I followed in David Attenborough’s footsteps to this remarkable Birmingham attraction

Recent years have seen record numbers of tourists come to Birmingham. The international spotlight gave the region an opportunity to show what it has to offer. One of the most iconic and alluring tourist attractions for the city is of course the National Sea Life Centre here in Brindleyplace.

The National Sea Life Centre first opened in Birmingham in 1996 to much fanfare. Boasting an ocean tank of a million litres which houses over 2000 creatures, this aquarium has not only attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, but also natural historians including Sir David Attenborough. All here for the unrivalled opportunity to intimately observe marine life, through unique and exciting experiences.

Jamie Cranhan, Guest Host for National Sea Life Centre Birmingham says: “So here at the National Sea Life Birmingham, we have a range of guests that come - young, old - from across the country, even across the world as well.

“We’re so grateful for the people that come in to see our attraction. It’s a great place for them to come and learn about not just the creatures that we have, but we can also give them insights into the creatures that are still out there in the wild as well. “

Jamie says: “Our Gentoo penguins from Antarctica - we’ve got 14 of them. And of course, they are able to be part of a wider breeding programme across the centres as well. We also have our two sea otters - very lucky to have them, Aussie and Ola - who are the only sea otters in the UK.

“So that is definitely one of the big popular ones that people love to come and see. We also have our 360 degrees ocean tunnel, which allows people to walk through. A wide variety of creatures in there, including sharks, our sea turtle, Mo, and of course other smaller fish as well. But the catch with that one is it’s 360 degrees so you can see underneath you as well.”

Jamie added: “The reception is incredible - the feedback that we get whether to improve anything or just to praise us for anything in particular that we’re doing. It really makes it a wonderful place to work and I think a really good place for the community.”

So for those looking for an experience, both fun and educational, the Sealife Centre in Brindleyplace appears to be a hit with visitors.