SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

If you suffer from vertigo you will be on the ground just entering this place. There is a spinning tunnel that almost had me on the ground right at the entrance.The penguins were great to see so close and I enjoyed the ray aquarium but the deep part made me slightly depressed because a lonely turtle was just swimming in circles at the far end and it reminded me how alone I am in this world.Loved seeing the huge ray in the tunnel, although the conveyor was a tad annoying with people going the wrong way around.The tropical/marine aquariums were a bit of a let down honestly, I had hoped there would be more on display.All in all it was a good 20 minutes. I wouldn't pay the steep price of $45 for a second visit though. I have my own aquariums so I do understand how expensive they are to maintain properly.

Before arriving I messaged sea life via their Facebook page to ask if we could bring our own food, I didn't receive any response at all. There is no contact number for sea life on the website. I checked the website for more details and it said we could not bring our own food. Upon arrival we noticed many people had bought their own food. There were only 8 tables in the Cafe and 2 small tables for kids drawing. We visited during school holidays and found that there was no where near enough seating available, although there was room for more tables and chairs. We found the restrooms really unclean, it was quite a shock for the amount of people there during school holidays there was not more staff on to cater for these times. The actual aquarium itself was great! I would be good to see more resources going into the upkeep and maintenance of the rest room facilities and a revamp of the Cafe area. Hopefully one day they will revamp the parking so there is move available spaces. We purchased our tickets in advance but found we didn't get in any quicker as everyone was queuing in one line.

Great day out. Kids loved the Penguins enclosure as well as the interactive drawing section. Playground is great for the younger kids and gives parents a chance to get a coffee. Lots to see and do. However it is very pricey, and not a fan of having to go through the gift shop to exit. Parking area is a nightmare, but if you are aware and avoid it, you can enjoy a 10 min walk to a car park on the main road.

Good fun for the kids. Unfortunately we visited on what must've been the busiest day of the year - with poor weather and it being during the holidays. Definitely book in advance to secure a spot during the holidays.Our daughter still had a blast and enjoyed the playground in the middle. We didn't end up having lunch here, the food looked pretty average and it was busy. The penguins were the highlight for us. I have lots of fond memories of visiting so I'm glad to see it has held up. Lots to educate the kids too if they have the patience

This was our first visit of Sea Life visit at Auckland. We like to visit aquariums. We generally take our time and many photos. Our visit lasted 4 hours. It is pleasant and the children will appreciate it, with a diversity of animation for them.My partner and I found the section with the penguins remarkable. This is the first time that we have been so close to penguins and have confortably observed them. We took best shots of penguins, even better than the one we took at Bird Park @ Singapore. Sea Life deserves a high score for this.The other parts are worth seeing but average compared to other aquariums. The aquarium is small, quickly overloaded, noisy with the crowd. It may need some renovation. It needs better education materials, to help identify the species, to describe their ecosystem.The photo taken at the entrance were not even given or e-mail to us as a souvenir for free. As any attraction park, all is made for paying additional services or else. You feel more being moren in an attraction park than a conservation « zoo / aquarium ».Note: Our favorite aquariums remain that of La Rochelle for its diversity and quality (min 6-8 hours of visit) and that of Singapore which, although small, offers huge aquariums with a wide range of fish and crustaceans together (4 hours of visit).

Visited with a 2 year old. Expensive for a days activity but a great activity for a special treat. You have to pre purchase ticketsEasy to get to from downtown on TMK bus, stopped right across road from entry and ran every 15 minutes (ditto for return trip)Total time spent there, including sitting down to eat a packed lunch, was 3 1/2 hours and toddler was engaged and interested through majority.Heads up that you reach the gift shop around a blind corner and are confronted by wall to wall, floor to ceiling soft toys which is every parent’s hell.Travel through in a one way loop so no bag storage option, cafe is expensive with very limited options, and it’s chilly inside so we were glad we had extra layers with us.

We had an enjoyable time here.It's a small aquarium built underground, below sea level. We spent about 40 minutes on the visit.Next to the small aquariums there are drawing paper and crayons for the kids to draw on the fish they like. There is also a small playround area for children.When you want to stop for a bit of rest or refreshments they have seats and a nice window view. This is a convenient place to visit, the entrance is on the right, the left is the exit. you can buy tickets on the website before arrival or buy on arrival. you will see the ticket counter on the inside side when going in. You should read about the history, the stories here you will find more interesting.Enjoy the moment.

Loved the experience for my two young ones first time going. Really pricey admission for two adults it cost us $90. Worthwhile going but definitely would recommended just getting a year pass for $119 if you plan to go a few times a year.