There are many benefits to choosing to visit an aquarium for your school trip, from improving vocabulary to promoting an appreciation for nature.

The benefits of a school trip to an aquarium

No matter the age of your school children, there’s something to keep everyone engaged at the aquarium. For younger learners, hands-on activities, interactive sessions and more offer a great way to learn about marine life and how to highlight the differences between these creatures and other animals. 

Equally at the other end of the scale, if you have older students preparing for their GCSEs, our classroom sessions for Key Stage 4 include the threats to shark species and their ecosystems.

So, whether your pupils are 6, 16 or somewhere in between, there’s something new for them to learn right here at Blue Planet Aquarium. With that in mind, here are just some of the top benefits of visiting an aquarium with school.

Improves vocabulary

An aquarium offers extensive visual stimulation that’s perfect for children’s cognitive development, making it a great choice for a day out where they can further develop their vocabulary through identification. Here at Blue Planet Aquarium we have an incredible array of aquatic animals, including sharks, rays, marine fish, freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

We can guarantee there’s species here that you’ve not heard of before, and certainly never seen with your own eyes. So, what better way to learn new words than to see the creatures that the words are referring to?

Encourages relaxation

Depending on their age, children can often be highly strung, whether it’s younger children that are a bundle of energy or older children that may be worried about upcoming exams. An aquarium offers a wealth of sensory advantages, offering a mellow rhythm that can be soothing and relaxing.

There have been multiple studies that a trip to an aquarium can alleviate anxiety and stress, making it an incredibly beneficial and even therapeutic way to spend a day. From the flow of the water to watching fish swim back and forth, not to mention the dim lighting in some of the exhibits, it can be a really calming environment.

Promotes an appreciation for nature

You can’t fully appreciate the magnitude of life under the sea unless you see it in person, and we can’t stress enough how important it is to teach children that there is a world beyond their neighbourhood that they have yet to explore.

This will not only be their first opportunity to see some of our creatures first-hand, but they will also learn about their habitats and behaviours. What’s more, experiencing an aquarium can also open your mind up to the importance of conservation and what can be done to preserve and protect marine life, including how children and teachers can do their part either at school or home. Our team are passionate about conservation and work tirelessly to make sure our animals are protected for future generations to come, and we’re even home to some endangered species.

Inspires imagination

Some of our creatures are incredibly vivid, bold and eye-catching in more ways than one, from fascinating behaviour to bright colours. They can provide endless inspiration for our imaginations, and there’s simply no substitute to seeing them up-close in real life.

From the unique looking axolotl to everyone’s favourite clownfish, there’s a whole host of colourful and intriguing species for you to be inspired by. What’s more, it reminds us that there’s a big wide world out there, much of which we know little about.

Did you know that Christopher Columbus once mistook manatees as mermaids? This is just one example of how mysterious and unusual life under the sea can be, making an aquarium the perfect place to spark your pupils’ imaginations.

Appeals to different types of learners

There are a number of different ways that children can learn whether it be through visual stimulation or tactile learning. An aquarium can offer a great environment to appeal to all different types of learners, whether it’s the vibrant colours of our fish or the tours and talks that are scheduled throughout the day.

So, whether your pupils learn best through reading and writing, or through a more hands-on experience, an aquarium can offer something to engage everyone.

Arrange your school visit today

Apart from all these wonderful benefits, we also offer different educational talks on several Key Stages to suit pupils of all ages.

If we’ve convinced you that we are the ideal choice for your next school trip, then give us a call today on 0151 357 8804 to arrange your visit – a member of the Blue Planet Aquarium team will be on hand to organise a schedule for your school trip in advance.

Classification & Characteristics

Pufferfish belong to the Phylum Chordata (like you and me!). They share a common ability to puff up their bodies when they feel threatened. They rapidly suck in water to achieve this. They are mostly members of the family Tetraodontidae. This is due to their 4 large teeth. They have 2 at the top and 2 at the bottom, that fuse together to form plates. Tetra is Greek for four, odous is Greek for the word tooth. Once they’ve ‘puffed’ up in size, it becomes more difficult for predators to eat them. The larger size also makes them more susceptible to currents in the water. These currents then quickly move them from one position to the next without the need for swimming.

