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Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium

January 01, 1970

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a Southern Ocean and Antarctic aquarium in central Melbourne, Australia. It is located on the banks of the Yarra River beside and under the Flinders Street Viaduct and the King Street Bridge. The attraction is a Sea Life Centre owned by Merlin Entertainments.[1]

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium
the Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium seen from the Yarra River in February 2018
37°49′16″S 144°57′29″E / 37.821044°S 144.958017°E / -37.821044; 144.958017
Date openedJanuary 2000; 24 years ago (2000-01)
LocationMelbourne CBD, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
No. of animals10,000+
No. of species550+
Volume of largest tank2,200,000 litres (480,000 imp gal; 580,000 US gal)
Annual visitorsOver 10 million
Major exhibitsPenguin Playground, Ocean Invaders, Bay of Rays, Discovery Rockpools, Crocodile Lair, Coral Atoll, Shipwreck Explorer, Seahorse Pier, Rainforest Adventure
Websitewww.visitsealife.com/melbourne

History edit

The current building was built between February 1998 and December 1999,[2] the building was designed by Peddle Thorp architects to resemble a ship moored to the river, and opened in January 2000.[3] The depth of the building however was designed not to be imposing at street level, and extends 7 metres (23 ft) below the surface. At its centre is a world first 2,200,000-litre (580,000 US gal) 'oceanarium in the round' where the spectators become the spectacle to the marine life swimming around them.[4][5]

Soon after opening, the building had a legionnaires disease outbreak that resulted in 4 deaths and another 125 people being infected. Those affected had visited the aquarium between 11 and 27 April 2000. A damages action was brought in May 2000, ending in February 2004.[6]

On 28 November 2008 Melbourne Aquarium officially reopened after a significant expansion, also designed by Peddle Thorp, and now extends from the Yarra River to Flinders Street. A new entrance was built on the corner of Flinders and King Streets. The expansion features exhibits with king penguins and gentoo penguins, as well as many Antarctic fish, a first for Australia. The exhibits also feature real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions, and take visitors on an expedition to Antarctica.[7] The penguins were sourced from Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World in New Zealand.

In April 2013, Melbourne Aquarium's owners, Merlin Entertainments, announced that they would be spending $8 million on the refurbishment of the facilities. As part of the process, the aquarium was rebranded as a Sea Life Centre and relaunched in September 2013.[8]

The current Aquarium succeeded an earlier site in the Eastern annex of the Royal Exhibition Building, which burned down in 1953.

Features edit

The Aquarium has a one-way self-guided tour, which is spread over four levels:

Level One edit

  • Rainforest Adventure[9]
  • Crocodile's Lair[10]
  • Wetlands Recovery Nursery

Ground Floor edit

  • Penguin Playground[11]
  • Mangroves and Rockpools[12]
  • Coral Atoll[13]
  • The Bay[14]
  • Seahorse Pier[15]
  • Coral Cafe
  • Conservation Cove[16]
  • Crocodile's Lair[10]
  • Aquarium Shop

Level B1 edit

Level B2 edit

  • Mermaid Garden[18]
  • Shipwreck Explorer[19]
  • Ocean Discovery[20]
 
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium view from the Queen's Bridge, before the rebranding

The aquarium is known for its main exhibit, the 2.2 million litre Mermaid Garden oceanarium, which features a grey nurse shark and sandbar whaler sharks, along with up to 2,000 marine creatures of diverse species.

Research and conservation edit

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium conducts extensive research into marine species, with the Aquarium's conservation efforts overseen by the Turtle Rehabilitation and Conservation of Keystone Species (T.R.A.C.K.S.) group, a subsidiary of the Sea Life Conservation Trust.

