Brighton Sea Life Centre is home to 40 exhibits and 3,500 intriguing aquatic animals. Discover the life of rays, sharks, starfish and turtles as you watch them swim in tanks and pools. Opened in 1872, Brighton Sea Life Centre is the world’s oldest operating aquarium. Many of the exhibits are housed in the high-vaulted Victorian arcade of the original building.
Wander between the viewing tanks embedded into the walls of the arcade to see hundreds of exotic fish species and colorful coral reefs. At an interactive rock pool you can touch a starfish and learn fascinating facts about them. Listen as seahorses create a sound that resembles clicking fingers while they eat. The rainforest display brings you up close to snakes and other critters.
Walk through the wraparound glass tunnels as manta rays, sea turtles and sharks swim overhead. Then observe the animals from a different perspective aboard a glass-bottom boat. In the conservation zone, exhibits educate visitors about environmental issues and how to save the oceans from pollution.
Animal feedings take place daily and feature rays, seahorses, sharks and turtles. Pay for one of the VIP Experiences, which let you feed the seahorses and turtles yourself. For a fee you can also take a behind-the-scenes tour and witness some of the activities performed by the aquarium’s workers.
Find the aquarium on the Brighton Beach waterfront and close to the entrance to Brighton Pier. Several public bus lines stop at nearby Steine Gardens. Brighton’s commercial center is a 10-minute walk away. A wheelchair accessible underpass connects the attraction with the seafront promenade.
Brighton Sea Life Centre is open daily, except for Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Purchase tickets in advance via the aquarium’s official website to benefit from discounted admission fees and fast-track entry. Tickets are valid for an entire day, so you can enter and leave the attraction as often as you please.
