Sea Life Centre, Birmingham
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The Sea Life Centre in Birmingham is quite spectacular and I would highly recommend going. Do make sure you go when it’s not crowded though as the swarms of kids did detract from the experience. It needs to be done in silence to really appreciate the displays so go first thing in the morning (it opens at 9.30am) and not during the school breaks. Jez wrote a good overview of the place a couple of years back so go read that. I took a load of photos, which was harder that expected due to the darkness of the tanks and the flash bouncing off the glass, and these really don’t do the place justice, especially the tunnel which currently houses giant turtles.
The sea-horse exhibit doubles up as a breeding centre with laboratory-style tanks containing mating, pregnant and recently born sea-horses. Like many of the fish these were fascinating to see close up.
These two with the while bellies are pregnant males. After the female has laid the fertilised eggs the male holds them in his pouch until they hatch. The resulting babies are really really tiny - about the size of a grain of rice - so I’d guess that in the wild they don’t stay near their parents for long.
There’s a big cylindrical tank full of jellyfish lit with a UV light.
The water gently turns creating something quite close to mesmerising.
This tank held blind cave fish and while I didn’t manage to catch one on camera (they move very fast) I did get this rather, um, interesting shot. I wonder if it’s deliberate.
Finally the turtle
The biggest tank has a glass tunnel running through the middle meaning you can look round 360 degrees as you walk through. Inside this tank are small sharks, loads of fish and a couple of turtles (though only one when I was there).
The turtle was rescued from a smuggler (a lot of the rarer creatures in the centre come from this kind of source) and, due to being hand reared, cannot be returned to the wild. Since these creatures tend to keep moving across oceans it didn’t tend to stay still and circled over and over the tunnel. Every pass was incredible, this gentle but huge animal gliding a couple of feet away from my face. A lot of the exhibits were “hmm, interesting” but this was gob-smacking. Not only was it great to see a turtle but to see one in action so close…
As the turtle swam he was constantly accompanied by three smaller fish around his face, spinning around like some kind of space-age necklace. Occasionally he’d try and bat them away but they were insistent.
In the same tank were a few small sharks. The centre has a policy of not keeping animals such as dolphins or large sharks in tanks but these were enough. As with the turtle, seeing them glide above me was amazing.
This is the personal blog and main internet hub-thing for Pete Ashton. What you'll find here is a seemingly random collection of stuff I want to talk about and share. 
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Eeee, seahorses! Okay, I am so going there when I get around to visiting you (sometime in June?), especially since I was too stuffed up with allergies to face the bus ride to Monterey last week.
I saw turtles today, but not that big.
You have to ask the question: why put the Sea Life Centre as far away from the ocean as is possible in the UK? Basically it’s a good idea as otherwise Brummies would only know the ocean as Weston Super Mare (OK, I’m ready for the gobs of criticism on that one!)
But it does make more sense than San Antonio’s Sea World - built in an area with a severe water shortage in iorder to attract jobs that will only demand more water than even the killer whales.
Now I don’t know whether to prioritize Sea Life Centre or the Thinktank on our next visit. The Thinktank will probably get the vote as I want to see what they did to all the old exhibits in the Museum of Science and Industry on Newhall Street - a childhood haunt. Now to look at Jez’s site.
Hello. I was doing a random search for ballroom blitz on google (being such a reliable search engine) trying to look for a download and it showed me a list and I randomly picked this website. Upon entering the website I saw the oh so lovable otter pic that you have about your job. Well anyway, it caught my atttention enough to read on about it and I just wanted to say that your website is great. Filled with just enough dosages of dry and sarcastic humor. Anyway, just wanted to take the time to tell ya that. So yeah….good luck in the future with Ollie. Watch your back my friend….im sure, sooner or later you will end up encountering one of those sillies who decides to make your life oh so wonderful by pulling your tail.
Dad: The centre in Birmingham is not the only one, though it is the only one not by the sea. One reason for it might be so that people who can’t get to the sea can experience this kind of thing, rather like city farms showing city kids how goats work, though that’s not such an issue in this day and age. At the end of the day, though, you’re not going to see these kinds of animals at the beach so it doesn’t really matter where it’s located, and Birmingham isn’t exactly short of water…
I haven’t been to Thinktank yet. I pass it on the bus to the tampon factory and it does look a little daunting - all metal and warehousey and not at all inviting. I do intend to check it out sometime though even if I don’t end up working there.
Liz: Thanks! That kind of thing makes it all worthwhile. And in return the song you’re looking for is here . (I’ll delete it in a week or so.)
No worries about the tail-issue. I’ve finished that particular job so no more otter-related japes for me.
Anna: You’re coming to visit? Email me - I don’t have a current addy for you.
I’m still at the same addy as before, silly.
I love these photos! Keep snapping.
is there any dolphins by charlot calley
No, there are no dolphins. It’s cruel to keep dolphins in tanks - they need the ocean.
Do you have any jobs going?
No. However, if you ask at the Sea Life Centre they may have some. Personally I’m not looking to employ anyone at the moment.
(Okay, easy target, I know…)
nive pics
i think that blackpool sea life is good but why are the pries up
i love the sea and the life with in it . i would love a job at sea life very much. i have good knowlidge about shark’s and life in the sea.
Pictures are great keep snapping.
I love Blackpool and Birmingham sea-life centre yeah Go’in Birmingham sea-life centre tomorrow woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
hey there. i work at great yarmouth sea life centre and was just taking a look. i must say this is rather impressive, as is ours obviously! sadly we dont have any turtles, was wondering, how difficult are they to look after?
I have no idea. I only worked there for a week and that was as an otter.
I see what you mean about oddnesses turning up - this one 7 months later. Did you or dad go to Think Tank? I spent many lovely Sunday afternoons at the Science Museum with my nippers, and what they’ve done with Think Tank is nigh-on criminal. Trendified exhibitery, and no lovely clunky moving parts. No bread slicing/wrapping machine and all neon colours and broken buttons. Worst of all, the steam train is fixed. Even if it could move (and I’m sure if it can’t, it can be made to) the track is too short. Humbug!
I thought the Sea Life Centre was a beautiful but terribly sad place. All that life ought to be in the oceans.
As mentioned above, it is very cruel to keep dolphins in tanks. As intelligent as they are, dolphins simply cannot figure out how to drive them.
do you know anythink about giant squid post back to sm170027@students.colegsirgar.ac.uk
I have been to you sea life center before and i have to say it is the most fantastic place ever and i love the photos so maybe you could send me some of the photos of the animals as i love sea creatures thanxs alot ellixxx
I have been to you sea life center before and i have to say it is the most fantastic place ever and i love the photos so maybe you could send me some of the photos of the animals as i love sea creatures thanxs alot ellixxx
i do feel sorry for these creatures also as the would be better and happier in the ocean