Sea Life London Aquarium sits inside the historic County Hall building on the South Bank of the River Thames, directly across the water from the Houses of Parliament. It opened on 28 March 1997 as the London Aquarium before Merlin Entertainments acquired it in 2008 and relaunched it as part of the Sea Life chain in 2009 after a £5 million renovation.
The aquarium holds more than 2,000,000 litres of water spread across themed zones that trace a journey from British coastlines to tropical reefs. Visitors walk through an underwater tunnel and shark walk, and can view sea life from below as rays and sharks glide overhead. Since May 2011 the aquarium has also been home to a colony of gentoo penguins, originally transferred from Edinburgh Zoo.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: County Hall, South Bank, London, England
- Opened: 28 March 1997 (relaunched as Sea Life in 2009)
- Size: Over 2,000,000 litres of water across the facility
- Species: About 284 species
- Annual visitors: Over 1 million
- Famous for: Underwater shark walk tunnel and gentoo penguin colony
The Aquarium Experience
Set inside the grand former County Hall, the seat of London’s government until 1986, the aquarium repurposes the building’s basement and lower floors into a series of themed habitats. Highlights include a glass underwater tunnel where sharks and rays swim overhead, along with displays of seahorses, jellyfish and Cuban crocodiles as part of the site’s conservation breeding work.
The gentoo penguin exhibit, added in 2011, remains one of the aquarium’s signature draws, giving visitors both above- and below-water views of the birds swimming. The venue also runs education programmes, hosting tens of thousands of schoolchildren each year through onsite classrooms.
Location & Legacy
Sea Life London Aquarium forms part of a South Bank cluster of Merlin-operated attractions alongside the London Eye, the London Dungeon and Shrek’s Adventure, making the riverside stretch near Westminster Bridge one of the busiest tourist corridors in the city.
The aquarium is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums and takes part in breeding and conservation partnerships, including work with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society, tying its visitor attraction role to ongoing marine conservation efforts.
Explore more: Explore more zoos and aquariums.
Sea Life London Aquarium FAQs
Where is Sea Life London Aquarium located?
It’s inside County Hall on the South Bank of the River Thames, near Westminster Bridge and the London Eye, and is reachable via Westminster Underground station or Waterloo rail station.
How many species live at Sea Life London Aquarium?
The aquarium is home to around 284 species across tanks holding more than 2,000,000 litres of water.
Does Sea Life London Aquarium have penguins?
Yes, it has kept a colony of gentoo penguins since May 2011, when the birds were transferred from Edinburgh Zoo.
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Photo: ʘx / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.