9 Best Aquariums in the UK (2026) | Biggest Aquariums

The List of the Best Aquariums in UK

• National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth
• Sea Life, Brighton
• The Oceanarium, Bournemouth
• Bristol Aquarium
• Blue Planet, Ellesmere Port
• The Deep, Hull
• Sea Life, Blackpool
• Skegness Aquarium
• National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham

National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth 

Plymouth, known as Britain's Ocean City, is home to the National Marine Aquarium (NMA), which is the biggest aquarium in the United Kingdom. It is happy to be associated with the Ocean Conservation Trust, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to bring people closer to the ocean.

The aquarium is made up of four main areas. A trip to the aquarium will take you on an adventure that spans the oceans of the world, from the beaches of Plymouth Sound to the coral reefs of the tropical regions of Australia.

The National Marine Aquarium is home to more than 5,000 ocean animals, from sharks and stingrays to octopuses, jellyfish, and a much-loved giant turtle. Each visit will be unique in its own way due to the variety of animals which makes this place one of the best UK aquariums.

What is great about National Marine Aquarium is that you can purchase any type of ticket once, and come back to visit as many times as you want within a one-year period.

The aquarium is open every day from 10 am to 5 pm, with the last entry at 4 pm; hours may extend during peak holiday periods, so check the aquarium's website if you're planning a visit around a school break. Buy your tickets here online.

Also, check out our blog on The Best Aquarium in Europe.

Sea Life, Brighton

For sure the most interesting fact about Sea Life Brighton is that it is the oldest continuously operating aquarium in the world. The enchanting SEA LIFE Brighton opened in 1872 and is home to more than 5,000 fascinating animals, such as stingrays, sharks, turtles, terrapins, starfish, seahorses, and iguanas.

There are many zones in this aquarium but two of them are more unique than the others. Day and Night zone and Glass Bottom Boat.

Day & Night was the first attraction of its sort in the United Kingdom, and it gives visitors the opportunity to see the marvel of a coral reef as it changes throughout the day in a 750,000-liter display tank.

Learn about the fascinating marine life from a fresh angle on the one-of-a-kind Glass Bottom Boat rides at SEA LIFE Brighton. Flying over the ocean, you can meet some of our curious turtles and jaw-some sharks while listening to marine professionals discuss their unique qualities.

The aquarium typically opens at 9:30 am and closes at 6 pm, with last entry at 5 pm; check the exact times for your visit date, since they shift a little through the year. Buy your tickets here.

The Oceanarium, Bournemouth

The Bournemouth Oceanarium can be found on the beachfront, to the right (west) of the pier at a very accessible location. 

Visit the Oceanarium and see the wonders of the underwater world. There are all sorts of amazing creatures in the ocean just waiting to be discovered, from beautiful sharks and rare green sea turtles to colorful clownfish and the bizarre fascinating octopus, seahorse, and red-bellied piranha.

In addition to daily feeding exhibits and discussions, the aquarium also features an underwater tunnel that visitors may go through. In addition to that, it runs an activities schedule throughout the year that is geared toward both children and adults.

The aquarium opens at 10 am. It closes at 5 pm on weekdays and 6 pm on weekends, with last entry an hour before closing; check the calendar on their site, since hours shift with the season. You can buy your tickets from here.

Bristol Aquarium

Centrally located inside the city. Visit the aquarium any day of the week to see rays, seahorses, puffer fish, piranhas, and hundreds of other incredible aquatic animals in one of the more than 40 naturally themed displays. With a wide variety of tropical fish from all over the world, including those native to the seas of the United Kingdom, the aquarium's natural-themed habitats are meant to foster greater respect for nature.

The Bristol Aquarium's massive botanical house is home to hundreds of exotic plant and tree species from all over the world, including the cultivation of bananas in the midst of an urban jungle setting. This aquarium is the only aquarium in the UK that has this giant botanical house.

The aquarium opens at 10 am every day. Closing time changes with the season, and last entry is always an hour before closing, so check the current times on their official website.