  • Grey nurse sharks. Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is involved in a grey nurse shark breeding program in conjunction with Sea Life Manly Aquarium, aimed at conserving this endangered species, which is already extinct in Victoria. The Aquarium currently has one grey nurse shark and the program is looking at intra-vitro fertilisation (IVF) as a method of breeding.
  • Bamboo sharks. Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is home to the first-ever in-vitro fertilised (IVF) shark in existence. The brown-banded bamboo shark pup was born on 3 March 2014, ending a process that began in September when aquarists collected a semen sample from a shark in Mooloolaba in northeastern Australia.[21]
  • Sea turtles. The aquarium is also involved in the rehabilitation of turtles washed south into the colder Victorian waters where they cannot survive. The sea turtles are housed at the aquarium to gain strength, at which point they are taken north to Queensland to be released.
  • Seadragons. Melbourne Aquarium is one of few worldwide to have successfully bred the locally endemic weedy seadragon in captivity.[22]
  • Spotted Handfish. Sealife Melbourne Aquarium and has been the first facility to successfully sex and breed the Tasmanian spotted handfish in captivity.[23]
  • Purple Spotted Gudgeon. The rainforest area has opened a facility to captively breed the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon.

Past attractions edit

Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium formerly had a giant squid exhibit (frozen, not alive), which was moved to UnderWater World in Queensland.[24][25] The Aquarium was also home to angler fish, the Japanese spider crab, jellyfish, blood sucking leeches, horseshoe crabs, venomous scorpions and tarantulas.

Ownership edit

In 2012, Merlin Entertainments, the global owner and operator of the Sea Life Centres brand as well as iconic brands such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds, purchased the Living and Leisure Group, then the owner-operators of the Melbourne Aquarium.[1]

In late 2013, after an extensive $8 million investment and redevelopment by Merlin Entertainments, the aquarium relaunched under the Sea Life brand, joining up to 100 Merlin-owned attractions worldwide.

Gallery edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Merlin confirms Living and Leisure Australia takeover - Australasian Leisure Management". www.ausleisure.com.au. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Melbourne Aquarium". Frommer's. events.frommers.com. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  3. ^ "Melbourne Aquarium". The Great Outdoors. Yahoo!7. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  4. ^ "Melbourne Aquarium, Stage 1". Peddle Thorp Architects. Peddle Thorp Group. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  5. ^ "Melbourne Aquarium". City of Melbourne What's On. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  6. ^ Peter Gregory (3 February 2004). "Victims of legionnaires' disease win battle". The Age. Retrieved 20 July 2008.
  7. ^ "Melbourne Aquarium, Stage 2". Peddle Thorp Architects. Peddle Thorp Group. Retrieved 3 July 2009.
  8. ^ "Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium relaunching in September 2013!" (Press release). Melbourne Aquarium. 23 April 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  11. ^ "King and Gentoo Penguins - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  12. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  13. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  14. ^ "Rays and Sawfish - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  15. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  16. ^ "Conservation - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  17. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  18. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  19. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  20. ^ "Explore - SEA LIFE Melbourne". melbourneaquarium.com.au. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  21. ^ "Australia hatches first IVF shark". phys.org. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  22. ^ Melbourne Aquarium, Conservation 19 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 6 April 2012.
  23. ^ "SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium lends a helping hand to a critically endangered fish".
  24. ^ Holroyd, Jane (21 December 2005). "New squid on the (ice) block". The Age. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
  25. ^ AmyRemeikis. "Squid on the move". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 9 January 2021.

