On arrival we were not entirely sure what to do as, although you have a time slot there is very little indication of where you need to be inside the aquarium, by said time spot. However, the staff were very friendly and kindly pointed us in the right direction.
As part of the experience your ticket entitles you to a 'behind the scenes' tour of the aquarium which is then followed by the snorkeling. Now, perhaps this is because I was too excited to appreciate the 45 minute long tour, or perhaps its because my obsession stops at sharks and my interest doesn't digress into other fish- but I didn't enjoy the tour. They show you the workings of the aquarium, what the fish eat and where the sick fish live (a fish hospital if you will). Yet, I found myself wishing the tour had been shark specific. I wanted to know what the sharks ate and what was interesting about the different types of sharks, not which tube pumped water into which tank. However, for someone more interested in the aquarium as a whole, I can appreciate that the tour would have been highly engaging.
After the tour it was finally time to get into our wet suits and head to the shark tank! The maximum number of people allowed in the diving cage is four and on this occasion there was myself, another girl and two men. After being shown the cage for the first time the instructor asks 'does anyone want to back out?' and, thankfully, no one did. This is probably because on seeing the tank and meeting your instructor you were made to feel completely safe. Almost immediately all of my fears were gone and all I wanted to do was get in the water and see the sharks beneath. So after getting our diving gear on it was finally time to get in...
The water is freezing- something I had not been prepared for. However, once I was fully submerged I was no longer concerned with my temperature because before me were around twenty beautiful sharks. The floor of the cage is transparent so you get a full view of the tank and everything in it. You are also given a weight belt to help pull you down so you are able to lay on the bottom of the cage and take in everything around you. (Before you get in the tank you are given a snorkel to help you breath. However, all four of us found that the snorkels kind of hindered you and that it was easier just to hold your breath and pull yourself under for a bit at a time.)
The sharks are amazing. There were two massive Sand Tiger sharks, some Nurse sharks reaching over 3 meters long and Blue sharks which were extremely curious as to who you were and why you were there. It is hard to explain what it is like to be so close to them, but if you like sharks then this is something I would highly recommend. You are submerged in the water for near on twenty minutes but due to the adrenaline, to me, it felt like two. I could have stayed there for hours.
Altogether the experience lasts around an hour and a half and costs £125. Pricey, yes. But the actual snorkeling with the sharks is amazing and your ticket allows you to go straight into the main aquarium after (smelling like fish and with soaking wet hair I might add!). Spectator tickets cost £25 per person and allow the spectator the full experience minus getting in the water. Considering a standard ticket for the aquarium is £18.63 I'd say that's a pretty reasonable price. The whole day was an enjoyable experience and is something I would 100% do again.
So, thank you girls for the best birthday present ever! My mum and I thoroughly enjoyed our day out at the aquarium.
Georgia x
P.S. Look at these cakes and cookies we found in Borough market. I'm not ashamed to say I ate two...