Blue planet, Ellesmere Port

The Blue Planet Aquarium can be found in close proximity to the Cheshire Oaks Outlet Village. it is quite easy to get from any of the major cities in the North West, including Manchester, Liverpool, and Chester, whether you go there by vehicle or use one of the many public transportation options.

Blue Planet Aquarium has one of Europe's largest collections of sharks, alongside amphibians, reptiles, and freshwater fish, making it a fun day trip for the whole family. An interesting fact about this aquarium is that you can watch actual scuba divers in action as they dive with the sharks in the aquatunnel during daily presentations, or even book a shark dive yourself. 

Also, stop by the tropical river exhibit at the Blue Planet Aquarium to engage yourself in the sights and sounds of the Amazon Rainforest. This exhibit is meant to resemble a stream of the Amazon River.

The blue planet also has a play area, a gift shop, a cafe, and a restaurant.

The aquarium opens daily from 10 am, with last entry an hour before closing; closing time changes through the year, so check the current schedule before you go. You can get tickets from here.

The Deep, Hull

The Deep is an award-winning aquarium and is among the largest aquariums in the United Kingdom. The aquarium can be found in Hull, which is located in East Yorkshire. It is not difficult to go to Hull from the majority of Yorkshire or the East Midlands. 

This aquarium is home to more than 3,500 animals and exhibits incredible marine life. Some of the special animals that can be found here are sharks and stingrays, Loggerhead sea turtles, a colony of Gentoo penguins, and the UK's only pair of Green sawfish.

The aquarium is open from 10 am to 6 pm on weekdays and 9 am to 6 pm on weekends. You can buy your tickets at The Deep Website.

Sea Life, Blackpool

You can Enjoy the marvels of the ocean without going in the water at SEA LIFE Blackpool, which has over 50 interactive exhibits and over 2,000 aquatic animals, such as tropical sharks, colorful reef fish, octopuses, rays, and sea horses. See the wonder of the oceans as you go from the sand and surf of the British coast to the Amazon jungle and beyond.

Many tourists put off seeing these magnificent animals until feeding time.  Seeing the animals interact with their caretakers is fascinating. Also, you can book sleepovers at this aquarium. You can gather your friends, take some sleeping bags and spend an amazing night in the aquarium.

Opening hours vary through the year, so check the aquarium's website for the times on the day you plan to visit. Buy your tickets from here.

Skegness Aquarium

In the Skegness Aquarium, you may interact with pirates, deep sea divers, and even a few mermaids. It offers a Dive with Sharks experience where you can scuba dive alongside rays and reef sharks, and it is home to a wide variety of tropical marine species.

Participants of the Shark Educational Dive, who must be at least 10 years old, will get to experience the thrill of diving with sharks at the Skegness Aquarium while learning about the marine environment.

When visiting the aquarium, make sure you take a tour of the Jurassic Falls section as well. A unique outdoor family attraction, Jurassic Falls dinosaur park has twenty or more epic dinosaurs, some of which are electronic, from the Jurassic, Triassic, and Cretaceous periods.

Opening hours vary by season, so check the aquarium's website before you go. Buy your tickets here.

National Sea Life Centre, Birmingham

There is a lot to do a the National Sea Life center in Birmingham. To start, the aquarium has the only 360-degree ocean tunnel in the United Kingdom, where visitors may walk through the water while being surrounded by sharks, a big turtle, rays, and hundreds of other tropical fish swimming overhead and beneath them in this really one-of-a-kind experience.

The aquarium also contains the UK's only sea otters, Ozzy and Ola, and has a dedicated part to penguins. Furthermore, there is a 4D cinema at the aquarium where you feel like you can have a unique experience with wind, rain, and bubbles.

The aquarium typically opens at 9:30 am and closes around 6 pm, though this can vary; check the current times on the official website.

These aquariums were the best aquariums in the Uk for 2023, and each of them is worth visiting

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