SEA LIFE London Aquarium

• Sea Life Centre London Aquarium is one of the capital’s top attractions, hosting one million visitors every year.
• It is situated on the popular South Bank, right by the London Eye and famous Westminster Bridge.
• This eclectic London aquarium is home to over 7,000 marine creatures, from mesmerising stingrays to adorable penguins and terrifying sharks.
• The Sea Life Centre features multiple themed areas, offering a trek through the Amazon Rainforest and brand new Polar Adventure, as well as their famous underwater shark tunnel!

Come face to face with sharks, peer at the piranhas or pop along to the Gentoo penguin community at one of London’s most famous attractions! Sea Life Centre London is home to all of your children’s favourite fishy friends and makes for a fabulous day out for the whole family. 

With over 500 species of marine life and everything from a Pacific Ocean tank to a Shark Walk, this London aquarium is as close as you’ll come to the ocean without getting wet! Explore an underwater world of shimmering scales, electric eels, serene sea turtles and razor-sharp shark teeth as you wander through the expansive Sea Life Aquarium right on the River Thames.

Tourists and locals alike will love the educational trails that run throughout the Sea Life Centre, where kids can learn a boat-load of sea life facts and even make their own paper jellyfish before they go and visit the real thing. Discover the aquarium’s different themed rooms, from the Amazon Rainforest to their new Polar Adventure, where talks and activities run throughout the day. Regular feeds also take place daily at the Sea Life Centre, where visitors can watch stingrays, octopuses, sharks, penguins and even the Rainforest creatures fuel up for a day of ocean adventure. With a section on ocean ecosystems and pollution in the Thames, everyone will learn something new as they meet the exciting creatures living under the sea. Under their ethos of Breed, Rescue, Protect, Sea Life Centre London have established their own breeding programmes to better understand these wonderful species and further their care of underwater life.

Kidadler Karen says: "I took [my kids] on their first birthdays and they loved it - it's fairly quiet during the week too so they can walk or crawl at their leisure! Mine were mesmerised by the jellyfish lighting up and just the sharks going round and round. You don't need to worry about the weather either as it's indoors!"

What to know before you go

• Sea Life Centre London is suitable for all ages and under 3s go free, but they must still reserve a ticket.
• Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.
• It takes around two hours to get around the venue. 
• Check the daily timetable of feeding times when you arrive at the Sea Life London aquarium.
• The aquarium is a good option for those visiting the London Eye, which is two minutes' walk away, and Big Ben just across Westminster Bridge.
• It is fully buggy accessible with changing facilities on every floor. Mobility scooters are currently not permissible into the aquarium. 
• There are no cafes within the aquarium and Sea Life asks that you withhold from bringing your own food into the centre, but you can grab a bite nearby at Giraffe or Wagamama along the waterfront, or Benugo Cafe at the BFI.
• Don't forget to take a fabulous family shot overlooking the Thames to complete your London day out!
• Sea Life Centre London is open everyday except Christmas Day, from 10am to 5pm (last entry). On Saturdays the aquarium’s last entry is 6pm. Please note that opening times and dates are subject to change.

Getting there

• Sea Life Centre London is located right on the River Thames, in easy walking distance from Waterloo, Embankment, Charing Cross and Westminster stations.
• Waterloo is the closest London Underground station, a five-minute walk to the aquarium. It serves the Jubilee Line, Bakerloo Line and the Northern Line. Follow signs for South Bank as you leave the Tube station.
• Waterloo East and Charing Cross station serve overground trains nearby. Charing Cross is around a 10-minute walk to the Sea Life Centre over Hungerford Bridge.
• If you are visiting Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament before or after your trip to the aquarium, then Westminster is the closest tube station to these across the busy Westminster Bridge.
• The nearest bus stop to the Sea Life Centre is York Road, which serves the 211, 77 or 381 bus routes.