They have a lot of names around the world. Such as Balloonfish, Blowfish, Bubblefish, Swellfish, Toadfish and Sea Squabs. We’ll stick with Pufferfish though. Let me introduce you to the ones that call Blue Planet Aquarium home.

Green Spotted Pufferfish

You can find these guys in our Caiman Crocodile Exhibit. Mostly amongst the roots of the Mangroves, with the Archerfish. They’re a shy bunch, you’ll need to keep your eyes open. Green Spotted Pufferfish (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis) can grow to sizes of 17cm. Like many Pufferfish, they’re poisonous to other animals, so you don’t really want to be eating them! When they’re juveniles they live in freshwater rivers and streams. Hiding amongst the mangrove roots and shoreline vegetation of South & South-East Asia between India and the Philippines. When they reach maturity, they seem to prefer brackish water. Brackish water is salty, but not as salty as full marine water. In areas where Fresh water streams and rivers start to feed into the sea or ocean.

Dogface Pufferfish (Arothron nigropunctatus)

You’ll find this guy above our Coral Cave exhibit, sharing the tank with Banggai Cardinals. They can grow almost twice as big as Green Spotted Pufferfish. Reaching lengths of 33cm. A purely saltwater species. Endemic throughout the tropical regions of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Inhabiting the edge of reefs and lagoons. living at depths between 3 and 25 metres in what is known as the Neritic zone. Relatively shallow waters near the coasts or over continental shelves. They get their common name from their cute puppy-like faces! They’re also known as Black Spotted Pufferfish. Similar to the Green Spotted, the Dog-Face Puffer is regarded as one of the most poisonous animals on the planet! You certainly don’t want to look at eating one. Unless prepared by an expert.

Golden Pufferfish

In reality, these are the same species as the Dogface Pufferfish. However, their colouration is different. They are a bright yellow/golden colour, compared to a pale white and grey. Isaac the Golden Pufferfish at Blue Planet lives in our Coral Cave Exhibit. He loves swimming at speed around the exhibit, he also loves dinner time. In the wild, they would eat a diet of crustaceans, coral polyps, molluscs, sponges and algae. These guys reach sizes of up to 20cm and live in similar places to the Dogface Puffer.

Long Spined Porcupinefish (Diodon holocanthus)

A few of these guys call Blue Planet home. A pair in our Coral Cave Exhibit and one in the Reef Section of the Ocean Exhibit. This is the part of the shark tunnel with the platform, where our junior divers have their shark diving experience. Unlike the others, these are not Tetraodontidae, instead, they are Diodontidae! Only inflating when they feel threatened or stressed. It is not a common sight to see. Especially in the aquarium, as they’re safe and well-fed. It’s not something we would encourage them to do or put them through. However, they do have morning stretches! They sleep hooked onto rocks or in crevices, when they awake sometimes, they like to stretch it out! These fish are also super poisonous. Despite that, they are sometimes prepared as Fugu. Which maybe you’re familiar with.

Stars and Stripes Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus)

This one gets its name from its colouration and pattern. They’re also known as White Spotted Puffers. With white dots and stripes around its body. You’ll find the one that lives at Blue Planet in our Coral Cave Exhibit. Alongside the other Indo-Pacific reef dwellers! These can grow quite big, reaching sizes of 45cm! Found across reefs and lagoons around the Indian and East-Pacific oceans. Similar to the other puffers of Blue Planet they tend to eat crustaceans and molluscs. Things like muscles and crabs. Curiously with this species, males tend to build nests to attract females. They create a ‘nest’ or bowl in the sand, if a female is impressed by it, she’ll lay her eggs in it!

There’s an important question, that’s troubled people for a long time, which are better Dinosaurs or Sharks?

In this post we’ll go through some examples of both, to help answer this age-old question. We’ll look at a variety of factors, such as how long have they existed? Which is bigger? The most famous? Which is the weirdest? By the end, hopefully, you will be able to make a decision!

