March 8th Great Yarmouth

Gilt-head Bream

I have always dreamt of being underwater surrounded by fish and other marine creatures. Being beneath the waves, eye to eye with something on the lines of a shark or a seal in its own world. Today, I get to do the next best thing, as I pay a visit to the Sealife Centre in Great Yarmouth. It maybe the driest option, it is also a lot cheaper than to pay for diving lessons, gear and so on. I wish I could explore the deep blue, but for someone like me, I doubt it will ever be possible. All I can do is to imagine that the fish in the tanks are actually free roaming in the ocean and that I am there swimming with them.

It is also a good opportunity to test my camera out here. My camera just hates fast moving subjects, and the fact that they are behind glass and underwater in various lighting effects makes it extra challenging for it. So what you see here are the best of what I managed to take out of the so many blurry rejects.

Sea Bass

I arrived in time for the penguin feed. After they had their fill, some of these Humboldt penguins went for a swim in front of us. They were very inquisitive of me looking at them through the glass. I couldn't help but play with them by stroking part of the glass where their bodies press up against it.

Humboldt Penguins

Dinner time!!

Conger Eel

Of course, there are fish species from all over world on display at this aquarium, but they also have a good collection of species that are found in British waters too. Their collection includes species such as conger eels (the largest eel in the world), trigger fish, common octopus, and a large tank full of rays, catsharks (or dogfish), plaice, mullets and more. They even have a nursary tank full of baby rays. It was just a taster of the amazing wildlife that we have just offshore along our coastline. The North Norfolk coastline in particular is surprisingly a great place for marine life, as most of it is home to a unique stretch of chalk reef, the largest in Europe! If you want to see more, check this website out. www.norfolkwildlifetrust.org.uk

Thornback Ray

The smiley underside of a ray

Smooth Hound

Catshark (or Dogfish)

Plaice

Undulate Ray

Undulate Ray

Baby Thornback Ray

Feeding the rays

Cuckoo Wrasse

Triggerfish

Common Octopus

Black-tipped Reef Shark

No aquarium is complete without a glass tunnel taking you amongst sharks and other fish. I have to admit, the tank they were in was very murky and was in good need of a filter clean. It didn't bother the sharks though. They were busy circling the large tank like normal and they still looked beautiful and sleek through the green tinted water. They were mainly black-tipped reef sharks with a few Bowmouth guitar sharks along with a couple of shovelnose guitarfish, a large black blotched ray, a couple of green moray eels and a Queensland grouper. Oh, and there was also a green turtle with them called Noah, who was having his lunch provided by the staff from above the surface of the tank.

Bowmouth Guitar Shark

Shovelnose Guitarfish

Noah the Green Turtle

Lance the Queensland Grouper

Black Blotched Ray

Green Moray Eel

Not sure but some kind of exotic fish

It was a pleasent visit and as it was during the week, I almost had the place to myself with only a few small families and the staff around. It may not be my complete fantasy coming true, but it will do for now.

Lionfish

Moray Eel