Exploris Aquarium & Seal Sanctuary
The Exploris Aquarium was opened in 1994 by Prince Charles. It used to be called the Northern Ireland Aquarium and was built by Ards Borough Council in 1987 to show off the astounding marine life that exists around Northern Ireland’s coasts. It's mainly associated with the rehabilitation of seals, but you can see all kinds of marine life there including, Moon Jellyfish, Common Starfish and the Thornback Ray. Exploris Aquarium & Seal Sanctuary is located in Portaferry on the shores of Strangford Lough. It's part of the Marine Nature Reserve which contains nearly three quarters of all marine species that can be found in the waters around Northern Ireland. You will have an enjoyable and educational experience while visiting this Northern Ireland attraction and it caters for the whole family. There are exhibitions and activities suitable for kids of all ages. A great day out for the whole family at Exploris...
Exploris Aquarium & Seal Sanctuary is a great day out for families. You don't need to worry about bringing 'baby' along either, as there are full baby changing facilities available. There's also disabled access to the whole site and they also have a small amount of courtesy wheelchairs available at reception should you need one. There's a good range of activities happening throughout the day, with one of my favourite being the discovery pool. You get to discover first-hand what type of creatures are living in Strangford Lough. You can stroke Thornback Rays and hold a Sea Urchin in the palm of your hand if you like. Every sea creature is explained to you by one of the extremely knowledgeable guides. The timings for these events are located on the wall in each area and you can also find out details at reception. My advice is to ask on arrival about the activities and timings for that day. That means you won't miss out on any of the excitement. You should also know that car-parking is free outside Exploris Aquarium, but is limited. More information about this exciting attraction can be found at the Exploris website. Our day trip to Exploris AquariumMy family and I recently had an interesting day out at the aquarium. It took a bit of persuading to get me to go, but I'm glad I did and thoroughly enjoyed it.The highlight for me was interacting with the different sea creatures at the discovery pool. You can see a picture of me below holding a Sea Urchin on my hand. Altogether, there was five of us who went for a day out. My wife Lindsay, baby son Jack, dad Sam and sister Rachel. We all travelled down together by car and it took us about 55 minutes from Belfast City Centre. We arrived just in time for the show at the discovery pool. The guide went through each creature in the pool and told us about how they live and what they are like in the wild. After a brief insight into each creature, we got the chance to interact with and handle each species. The highlight of my day was stroking the Thornback Ray. It's skin is really soft and smooth and they are totally harmless, unlike some of the other Ray family. Mainly the Sting Ray. The demonstration lasted for around an hour and then it was time for a quick snack in the cafe. This left us plenty of time for a leisurely walk around the rest of the aquarium & seal sanctuary, before heading back towards Belfast. Thanks for reading my story. Definitely worth spending a morning or afternoon at this attraction. LocationThe Rope Walk, Castle Street, Portaferry, Co. Down, BT22 1NZ
Getting here...If you would like driving directions to Exploris Aquarium from anywhere in Northern Ireland, use Route Planner. You may need the postcode: BT22 1NZ.Travel by Bus From Laganside Bus Station in Belfast, take buses travelling on routes: 9, 9a or 10. These routes travel through Newtownards and end in Portaferry. For more information, visit the Translink website. Travel by Bicycle There doesn't appear to be a direct cycle route in this area. If you would like help to find the best way to get here on Bicycle, visit the National Cycle Network website. Travel by Road From Belfast take the A20 through Newtownards and on to Portaferry. Do you need a hire car? Travel by Train There are no train stations near this attaction. The nearest train station is Bangor, which is about 25mls from this attraction. For more information, visit the Translink website. Return from Exploris Aquarium to Northern Ireland Attractions Return from Exploris Aquarium to Northern Ireland Travel |