Dinosaurs Vs Sharks Round 1 Weirdest:

Sharks or Dinosaurs, which is weirdest? This one was a toughie. There are some absolutely mind-bending examples for both. We’ve picked out an interesting contender from each camp to go head-to-head!

Sharks – Goblin shark:

There are so many wonderful examples of truly weird sharks such as Frilled Sharks, Cookiecutter sharks, Hammerhead Sharks and Ornate Wobbegongs. I think the Goblin Shark tops the bill for me. This strange benthic (Benthic means it lives on the ocean floor) species isn’t about to win a beauty pageant. Its skin tends to be bright pink, with a long protruding snout and a jaw below it that can extend far out of its mouth!

Dinosaurs – Parasaurolophus:

This dinosaur reached lengths of 10 meters. It has extensions on the back of its skull. These had acoustic qualities and it’s believed it used to make loud trumpeting calls over large distances. If you ask me, it’s pretty strange having a trumpet on your head!

Round 2 Biggest:

Sharks – Megalodon

These huge sharks are believed to be the largest fish that ever lived (though the Blue Whale remains the largest animal to ever live that we know of!) with females reaching lengths of approximately 18 meters. The diameter of their bite was around 3 meters! Some experts date the Megalodon back between 145 to 66 million years ago. Weighing in at roughly 6500kg.

Dinosaurs – Titanosaurs

There’s a range of titanosaurs, some huge and some small – Titanosauria is a family of dinosaurs, with remains found across seven continents. They thrived right up to the end of the Cretaceous. With remains often being incomplete, it means we know little about them, unfortunately. One of the largest is the Patagotitan. Discovered in Patagonia, Argentina in 2014. With estimated sizes of 40m long and weighing in at an estimated 7700kg! It would have been truly massive!

Round 3 Fame:

Sharks – Great White Sharks

Thanks to the efforts of books and movies for years now the Great white is undeniably a famous species of shark. Instantly recognisable and often the image that jumps to mind when you hear the word shark. Often displayed as a relentless eating machine, set on devouring everything it comes across. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Between 2011 and 2017, 259 people died in selfie-taking related accidents, compared to 50 people killed by sharks!

The Sand Tiger Sharks at Blue Planet Aquarium are a close relative to the Great White!

Dinosaurs – Tyrannosaurus Rex

I think this has to be the world’s most famous dinosaur. Even earned a nickname, often simply called T. Rex. It is the leading dinosaur in countless movies and books, subject to huge budget documentaries and captivated people’s imaginations for over 100 years. The first remains were discovered in 1902 in Hell Creek, Montana. Making its first appearance in the movies 16 years later in 1918’s “The Ghost of Slumber Mountain”

This was a difficult one, as Triceratops and Velociraptor were definitely in the running, I’ve gone for T. Rex because of the iconic imagery a certain popular dinosaur-based movie franchise uses in its films to this day. Most importantly (to me at least) Tyrannosaurus Rex was the first dinosaur my son learned to point out. Though at 18 months old it came out garbled as “danasaras ex!”

Round 4 Which came first?

Sharks

These guys are ancient, with the earliest fossil evidence being as old as 450 million years, during the late Ordovician period. Sharks have seriously evolved as predators, surviving through 4 of the “big five” mass extinction events.

Sharks are even older than trees. Trees are understood to have emerged between 350 to 420 million years ago. Only a few creatures predate sharks, things such as Nautilus, Jellyfish, Ctenophores and Sponges.

Dinosaurs

Nyasasaurus parringtoni is currently believed to be the oldest dinosaur. Remains discovered in Tanzania are roughly 243 million years old. Footprints were found from early dinosauriforms dating to the early Triassic nearly 250 million years ago.

Sharks date back much longer than dinosaurs, a whole 200 million years!

Conclusion:

It’s still difficult to choose, they’re both pretty cool! We still share our planet with a whole range of sharks that aren’t too dissimilar to their ancient counterparts. The fact that we can still respectfully admire these creatures means I’m going to go with the Sharks!

