Sealife Weymouth
Lodmoor Country Park,
Weymouth,
Dorset DT4 7SX
Tel: 01305 761070
About Sealife Weymouth
Sealife Weymouth is located in the captivating Lodmoor Country Park, near the stunning Dorset coast. It’s one of the key marine facilities in the country, with a reputation as a great family attraction ever since opening its doors in 1984. It provides an entertaining family day out with outdoor and indoor zones that the weather cannot spoil, set in seven acres of fine parkland. A Sealife Weymouth ticket gives holders the chance to come face to face with domestic sea species from playful grey seals to eye-catching otters. From outside Britain’s coast, Sealife Weymouth has a whole sea-based domain of exotic species, from starfish and mantis shrimps, to octopus, sharks, horseshoe crabs and stingrays.
The family attraction hosues the National Seahorse Breeding and Conservation Centre, which was opened in summer 2003, although its breeding and research endeavour goes back to 1995. Other notable aspects of the family attraction include a Penguin refuge with examples of the rare Humboldt penguin, their custom-made pool boasting underwater viewing windows to give ticket holders the inside track on their environment. Naturally gifted entertainers, they race about on dry land, ply through their pool and invariably put on a great spectacle at feeding time in Sealife Weymouth. They are a top draw on a family day out to Sealife Weymouth and for many people are worth the price of a ticket alone!
The Otter sanctuary is another hive of amusing activities, with the Asian Short-Clawed Otters basking in their home, while the Seal zone looks after pups that are cannot be returned to their natural habitat. A recent feature added to the Sanctuary at Sealife Weymouth is the Turtle enclosure, which features an ocean tank with walkthrough underwater tunnel, allowing ticket holders to spot the half dozen green sea turtles that live there. The nearby rescue and rehabilitation facility for freshwater terrapins additionlly gives visitors the chance to come face to face with the amphibians, while Splash’n’Crab provides a hands-on encounter with many sorts of marine animal, including crabs and starfish.
For those after something a little more hair-raising on a family day out to Sealife Weymouth, there are some of Earth’s most dangerous sea creatures to be seen in Venom, notably sea snakes, lionfish, porcupine puffer fish (which can inflate to over twice their size if under threat!) and moon jellyfish – just the ticket. Additionally, there’s the unique Tropical Shark Lagoon, for tropical sharks that have outgrown their homes elsewhere, including black-tipped reef, leopard and nurse sharks. They can be viewed from within the hull of a sunken shipwreck.
Equally exciting, though not hazardous, the Splash Pool gives kids the opportunity to get as wet and wild as they like in a water fun park that includes a water slide, splash pool and water jets – a family day out that guarantees a whale of a time. After getting dry, there’s also mini golf with a maritime bent. The Pirate Adventure Mini Golf allows landlubbers to take on 18 holes with unique challenges, from treasure chests and gunpowder barrels to a pirate ship, all located in a landscaped park. Sealife Weymouth’s course has Astro-turf greens and is rated as the top mini range in the whole of Europe. Kids can even learn about the most infamous pirates of history as they play – well, swab the decks!
Furthermore, the family attractions includes a Quiz Trail and AmaZone, which boasts many aspects of the rainforest environment, using sound recordings, interactive exhibits, a river floor, forest canopy, mist and streams of water. Besides all that, there are regular talks, feeding sessions and, when you feel like one of your own, there’s a café which can be pre-booked for special occasions, with birthday treats including quiz sheets, hats and balloons.