Bournemouth Oceanaruim

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Now that I am childminding, I have been on the lookout for inexpensive local activities to do with both my children and the mindees.

I have already blogged about my love of Farmer Palmers but it is pain to get to when I don’t have the car.  I find soft play areas are great, but they work out quite expensive and the ones in our area don’t offer childminders discounts, so when you have 3 or 4 children in tow it ends up costing a fortune.

I saw an advert for Bournemouth Oceanarium in Primary Times and decided to look up the prices.  I was pleasantly surprised that an annual season ticket for me was just £24.95 and £16.25 for Isaac.  Under 3’s are free so it is a perfect activity for rainy days.

The Oceanarium is sat right next to Bournemouth Pier, so it can be combined with a trip to the beach on hot sunny days too.

 It is quite small and we completed our visit in around an hour, but there is lots to see and do and we ended up going round twice, as we managed to time our visit with a large group of foreign students, who managed to create an obstacle course for us.

I didn’t pick up the booklet for Isaac to complete on this occasion, but it is something I will definitely do next time.

There is more than just fish to see, and I fell in love with Stan and Roxy the Otters – a new addition to the Oceanaruim.  We stayed to watch them being fed a mixture of fish and chicks.  They even have their own balcony overlooking Bournemouth beach, the lucky things!
You can take a buggy round, but I found it as easy to let the children explore without restriction.  They gazed at each display with wonder and firm favourites were the Lion Fish, Clown Fish and the Turtles.
Isaac especially loved the interactive area where you can explore different sea creatures such as the whale, dolphin and sharks.  I like the underwater tunnel and being able to see sharks and fish swimming up close.
It is by no means a full day out, but once you have your ticket you can come and go as you please for that day, so if you are just visiting then you can go and explore Bournemouth Gardens and the Aviary as well as the gorgeous beaches!!


2 thoughts on “Bournemouth Oceanaruim”

  1. Lovely photos. We recently visited Bournemouth for the first time, there is so much to do in that area. I would definitely visit for longer next time

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