Blackpool Sea Life welcomes back visitors to its iconic ocean tank after £1.4M transformation
Visitors are now able to step into the ocean tunnel and come face-to-fin with species whose origins stretch back hundreds of millions of years.
One of Blackpool most well loved attractions welcomed visitors to check out the £1.4 million transformation of its iconic ocean tank today.
The team at Blackpool Sea Life have reimaged the space as an immersive Jurassic seascape that connects modern marine life with their ancient ancestors.
Visitors are now able to step into the ocean tunnel and come face-to-fin with species whose origins stretch back hundreds of millions of years.
All the latest news and top stories from across Blackpool and the Fylde coast directly to your phone.
Never miss a thing. Click here to join
Sharks, often described as “living fossils”, have existed for more than 400 million years, long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Alongside them is Phoenix the 19-stone green sea turtle, part of a lineage that dates back over 200 million years to the age of dinosaurs.
Guests can walk beneath a towering four-metre viewing window, where a dramatic mosasaurus skeleton takes centre stage, bringing to life the giant marine reptiles that once ruled prehistoric oceans.
The impressive 500,000-litre tank is home to more than 50 sea creatures, including blacktip reef sharks, nurse sharks and stingrays. The habitat was been carefully designed with caves, sandy areas and flowing currents to reflect natural ocean environments and support the needs of each species.
The exhibit has been filled using seawater pumped directly from the Blackpool coast, with the process taking 14 tidal cycles over the course of a week to complete.
The Jurassic theme invites visitors to explore how ocean life has evolved over millions of years, from the time of prehistoric marine reptiles to the species that inhabit our seas today. Both sharks and sea turtles survived the mass extinction event that wiped out the dinosaurs around 66 million years ago, making them living links to a distant past.
The reopening marks the return of a key area of the attraction, which has been closed since November 2025.
Jenn McDonough, General Manager at SEA LIFE Blackpool, who is ready to welcome visitors over the May half-term, said: “This is the closest you will get to stepping into a Jurassic ocean. We are incredibly excited to reopen the ocean tunnel and welcome our animals back into this spectacular habitat.
“It is not just a visually striking experience, it has been carefully designed to meet the needs of every species in our care. We hope visitors will be amazed to discover just how long these animals have been part of our oceans and the incredible journey they have survived.”
To buy tickets, which start at £15 per adult in advance, visit Blackpool Sea Life website here.
About SEA LIFE and the SEA LIFE TRUST
SEA LIFE is the world’s largest family of aquariums, proudly delivering amazing discoveries around the world. From breath-taking underwater tunnels to incredible up-close encounters, guests can dive into the ocean world without getting wet. Welcoming around 20 million guests each year to 50 aquariums and two sanctuaries, SEA LIFE cares for over 180,000 creatures living in incredible themed habitats.
SEA LIFE has a mission to invite everyone to discover the joy of the ocean, inspiring them to protect its future. Through immersive experiences and engaging storytelling across our global network of aquariums, and guided by our three conservation pillars: Rescue, Restore, Protect, we commit to safeguarding the ocean in collaboration with our partners, such as the SEA LIFE TRUST. Their joint focus is to protect these oceans and the amazing marine life within them.
The SEA LIFE TRUST owns and operates marine wildlife sanctuaries (including the world’s first Beluga Whale Sanctuary in Iceland), runs inspiring conservation campaigns and funds projects and education programmes that champion the need to protect our oceans.
Guided by the global conservation pillars of RESCUE, RESTORE, PROTECT, SEA LIFE’s dedicated Conservation, Welfare and Education experts, alongside a global team of marine biologists, work to rescue injured, sick or at risk animals, restore species and habitats to re-establish healthy ecosystems and protect animals and ecosystems through research, education and stewardship all to help secure a future for the world’s oceans.
For more information on the work SEA LIFE and the SEA LIFE TRUST does in protecting our oceans, visit www.visitsealife.com and www.sealifetrust.org/