The winner is:

Sharks!

Shark Conservation

Due to environmental pressures such as climate change and the human impact on their habitats, 1 in 3 Sharks and Rays face the threat of extinction.

We can still do a lot to save and coexist harmoniously with sharks around the world. We should do all we can to look after them. They’ve survived some serious extinction events before, I believe we shouldn’t be responsible for them disappearing now.

If you would like to help in the effort to save sharks check out these organisations:

Bite-Back: Set up in 2004 with the aim of combating overfishing and overconsumption of wild sea fish.

The Shark Trust: Who makes it their mission to safeguard the future of sharks through positive change. Achieving this through science, education, influence and action.

Tags: Dinosaurs, Shark

The Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) is regarded as the largest known species of Octopus. They have an average arm span of around 4m across and weigh in at roughly 50kg. They can grow even larger, with a deceased GPO being found in the wild weighing a whooping 272kg!

Giant Pacific Octopus habitats

Native throughout the Pacific, they inhabit the intertidal zone to depths of 2,000m. They live mostly in the benthic zone (at the bottom of a body of water). Preferring cold, oxygen-rich water. Areas such as California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Alaska, Russia, Japan and Korea.

Cephalopods & Molluscs

Giant Pacific Octopuses are Cephalopods, which are active predatory molluscs, such as octopuses, Squid, Cuttlefish, and Nautilus. Molluscs are invertebrates with soft unsegmented bodies, many of which have an external shell. The likes of Snails, Slugs, and Limpets.

The word Cephalopod comes from the Greek language, it literally translates to “head foot” in reference to how its many arms connect directly to its “head” or mantle.

Curiously, Giant Pacific Octopuses actually have a shell, in the form of two small plates within their head.

Octopus Beaks

They also have a beak made of chitin, the same substance as insect exoskeletons and fungi cell walls. They use their beak to kill and eat their prey, as well as self-defence if required. Like all octopuses, the Giant Pacific is venomous, injecting venom into their prey through their beaks. However, it’s worth noting only the Blue-ringed Octopus venom is dangerous to humans.

Defence mechanisms

Giant Pacific Octopuses also have the ability to cloud any threats in ink. The ink is toxic and even deadly to the Octopus itself if it doesn’t have adequate water flow to clear it.

Masters of disguise

Giant Pacific Octopuses and other cephalopods are also fantastic at camouflage. Just below their skin, they have special cells called chromatophores. Chromatophores allow them to quickly change the colour of their skin. Which helps them to seamlessly blend into their environment, mimicking such things as algae-covered rocks and even seaweed!

Giant Pacific Octopuses are nocturnal, reducing the risk posed by predators. They need these varied defence mechanisms to help thwart the attempts of predators to eat them. Animals such as seals, sea otters, sharks, large fish and even human beings all consider the Giant Pacific Octopus food.

The “Hearts & minds” of Giant Pacific Octopus

Octopuses have 3 hearts, two that pump blood across the gills and one that circulates blood around the body. The blood they pump is blue, unlike our red blood. This is because it uses a copper-based protein called hemocyanin to transport oxygen around its body, unlike our iron-based haemoglobin. Octopuses breathe by drawing water in through the gills within their “Mantle” and out through holes behind their eyes.
If you thought 3 hearts was impressive, wait until you hear how many brains they have! Nine! That’s a main central brain within the mantle and a smaller “brain” at the base of each arm that can control each independently.

Life span and reproduction

Giant Pacific Octopus live an average of 4-5 years in the wild, despite this they are considered one of the longest living octopuses. Reproducing tends to be the last thing they do.
After mating, females lay an awful lot of eggs, around 100,000. Usually, this is in a cave or hidden deep at the bottom of the water. The females live there for 7 months watching over the eggs, without leaving them. Not even for food. They even gently move the eggs to ensure enough oxygen reaches them. When they hatch each of them is no bigger than a grain of rice. Growing nearly 1% a day.