External links edit

  •   Media related to Melbourne Aquarium at Wikimedia Commons
  • Official website

January 01, 1970
life, melbourne, aquarium, southern, ocean, antarctic, aquarium, central, melbourne, australia, located, banks, yarra, river, beside, under, flinders, street, viaduct, king, street, bridge, attraction, life, centre, owned, merlin, entertainments, seen, from, y. Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a Southern Ocean and Antarctic aquarium in central Melbourne Australia It is located on the banks of the Yarra River beside and under the Flinders Street Viaduct and the King Street Bridge The attraction is a Sea Life Centre owned by Merlin Entertainments 1 Sea Life Melbourne Aquariumthe Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium seen from the Yarra River in February 201837 49 16 S 144 57 29 E 37 821044 S 144 958017 E 37 821044 144 958017Date openedJanuary 2000 24 years ago 2000 01 LocationMelbourne CBD Melbourne Victoria AustraliaNo of animals10 000 No of species550 Volume of largest tank2 200 000 litres 480 000 imp gal 580 000 US gal Annual visitorsOver 10 millionMajor exhibitsPenguin Playground Ocean Invaders Bay of Rays Discovery Rockpools Crocodile Lair Coral Atoll Shipwreck Explorer Seahorse Pier Rainforest AdventureWebsitewww wbr visitsealife wbr com wbr melbourne Contents 1 History 2 Features 2 1 Level One 2 2 Ground Floor 2 3 Level B1 2 4 Level B2 3 Research and conservation 4 Past attractions 5 Ownership 6 Gallery 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksHistory editThe current building was built between February 1998 and December 1999 2 the building was designed by Peddle Thorp architects to resemble a ship moored to the river and opened in January 2000 3 The depth of the building however was designed not to be imposing at street level and extends 7 metres 23 ft below the surface At its centre is a world first 2 200 000 litre 580 000 US gal oceanarium in the round where the spectators become the spectacle to the marine life swimming around them 4 5 Soon after opening the building had a legionnaires disease outbreak that resulted in 4 deaths and another 125 people being infected Those affected had visited the aquarium between 11 and 27 April 2000 A damages action was brought in May 2000 ending in February 2004 6 On 28 November 2008 Melbourne Aquarium officially reopened after a significant expansion also designed by Peddle Thorp and now extends from the Yarra River to Flinders Street A new entrance was built on the corner of Flinders and King Streets The expansion features exhibits with king penguins and gentoo penguins as well as many Antarctic fish a first for Australia The exhibits also feature real ice and snow to simulate Antarctic conditions and take visitors on an expedition to Antarctica 7 The penguins were sourced from Kelly Tarlton s Underwater World in New Zealand In April 2013 Melbourne Aquarium s owners Merlin Entertainments announced that they would be spending 8 million on the refurbishment of the facilities As part of the process the aquarium was rebranded as a Sea Life Centre and relaunched in September 2013 8 The current Aquarium succeeded an earlier site in the Eastern annex of the Royal Exhibition Building which burned down in 1953 Features editThe Aquarium has a one way self guided tour which is spread over four levels Level One edit Rainforest Adventure 9 Crocodile s Lair 10 Wetlands Recovery NurseryGround Floor edit Penguin Playground 11 Mangroves and Rockpools 12 Coral Atoll 13 The Bay 14 Seahorse Pier 15 Coral Cafe Conservation Cove 16 Crocodile s Lair 10 Aquarium ShopLevel B1 edit Ocean Invaders 17 Level B2 edit Mermaid Garden 18 Shipwreck Explorer 19 Ocean Discovery 20 nbsp Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium view from the Queen s Bridge before the rebrandingThe aquarium is known for its main exhibit the 2 2 million litre Mermaid Garden oceanarium which features a grey nurse shark and sandbar whaler sharks along with up to 2 000 marine creatures of diverse species Research and conservation editSea Life Melbourne Aquarium conducts extensive research into marine species with the Aquarium s conservation efforts overseen by the Turtle Rehabilitation and Conservation of Keystone Species T R A C K S group a subsidiary of the Sea Life Conservation Trust Grey nurse sharks Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is involved in a grey nurse shark breeding program in conjunction with Sea Life Manly Aquarium aimed at conserving this