Sea change at the London Aquarium with £5 million refit

THE new owners of the London Aquarium have announced a £5 million renovation programme.

Merlin Entertainments, which acquired it in May, said building work was due to start this month to create more exhibits, better viewing tunnels and interactive features for children.

The number of species will be increased from 400 to more than 500, with turtles introduced for the first time. Visitors will be able to walk through new tunnels to see fish swimming above them, and peer into tanks from above as well as side-on.

The attraction in the former County Hall will remain open during the work, which is due to be completed by Easter. The owners, who also run The London Eye, Madame Tussaud's and the London Dungeon, hope to boost visitor numbers, which currently stand at about 750,000 a year.

Divisional director David Sharpe said: "This is a programme to bring the London Aquarium into the 21st century. While the name is world famous, it has been left behind by other aquariums. We're now in a position to change that to make it a better experience for children and families with more emphasis on education and the environment."

Merlin is set to rename the venue so it comes under its Sea Life brand, but it will not lose the current name.