Giant Pacific Octopus intelligence

Giant Pacific Octopuses are highly intelligent, being able to solve puzzles and mazes. They display a working memory of space over time, ranging in different directions to hunt for prey each night and remembering their way back home. Displaying emotions and personalities, even playing with toys.

Fortunately, Giant Pacific Octopuses are still rated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The main threats they face tend to be over-fishing as bycatch. They’ll enter fishing pots to take advantage of trapped fish and tend to get stuck. Despite the fact, Giant Pacific Octopuses can squeeze their body down to sizes limited by how big their beak is.

Tags: Blue Planet Aquarium, Giant Pacific Octopus, Octopus

What to expect from birthday parties at Blue Planet

Birthday parties at Blue Planet really make a splash! Have up-close encounters with animals that you wouldn’t regularly meet (unless you’re an annual pass holder!) in a unique setting. We’ll break it down for you step by step!

Arrival at the aquarium

When you arrive a dedicated member of our Guest Experience team will meet you. They will help you get your group together as they arrive. If you haven’t already sent it ahead, they’ll take the kid’s food order and your cake (if you have one) and place it safely in The Nautilus Kitchen.

Birthday Parties on tour!

Once you’re all gathered. Your Guest Experience team member will take you on a guided tour of the aquarium. They’ll provide you with insight and you’ll learn about the animals on your way around. They can answer any questions your party-goers might have!

Your chance to feed the fish!

As part of your Birthday party package, the birthday child will receive food to feed some of the fish in the aquarium, depending on the day either the Cichlids of Lake Malawi or the Mullets in Rock Pools!

Aquatheatre time

Take a seat in front of our huge Aquatheatre window and prepare yourself for the show! One of our Guest Experience team members will teach you all about the ins and outs of our divers, their gear, the Sharks, the Stingrays, and other fish. Then they’ll step back to let you watch as the dive team target feed the huge Stingrays and scatter feed the giant shoal of colourful fish in our Ocean Exhibit.

Explore our 71m Shark Tunnel

Step onto our moving walkway and experience the 71-metre long underwater tunnel through the Ocean Exhibit. You’ll come face to face with giant Sand Tiger Sharks, cheeky Nurse Sharks, massive Stingrays, swift Blacktip Reef Sharks, spotted Zebra Sharks and a huge range of colourful and wonderful fish!

Time to party

After your guided tour, you’ll be led to your area in The Nautilus Kitchen. Take a seat at your table, right in front of the windows into our Reef Exhibit, home of Sharks and Stingrays. There, food will be served, parents can grab a coffee and we can light the candles and bring out your cake! (If you have one). When you’re done, you’re free to explore the aquarium, play on the outdoor playground or as most do, explore the Shark Tunnel again!

An annual pass for the birthday child!

As our gift from Blue Planet for arranging your birthday party with us. We give the birthday child an annual pass! Letting them visit the aquarium for free 364 days of the next year! (We close on Christmas Day).

The details

Birthday parties are £15.50 per child, they come with one free adult. Any other adults that wish to enter the aquarium for the party will be charged £15.50. Seating is provided for parents waiting to pick up their children. Only kids will be provided food as part of the cost. Full terms and conditions are available.

All prices are subject to change and up to date information can be found on our Birthday Parties page.

Tags: Blue Planet Aquarium, Birthdays

Arranging a school trip to Blue Planet

We aim to make it as easy as possible for educators to arrange their school trips. Our downloadable educational packs contain all the information you need including risk assessments. Further, we can even arrange a visit for your own risk assessment if you’d like. The aquarium is easy to find and well signposted, free coach parking is also available. If you have any questions all you need to do is give us a quick call.

What to expect on school trips to Blue Planet

You can choose if you would like a guided or self-guided visit. I’d recommend a guided visit, so a member of our Guest Experience team will accompany you and your pupils around the aquarium. We provide you with your own expert, that can teach your pupils all about the lives, habitats, and behaviors of the wide variety of animals that live at Blue Planet.