endangered species which is already extinct in Victoria The Aquarium currently has one grey nurse shark and the program is looking at intra vitro fertilisation IVF as a method of breeding Bamboo sharks Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is home to the first ever in vitro fertilised IVF shark in existence The brown banded bamboo shark pup was born on 3 March 2014 ending a process that began in September when aquarists collected a semen sample from a shark in Mooloolaba in northeastern Australia 21 Sea turtles The aquarium is also involved in the rehabilitation of turtles washed south into the colder Victorian waters where they cannot survive The sea turtles are housed at the aquarium to gain strength at which point they are taken north to Queensland to be released Seadragons Melbourne Aquarium is one of few worldwide to have successfully bred the locally endemic weedy seadragon in captivity 22 Spotted Handfish Sealife Melbourne Aquarium and has been the first facility to successfully sex and breed the Tasmanian spotted handfish in captivity 23 Purple Spotted Gudgeon The rainforest area has opened a facility to captively breed the Southern Purple Spotted Gudgeon Past attractions editSea Life Melbourne Aquarium formerly had a giant squid exhibit frozen not alive which was moved to UnderWater World in Queensland 24 25 The Aquarium was also home to angler fish the Japanese spider crab jellyfish blood sucking leeches horseshoe crabs venomous scorpions and tarantulas Ownership editIn 2012 Merlin Entertainments the global owner and operator of the Sea Life Centres brand as well as iconic brands such as Legoland and Madame Tussauds purchased the Living and Leisure Group then the owner operators of the Melbourne Aquarium 1 In late 2013 after an extensive 8 million investment and redevelopment by Merlin Entertainments the aquarium relaunched under the Sea Life brand joining up to 100 Merlin owned attractions worldwide Gallery edit nbsp nbsp nbsp Colossoma macropomum in the aquarium nbsp Caesioperca lepidoptera in the aquarium nbsp Feeding time in the Melbourne Aquarium nbsp Giant squid in the aquarium nbsp Head view of the giant squid nbsp Giant squid nbsp Humphead wrasse in the aquarium nbsp A humphead wrasse in the aquarium showing its head nbsp King penguin nbsp Lionfish nbsp Pumps at the Melbourne Aquarium nbsp Observation hole nbsp nbsp nbsp Humphead wrasse nbsp Scleropages nbsp nbsp nbsp nbsp Starfish nbsp Stingray nbsp Stingray showing its head view nbsp nbsp LobsterSee also edit nbsp Animals portalMerlin Entertainments Melbourne ZooReferences edit a b Merlin confirms Living and Leisure Australia takeover Australasian Leisure Management www ausleisure com au Retrieved 9 January 2021 Melbourne Aquarium Frommer s events frommers com Retrieved 20 July 2008 Melbourne Aquarium The Great Outdoors Yahoo 7 Retrieved 20 July 2008 Melbourne Aquarium Stage 1 Peddle Thorp Architects Peddle Thorp Group Retrieved 3 July 2009 Melbourne Aquarium City of Melbourne What s On Retrieved 15 April 2019 Peter Gregory 3 February 2004 Victims of legionnaires disease win battle The Age Retrieved 20 July 2008 Melbourne Aquarium Stage 2 Peddle Thorp Architects Peddle Thorp Group Retrieved 3 July 2009 Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium relaunching in September 2013 Press release Melbourne Aquarium 23 April 2013 Retrieved 12 July 2013 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 a b Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 King and Gentoo Penguins SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Rays and Sawfish SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Conservation SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Explore SEA LIFE Melbourne melbourneaquarium com au Retrieved 14 April 2018 Australia hatches first IVF shark phys org Retrieved 9 January 2021 Melbourne Aquarium Conservation Archived 19 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 6 April 2012 SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium lends a helping hand to a critically endangered fish Holroyd Jane 21 December 2005 New squid on the ice block The Age Retrieved 9 January 2021 AmyRemeikis Squid on the move Sunshine Coast Daily Retrieved 9 January 2021 External links edit nbsp Media related to Melbourne Aquarium at Wikimedia Commons Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium amp oldid 1196045062, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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