School is officially out for summer (yes!) and with many people spending it in the UK with a need to entertain the kids, I’m sure this is likely to be a popular attraction in the coming weeks. However the hefty entry prices can be a very off-putting factor….So is it worth it and is there any way to reduce the expense?
With adult tickets starting at £19.50 and kids from £15.10 (under 3’s go free) costs can quickly add up. Thankfully there are ways to slash the price and make it a heck of a lot cheaper, which in turn may shape your view value for money and thus your overall experience. Read on for the attractions on offer, toddler suitability and money saving tricks to help make it as cost effective and enjoyable as possible.
SEA-LOVE!
Growing up, Weymouth Sealife Centre was my one of my favourite places in the world to visit. Yes, literally the world 🌎🤣 I’d spend hours immersing myself amongst the wondrous creatures in fascination and awe. I loved it. Now as a parent it fills me with joy to be able to share this experience with my daughter who, at three years old, has already shown a passion for all things aquatic. During the most recent half term we seized the opportunity to return for the first time all together as a family…
Despite her love of the oceans I was apprehensive about paying for what I would expect to be a ‘day out’ fearing i’d find her careering through every exhibit like it was an obstacle course (also one of her favourite activities) and be done with the whole thing in about 30 minutes flat. Thankfully that was not the case and although she did move at a speedier pace than I personally would have liked, we still had a fantastic day out and were even there until closing time!
You can see from the map that they have a variety of underwater experiences that you would naturally expect from an aquarium ranging from clownfish to jellyfish, rays & sharks but it also has the additional benefit of visiting penguins, turtles, seals and otters. All of which, albeit modest enclosures, seemed generally well maintained and with some very thoughtful features built in to make the experience a bit more interactive and immersive. There were large and small concave windows to make you feel like you were submersed in the tanks, some excellent lighting displays and other small details like a button releasing bubbles amongst the seals (which we may have spent far too long pressing over and over again!). Moreover there is an interactive rockpool area where you have the opportunity to touch some of the starfish (with hand washing facilities provided) and a tidal simulation to really give that genuine shoreline sound and feel. There are also talks and feeding times for you to attend throughout the course of the day and a lovely little sensory garden that was a really nice added extra.
As much as I love the displays that make you feel like you are underwater and would happily observe them for hours, unfortunately my toddler doesn’t quite share the same patience. We swiftly found that the variation of tanks and species within was not the main attraction for her at this age, although she did appreciate seeing them. She enjoyed spotting as many different creatures that she could, but as soon as she had found one she was excitedly on to the next which made us seriously pick up the pace.
Even so, there was plenty there to visually explore making it enjoyable for babies and toddlers. However, there are some additional features that really made it a much better experience for us on this occasion:
OUR TODDLER-FRIENDLY HIGHLIGHTS
Ocean Tunnel Night & Day Experience
This little gem was nestled inside the Turtle Sanctuary which has an impressive entrance modelled as a huge turtle itself, and inside is a range of educational activities and turtle vivariums. I’ll be honest, although important, this area seemed a little bland to begin with but if you keep going and it leads you through to the Ocean Tunnel where you walk inside of a large tank with the fish surrounding you as you go. However, it was the huge wall display with an animated projection of a stunning beach-at-night scene that made this so special, with shooting stars and waves that rolled across the floor beneath your feet! It genuinely made you feel like you were relaxed on a tropical holiday somewhere and was such a fabulous addition to the exhibit.
2. Caribbean Cove Adventure Playground
This outdoor adventure playground is great for all ages with a soft spongy floor and a variety of climbing frames split over various levels. It is particularly good if your little ones can climb well without assistance they will enjoy the Calypso Heights Trail with multiple interconnected towers and slides.
TOP TIP - No need to worry if the sun makes an unexpected appearance or you’re caught short without suncream as they provide free dispensers around the playground, which is a fantastic detail that ensures you can relax and let the kids play safely. Although do be careful if it is a very hot day, the plastic heats up and so this area might be better during the cooler parts of the day if possible.
Also, what is good from a safety perspective the Caribbean Cove has a single entry and exit point so if you have kids playing independently you can seat yourself near to this and they won’t be able to get lost or wander off without passing you.