Our educational visitors get priority seating at one of our Aquatheatre shows, as a result, you’ll have a first-class view of our SCUBA divers as they feed Stingrays and tropical fish in our Ocean exhibit. Pupils will learn about diving equipment, how divers communicate and how they feed many of the aquariums’ animal residents.

A section of The Nautilus Kitchen will be reserved for your lunch. Storage for coats, bags, lunches, and anything you may need to bring with you will be provided.

Classroom sessions help to take the learning further

There are a wide variety of classroom sessions developed in line with the National curriculum so you can tie the lessons in with school-based learning. Take a look at our pages for your required Key Stage.

Classroom sessions are all interactive and engaging to make sure your pupils enjoy them and learn as much as possible.

Conservation through education

Blue Planet’s mission is to introduce people to animals and habitats they may not be familiar with. Raising people’s awareness of whole ecosystems and the threats they face. If we can reach children early enough and teach them the impact that failure to protect these ecosystems can have, they then go on to make more eco-conscious decisions. Leading to a positive relationship with the world around them.

Find out more about school trips to Blue Planet

We’re available every day from 10:00 to 17:00.

Email: info@blueplanetaquarium.co.uk

Tel: 0151 357 8804

Meet Dave. He has a very important job. He is the Curator of Blue Planet Aquarium.

What is a Curator?

Firstly, it might be worth us asking the question, what is a Curator? The dictionary definition is “the custodian of a collection.” That’s exactly what they do in Blue Planet. The Curator oversees the well-being of all the animals at the aquarium and is directly responsible for our team of aquarists and divers.

What does a Curator do?

So, with that answered we can move on to what a Curator does. Day-to-day, it’s ensuring the animals are healthy and well cared for. Their enclosures and tanks are kept in the best possible condition. Provide enrichment and stimulation to ensure the animals are happy. All while coordinating a team of aquarists or animal care professionals to achieve these aims.

Animal Welfare

The animal residents are the number one priority in every decision Blue Planet make. The role encompasses a lot, it certainly keeps Dave busy. One day he may be removing stitches from a Copperhead Viper that has recently had surgery, the next he may be putting on his scuba gear to look after the Sand Tiger Sharks in our Ocean Exhibit. It’s safe to say the role is central to the running of the Aquarium.

Want to be a Curator?

I asked Dave what his advice would be to anyone looking to become the Curator of an aquarium. “It’s important to study animals in further education, as well as useful skills that are important to the role, such as plumbing.”

He goes on to say “Jump at every opportunity to gain experience within the animal industry. I worked with lions for two years and learnt a lot of transferable skills. It’s very important to have a passion and commitment to animal welfare.”

Exciting and challenging

Curators can face pretty unique challenges. Imagine if you had to transport a shark across the country, set up a temporary quarantine home for it and then ensure it is fit and healthy enough to join its friends in the exhibit tank. Where would you even begin? Well, these are the sort of things Curators need to consider. The rewards are pretty great though. Take a look at Dave the Curator, releasing Dave the Sand Tiger Shark into our massive Ocean Exhibit tank.

Tags: Aquarist, Aquarium, Blue Planet Aquarium, Curator, Zoology

Sand Tiger Sharks – Looks can be deceiving

Sand Tiger Sharks look scary at first glance with their long, sleek, grey bodies and pointed snouts. Also, take a look at their wide mouth full to the brim of vicious-looking teeth! Growing up to 3.2 metres long and weighing an extraordinary amount, they’re imposing. However, they’re quite docile.

Habitat

These sharks tend to inhabit the continental shelf from sandy shores and deep reefs. This is where they get the sand in their names. You’ll find them in warm waters across the world. Including Japan, Australia, South Africa, and the east coast of the Americas. They even lived in the Mediterranean. They’re now believed to be extinct in the area, due to no sightings for some time.

Behaviour

You’ll find Sand Tiger Sharks between the surface and depths of 200 meters. They’re the only shark we’re aware of that come to the surface to gulp air. They store air in their stomachs. This stored air means they’re able to float relatively still at a particular depth. Allowing them to efficiently stalk prey. Including small fish, crustaceans, and squid. They sometimes hunt in groups and can live in ‘Shivers’ within their habitat.

