The London Aquarium is situated on the Southbank of River Thames, on the opposite site of the Big Ben. This is a museum that, as the name already reveals, is filled with aquariums. There is a 'one way' route through the museum where you pass aquarium after aquarium with fish and other water life forms (varying from jelly fish to seahorses) from all around the world. Next to every water tank you will find a sign with an explanation of the fish you can see in the aquarium and a map which shows you the geographical area where they live. There are two areas where you can touch the animals in the tank and get an idea what they feel like. One of the tanks is filled with crabs, anemones and some other species, while a bit further in the museum you will find a tank with various types of rays that you can touch when they swim by. Of course the animals have to be treated gently and you are not allowed to lift them out of the water. With regards to the rays, you have to watch out for your fingers (at least that is what one of the signs said). Within the museum we had a couple of good laughs. All around the museum you will find doors to private areas. On each of them you will find a sign telling you that trespassers will be fed to the sharks. A pity none of the visitors did trespass, because the sharks looked like they were waiting for their dinner. I will come back on these sharks a bit later. Next to these signs, we also had a good laugh at two water tanks. One was filled with little jelly fish that used the air pump in the aquarium as a 'wild water ride', traveling to the top of the water on the bubbles created by the pump. The most hilarious one was however the water tank with some form of strange ales who were hiding most of their bodies in the sand at the bottom of their tank. If there was no danger for them they were coming out of the sand with their heads, what made them look like some creature with a stiff long neck (maybe a smaller version of the Loch Ness monster???). I really liked this museum as you can really see and learn a lot about the various forms of water life around the world. However, when we passed the water tank with the sharks and some other types of fish, I got the idea that the sharks were not really happy in there. It looked to me as if the tank was not big enough for the amount of sharks in there and they appeared to be swimming around in circles all the time. Although I am not an expert on this, I think this is one of the symptoms of repetitive stress caused by boredom. If your children are into animal life and sea- and other forms of water life, they will have a good time in here. If not, they might start nagging you before you are even halfway the museum. Another negative point is the magnifying glass used in the water tanks. It gives you a better view on the animals inside the tank. However, my partner almost ended up with a migraine. We think it was caused by the magnifying glass. If you plan to visit the London Aquarium and several other museums, attractions and / or historical buildings in London you might be interested in the London Pass, offering you free access to over 60 museums, attractions and historical buildings in London. |
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