small but well kept and clean.

M. A.

Little short but should keep the little ones entertained.

A. B. S.

We caught the feeding of the penguins.

S. B.

Our family had a great visit, an amazing array of beautiful sea life to see. A good emphasis on environmental issues (especially plastic pollution) which we feel is extremely important. BUT WHY SELL PLASTIC TOYS IN THE SHOP !!!! one in particular caught my eye "fun plastic" feel it sends mixed messages to our little ones. I understand the need to fund the oceanarium but surely as a establishment promoting such issues as plastic pollution its very hypocritical to sell plastic toys in your gift shop?

J. P.

wonderful adventure for whole family

R. C.

Lovely place to visit - really educational for kids and fun too! Lovely staff.

E. O.

I enjoyed with family today here, very nice and funny place 😄 😀 😆

v. l.

Had a lovely afternoon visiting here with my daughter. Half price entry for locals during March makes it very reasonably priced.

s. k.

Good experience and a fun way to spend your time in Bournemouth

I. M.

Fabulous day out! Brilliant talks about the animals and can go in and out at your leisure throughout the day!

S. W.

Amazing and super friendly staff who love to help and guide you through this journey of under the sea experience. 👍👍👍👍👍

J. H.

Lovely experience get to talk to staff who are only too willing to help and friendly just dont go to their shop you want to buy it all lol

m. n.

It doesn't take a long time to get around, but there's enough for a couple of hours, especially if you coincide your visit with the feeding times.

J. P.

Decent amount of fish. Could have been a bit bigger. Book online for discount before going in.

S. I.

The oceanarium had way more than I expected, with lots to see and there was plenty of live displays to stop at watch. My son was fascinated by the big turtle in the main tank.

L. N.

Excellent I have 3 x Children - 14, 8 and 7 months, all of them loved it. My wife and I enjoyed it too. Great experience and money well spent. Worth the cost of the family ticket.

B. B.

We took our daughter for her first birthday, and she loved it, plenty to see and excellent services including a pram Park, play area, cafe and toilets. Excellent value for money

M. S.

Loved this place. I had told friend there were sharks in Bournemouth, she didn't believe, so I proved it ha ha. Great place to take the kids too. Definetly coming back.

T. N.

For a small place the experience was great would recommend to anybody well worth a visit 😊

L. K.

Just tryed booking using discount code BH40 as stated in the daily echo didn't get any discount same price i live in Bournemouth hey ho I'll find something else to do .....

T. A.

Bit disappointing, seemed a bit dirty and dingy on the day we visited and toilets didn't seem to being cleaned very often, if at all.

J. C.

Very nice. Many animal and good info. Liked the otter feeding time. Active little creatures

P. S.

Good place to spend time with all family. Best time for young children. Good prices

J. K.

Good for a rainy day. Plenty of variety of different species of fish. Glass roofed tunnel so good close ups of sharks etc.

J. C.

This is a small but well thought out sea life centre. We spent about an hour following the one way system and really enjoyed it. A magical place for young children to explore

S. M.

A wonderful day trip out. Staff were friendly and very accommodating for my disability. Spoke to a particularly sweet guy called Jack who answered our questions about the sharks and chatted for a good 10 mins. After so long in lockdown and not being to visit these places, it really made our visit :)

C. D.

Great fun, interesting time. Would definitely recommend

M. F. I.

Lovely place specially for children!, ❤️❤️❤️

S. O.

Loads of beautiful creatures to see and discover. The sea turtle is a highlight. There were a lot of families as it was the summer holidays but children tend to run off so if you can wait for a minute at one tank, you'll find yourself enjoying the fish in peace and quiet. Definitely worth a trip. Not even that expensive either. If you're lucky enough to have some spare clubcard vouchers to spend, they can be used on admission tickets via the clubcard app. This proved really helpful during our holiday as we were on a small budget.

M. A.

Absolutely brilliant, our daughter who's almost 2 loved everything here! Penguins were a favourite with her, but there are lots to see here. Highly recommend it especially for the little ones.

S. F.

We're a family of five, with daughters from ages 9 to 6 months and we all thoroughly enjoyed our visit! We used Tesco Clubcard vouchers which made this an absolute bargain of a trip! It wasn't too busy and we took our time with it-probably about 1-2 hours worth of visit here depending on ages. A nice mix of sealife to see and explore, and not too big if you have little ones. Well worth a visit, the tunnel in particular was a highlight for us 😊

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