Threat of extinction

As we mentioned, Sand Tiger Sharks are widespread. Unfortunately, they have a very low reproduction rate. Making them vulnerable to population decline through external factors. Things like the destruction of coral reefs, the shark-fin trade and fishing by-catch. Sand Tiger Sharks are on the IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered.

The Sand Tiger Sharks of Blue Planet Aquarium

There are six Sand Tiger Sharks that call Blue Planet Aquarium home. Two females, Wilma and Betty. Four males, Alfie, Dave, Dingle and Flare. Betty is by far the largest, we estimate she’s about 36 stone and roughly 3 metres in length. Flare is the most recognisable with his extended jaw and prominent teeth. Dave is the smallest, only recently arriving at Blue Planet. Wilma is the eldest, with our records having her at a minimum of 25 years old. Alfie is the diver’s favourite and the most photogenic, he always seems to get the best photos! Dingle is our largest male and is a bit of a lovable giant.

Where to find them

You’ll find the Sand Tigers in our Ocean Exhibit, from our Aquatheatre window and all along the Shark Tunnel. You can’t miss them. They are the largest sharks that live at Blue Planet.

Tags: Animal Spotlight, Sand Tiger Shark, Shark

Scuba divers of Blue Planet Aquarium

If you’re like me, you may be curious about what Scuba Divers in a place like Blue Planet Aquarium actually get up to. Being in the fortunate position of already working in the aquarium, I asked if I could help the dive team for a day. In this post, I’ll share what I learned throughout the day.

Dive supervisor

I followed Sophie, one of our divers who was “Dive Supervisor” for the day. This means she was the person responsible for that day’s diver activities, records, and diver safety. Being a diver at Blue Planet is quite a varied job and doesn’t always mean being in the water, the Dive Supervisor is responsible for the days out of water tasks.

First things first

Our day started in the Food prep area of the aquarium. Whilst the other divers got into their wet suits, we prepared some tasty treats for the fish! This is where accurate record-keeping starts to become important. Preparing the correct weight of food for each of the fish being fed that day. Then recording it. This ensures the food is kept balanced and interesting. It also makes sure the fish are receiving the correct amount. Then prepare the feed for some of the smaller fish, which are fed all at once in a “scatter feed”.

Feeding the fish

Once the food is prepared we make a note of what each animal is being fed. Sophie relayed this to the SCUBA divers. Which makes them aware of what each fish has to eat that day. So that we can figure out how much each fish has eaten. Entering this into the notes for the day, so we can keep an eye on eating behaviours. We also keep an eye out for animal behaviour that may be out of the ordinary. What quickly became clear to me was the diver’s connections to the different animals within the aquarium. They do get to know their personalities.

SCUBA divers’ gear

In addition to wet suits, the SCUBA divers wear a Buoyancy Control Device (BCD). Which is a harness style vest, that they can inflate with air from their cylinders when they need to ascend. Attached to their BCD is their main cylinder, filled with compressed air and a smaller yellow cylinder called a Pony. The Pony is to be used in emergencies when the diver or one of their dive partners needs air.

Attached to their tanks are the regulators, which control the airflow whilst breathing underwater. These are sometimes part of a full facemask or standalone and paired with a half facemask, depending on the diver’s preference. The dive supervisor will make a log of the gear each diver is using and the air pressure currently in their cylinders. Next, if they’re feeding, come the gloves. First, is a white cotton glove for comfort next is a chainmail one for protection and on top goes an elasticated glove with a coating for grip. This protects the diver’s hands from the Stingrays and Sharks’ mouths, whilst making sure they can keep their grip on the feed.

SCUBA Divers in our shows. They’re more than just cool to watch.

Once in the water, the divers head over to the Aquatheatre. Where they do the first dive show of the day. There are always at least two SCUBA divers. One doing the feeding and one safety diver. They keep an eye out for any drifting Sand Tiger Sharks that are coming close. It’s the shark’s home and the divers need to move out of the way. As visitors take their seats on the dry side of the massive acrylic window, the divers already know which Stingrays to feed and how much they’re supposed to eat that day. Although the show can look hectic, when the divers resurface after it, they’re able to tell us exactly which Rays have eaten by their names.