3. Splash Play (and swimming pool)
Perfect to cool your little ones down on a sunny day, the splash fountains provide some active entertainment and there is even a small shallow pool which has a single slide in the centre.
TOP TIP - If it’s a nice day, take some swimwear and towels along with you!
4. Seal Harbour
Watching the seals swim so gracefully for me is absolutely mesmerising. You can spot them from the platform above and might be lucky enough to see them jump out onto the rocks, but our favourite place was to watch them from the underwater viewing gallery where one playfully came nose to nose with us! Oh yes, and the bubble button can be found here too!
PRICES
There are no two ways about it, the prices are steep especially when you have kids over 3 years old. I completely appreciate the reasons for this as maintaining whole ecosystems to a reasonable standard, 24 hours a day, is not cheap. However, if you are planning your trip in advance and know exactly when you want to go then these tips can helps you save ££’s but will require a little more effort to pull it off …
TOP TIP - Get a voucher! Before you book, look in the supermarket for the MERLIN 2-for-1 voucher. You can find them on cereal boxes (Kellogg’s do them) or sometimes crisp packets and other items. Be sure to check that it is the one for all MERLIN attractions as some of them are Alton Towers only. We bought an extra large box of our daughters normal cereal for £2 and so saved ourselves £21.95 just by doing this. You can choose to apply the buy one-get one free to two adult tickets, or by purchasing one adult to get the child for free. If you have a family of 4 that all need ticket, you‘d need to buy two of these vouchers and would need to split it into two separate bookings to get the maximum value.
BOOKING PORTAL
Please note that if you intend to use a 2-for-1 voucher then you must book your tickets via a DIFFERENT website to the Sealife page. I hadn’t realised this which caused a lot of frustration when repeatedly getting an error message on the Sealife booking site, so that’s a lesson learnt to always read the small print on the voucher ad it does tell you which website to use.
The great news is that there is ample parking, as it is situated within Lodmoor Country Park with a huge car park to the side, however it is chargeable so please consider this when factoring in the costs.
FOOD & DRINK
There is food available in the park from the main block (Bandstand Bites) which offer fresh stone baked pizzas, hotdogs, wraps and sandwiches. There is also a bit that opens in August providing waffles and ice cream.
There is a separate Costa Coffee outlet located in the Caribbean Cove and also served from Bandstand Bites.
The prices of the food seemed fairly reasonable but as a rule we always take our own packed lunch to save a bit more on our overall costs. Also, since we popped to the supermarket to grab the 2-for-1 voucher in advance it served as the perfect opportunity to stock up on picnic supplies at the same time anyway.
The one thing I do like to treat myself to (although I’m always made to share) is a nice cold slush! Here they have a selection of options to choose from, both flavour and receptacle wise, and you can mix and match your flavours however you like using the self-service machines.
TOP TIP - If you already have a Merlin attractions refillable cup take it along as you will be able to purchase the slushes at a reduced cost.
EDUCATIONAL VALUE
As mentioned, visits to the Sealife in my youth largely contributed to my passion for aquatic life and a first hand appreciation of the amazing biodiversity that exists. I learned so much from these early experiences, so whilst I understand that captivity is a widely contentious issue and fully appreciate the reasons for this, I also want my daughter to have the same understanding it gave me and subsequently cultivate the respect it deserves. I’m sure in time with new technology we will find a better solution that meets all needs but for now, this serves as the best opportunity for her bringing to life her learning and understanding which I hope will pay dividends in the long term.
All in all we had a great time, the weather was beautiful which really helped since two of our highlights were outdoor play spaces and therefore we were able to really make the most of those. However, the majority of attractions there are indoors and are therefore would be suitable come rain or shine, it may just reduce the overall time you spend here.
As always, I hope this has been helpful and if you have any questions, feedback or requests them please message us on Facebook or Instagram @butterflyandbeeteam. We absolutely love hearing about your experiences and how useful the tips have been, we’ve had some really lovely messages so please do keep them coming!
Wishing you all the best for whatever adventures you get up to this summer.
Hannah & Chris x
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