Something fishy going on here..... (The Deep)

Member Name: sambam000

Product:	The Deep
Date:	20/06/09 (84 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A great family day out.

Disadvantages: Aimed more at kids, but still great for adults.

I enjoy watching fish & other 'underwater critters', so I visited 'The Deep' in Hull last year, after cashing in some Tesco clubcard vouchers for free entry tickets.

The Deep is tauted as being one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world. I don't know if this is true or not - I've not visited many aquariums around the world. It is certainly an impressive sight, both internally & externally. Built right alongside the Humber estuary, the building is made to look like the prow of a ship - very fitting for the location & very modern looking. The website recommends taking a riverside walk around the building with the possible oportunity to see pods of porpoises & seals. Personally, I've never seen anything other than an old pallet float by, but it's worth a look while you're there, & the new footbridge across the river Hull takes you across to the city centre if you fancy a look around.

The Deep itself is more aimed at children, with many educational & fun tools to interact with on the way round. This was all a bit pointless to me, but I read the information given here & there in order to make more of my visit. There are several small tanks as you go along, and some impressively large tanks also. There is the 'Open Sea' which is a large tank at a low level which you can gaze across, or bend down to see into the side of the tank. There is a living coral reef, housing brightly coloured & unusual fish.

The main attraction however, is the Endless Ocean tank. This is one of the largest & most spectacular aquarium exhibits in Europe, with 2.5 million litres of water, 87 tonnes of salt and a dozen species of sharks. You can get up close & personal with all manner of fish, stingrays & sharks. This was my favourite part & we spent a long time watching the various creatures of the deep swim by.

We visited on a weekday, in term-time, & there were relatively few visitors which meant you could stand for as long as you wanted at the aquariums without obstructing anyone else. I can imagine it will become very crowded in school holidays.

There are also 2 eateries. The Observatory cafe is situated overlooking the Humber, with stunning views & serves a range of drinks & snacks. There is also the 2 Rivers cafe, which serves bistro style food. 2 Rivers is also open on weekend evenings & you can 'dine with the sharks', since they have tables positioned alongside the aquarium. A highly recommended evening, but one I have never experienced personally.

On exiting the Deep, you pass through an extensive, & reasonably priced, gift-shop, the 'Deep-artment store'...groan....!

Overall, a great day out & I will be taking my son along in a couple of years time when he can appreciate everything.



Opening Times:

The Deep is open daily between 10am and 6pm. (last admission 5pm)

Admission Prices:

Adult (16+) - £8.95
Children - £6.95
Under 3's - Free
Student - £7.50
Senior - £7.50

Family of 4 - £28.50
Family of 5 - £33.95

Car parking at the Deep is £3, but each ticket includes a '2 squid' (groan!) voucher that can be spent in the cafe or the gift shop.

See www.thedeep.co.uk for more info.

(Also published on ciao under the same username).

Summary: If you're in the vicinity, give the Deep a visit...