Easter events at the National Marine Aquarium
The National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth is putting on a whole host of events over the Easter holidays for children and families to enjoy.
From ocean clean ups, to behind the scenes tours with Ocean Discovery Rangers, and even a sleepover with the sharks! There is a wide range of activities for all ages to get stuck into.
SLEEPING WITH THE SHARKS
13th April & 25th May, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Join the National Marine Aquarium in an unforgettable sleepover, where guests will get to experience what happens after dark in the underwater world! Explore the aquarium after hours and see whales, stingray’s, fishes, jellyfish and more all while getting involved with games, crafts and even some exhibition tours!
The night will include a number of educational opportunities where the team will provide you with insider knowledge about the marine life you’re sharing your space with! Enjoy a movie on the big screen before tucking in and settling down for bed in front of the Eddystone Reef tank which contains fantastic local species such as sharks, crabs, lobsters and eels!
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/sleeping-with-sharks-at-the-aquarium/
OCEAN TODS AT THE AQUARIUM
Tuesday and Friday Mornings, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Join our Ocean Discovery Rangers for our Toddler mornings, where your little ones can immerse themselves in the magic that the Ocean has to offer. Aimed at toddlers between 2 and 4 years old, our sessions take place every Tuesday and Friday morning between 10:30 and 11:30 am in the Waves Cafe. With adventures around the Aquarium, crafts, songs and stories, our Ocean Todds at The Aquarium sessions are the perfect way for your little ones to fall in love with the ocean and the creatures it inhabits!
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/ocean-todds-at-the-aquarium/
BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE AQUARIUM
Every day, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what sharks eat for breakfast? Or how do we manage to keep 6 million litres of water clean? Well, now you can find out on our daily behind-the-scenes tours, where you will learn all of the insider knowledge about the amazing world of the National Marine Aquarium.
Our Ocean Discovery Rangers will be your guides, taking you on an exciting and informative hour long tour, where you’ll be given exclusive access to key areas that are usually out of bounds to the public. The Rangers will be on hand to answer any questions throughout the tour, where you will learn about the Aquarium's animal husbandry and engineering teams, who look after 5000 marine animals, as well as how they prepare food, animal health treatments and the daily tasks of a biologist.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/v-i-p-behind-the-scenes-tours/
FEED THE TURTLE AT THE AQUARIUM
Various dates, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Step into the shoes of the aquarium’s husbandry team and experience the process of feeding their Green Sea Turtle, Friday! Immerse yourself in the food preparation area where you will be educated on what the turtles eat, the seagrass conservation work the aquarium does and how much turtles love seagrass in the wild! You’ll be shown how to prepare Friday’s lunch, while being talked through the equipment used and the importance of ‘operant conditioning’ before experiencing feeding Friday for yourself! Your experience price also includes a day’s visit to the aquarium which you can enjoy once Friday’s tummy is full.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/feed-the-turtle-at-the-aquarium/
SNORKEL AT THE AQUARIUM
Various dates, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
For the first time, guests are able to experience the aquarium like never before. Climb into the snorkel-pen and immerse yourself in the aquarium’s biggest tank where you’ll find sea creatures such as stingrays, sharks and even some Green Turtles! You will also be getting an animal introduction with a Marine Biologist before the experience, behind the scenes viewing of the animals and some face to face interactions with some stunning Ocean animals, a once in a lifetime experience for marine and ocean lovers.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/snorkel-at-the-aquarium/
SNORKELING SAFARI WITH THE OCEAN CONSERVATION TRUST
Various dates, Firestone Bay or Mount Batten, Plymouth, UK
The Ocean Conservation Trust’s Snorkel Safari gives you the opportunity to join Ocean Discovery Rangers across multiple locations around the UK’s first National Marine Park!
Whether you’re a complete beginner, or someone just looking for a snorkelling adventure, the course caters to you, and across various locations there are plenty of opportunities to create some amazing Ocean memories!
Beginner sessions are designed to ensure those with mobility issues and/or sensory processing issues are comfortable throughout the experience. These take place in the idyllic Firestone Bay, and are at lower capacity to allow for more support from the Ocean Discovery Rangers, with the aim to build your confidence in the water as you ease into the new sensations of snorkelling.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/snorkel-safari-with-the-ocean-conservation-trust/
YOGA AT THE AQUARIUM
First and second Tuesday of every month, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Delivered in front of the Eddystone Reef tank, yoga at the aquarium offers you the perfect way to develop your yoga practice in a relaxing environment where you can connect with the Ocean. Suitable for adults of varying abilities, and offering both Ashtanga Yoga and Budokon Yoga, you’ll leave these wellbeing sessions with the knowledge of the benefits yoga has to your mental and physical health, as well as the freshness of finishing a yoga session!
These wellbeing sessions are accessible to everyone in friendly, authentic, inclusive, affordable classes, helping you to discover all the endless benefits to both mental and physical health of getting active in front of our relaxing aquarium exhibits.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/yoga-at-the-aquarium/
ROCKPOOL SAFARI WITH THE OCEAN CONSERVATION TRUST
Various Dates, Mount Batten Beach, Plymouth, UK
Join us for an exciting trip to Mount Batten beach to discover more about the incredible creatures that live in our rockpools! Our Ocean Discovery Rangers will guide you around the rockshore, using science and storytelling to teach you all about the local wildlife! The Plymouth coastline has so much to offer, and we are excited to bring you along for the ride!
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/rockpool-safari-with-the-ocean-conservation-trust/
OCEAN CITY CLEAN-UPS with the Ocean Conservation Trust
First Friday of every month, outside the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Join our ocean city clean-ups and become part of a movement reducing plastic entering our ocean!
Come along to these two hour drop-in events to help clean up Plymouth’s Waterfront and become part of a movement to reduce plastic entering our Ocean. We are committed to reducing avoidable plastics in Plymouth and are part of Plymouth’s Plan for Plastics. These litter picks will be led by our staff and open to all members of the public!
The hour-long litter-pick is run by Aquarium staff, giving you the opportunity to speak to marine biologists about Ocean conservation and reducing your plastic footprint!
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/ocean-city-clean-ups-with-the-ocean-conservation-trust/
QUIET AT THE AQUARIUM
Various dates, National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth, UK
Throughout the year, the NMA hosts a Quiet at the Aquarium evening, which allows families and people with autism, dementia and other sensory needs to enjoy our exhibits without the noise and distraction from the daily hustle and bustle. Visitors are able to explore all the exhibits without the normal crowds, more relaxed lighting, screens turned off and no daily shows to allow all the focus to fall on the animals and the environment around you.
Website: https://www.national-aquarium.co.uk/events/quiet-at-the-aquarium/