Time to feed some sharks

Part of the Dive Supervisor role that day was to feed the Blacktip Reef Sharks, which was a highlight of the day for me as I got to do it! First, I attached the feed to a target. I lowered this into the water for the sharks to eat. Watching them swim up and grab the food was fun. As one of our SCUBA divers said, it feels a bit like reverse fishing!

The SCUBA divers daily jobs

As the divers of Blue Planet, the team are responsible for a lot of the upkeep of the aquarium’s exhibits. As well as feeding they also clean. They scrub algae from the inside of the glass and the walls. Even vacuum the floor of the exhibits to remove fish waste. All whilst respecting the animals of the exhibit, it’s important to remember the animals always have right of way! They’ll also maintain their diving equipment, refill air tanks, scrub salt from the fittings around our exhibits and train and escort divers on Blue Planet’s Shark Diving Experiences.

End of the day

At the end of the day the divers, will change, clean off and head home. The Dive supervisor will make any final notes on anything that happened that day, feeding habits, animal behaviours, equipment irregularities, and tasks completed. Lastly, clean up the containers for the animal’s food. When they’re done, it’s time to head home! It was a highly enjoyable day and a privilege to work with the dedicated people of the Blue Planet dive team and to work first-hand with the amazing animals that call the Aquarium home.

Tags: Blue Planet Aquarium, Dive, Scuba Diver, Shark Dive

Mutualistic relationship of coral and zooxanthellae.

Most coral has a mutualistic relationship with special algae called zooxanthellae.

Zooxanthellae live inside the coral’s tissue. This protects it from predation and provides them with the nutrients they require for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis produces waste products, such as oxygen, glucose, and amino acids.

Coral uses these waste products to produce carbohydrates, proteins, fats and possibly most important of all calcium carbonate, allowing it to grow.

What is coral bleaching?

Coral Bleaching occurs when coral forces zooxanthellae out from inside it. This turns the coral into a pale white colour. This doesn’t kill it, but it does leave it vulnerable. Without help, they could die within days.

Why are zooxanthellae forced out?

Bleaching occurs for several reasons. The main cause though is climate change. Like so many other crises the world currently faces. Other factors include pollution, overexposure to sunlight and extremely low tides.

Changes in water temperatures, as little as 1 or 2 °C more than usual, can cause huge bleaching events in reefs. Leaving them vulnerable to destruction.

Ocean acidification

Carbon Dioxide (CO2) reacts with seawater to form carbonic acid. The world’s oceans absorb in the region of 30 million tonnes of CO2 every day!

As I previously mentioned, coral use calcium carbonate to grow. Forming what is essentially a limestone skeleton. Seawater is slightly Alkaline, as this changes and becomes acidic the additional hydrogen ions released by the carbonic acid bind to carbonate ions in seawater changing them to bicarbonate. This makes it difficult for corals, and marine life with shells, to grow, as there are fewer carbonate ions available to them.

Why are coral reefs important?

Reefs influence a lot of ecosystems worldwide. The fish and animals that graze on coral over time create large sections of sand. This sand then moves with currents, forming shallows and islands and providing the ideal environment for coastal forests such as mangroves.

They provide jobs and recreational opportunities. Fishing, diving, and snorkeling at reefs can add millions of pounds to a local economy. It’s estimated there are over half a billion people dependent on reefs for food and protection around the world.

Reef ecosystems have also provided medical advancements. Many of the inhabitants of reefs produce chemical compounds that have been used in treatments for all sorts, from cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and ulcers. With such a high density of marine life, there is the potential for so much more we’ve yet to discover.

Coral reefs and biodiversity

Reefs are home to over 25% of all marine life. They’re present in both tropical and cold water but cover less than 0.2% of the world’s oceans. That’s a lot of life packed into a relatively small space!

This alone should demonstrate more than anything the importance of maintaining the world’s reefs!