Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World

Infobox zoo
zoo_name=Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World
logo=Logo Kelly Tarltons.jpg
logo_width = 150px
logo_caption=Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World Logo

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image_caption= The entrance to the mostly hidden facilities.
date_opened=1985
location=23 Tamaki Drive, Orakei, Auckland, New Zealand
num_animals=1500+
num_species=50+
exhibits=Antarctic Encounter, Underwater World (Oceanarium), Stingray Bay
website=http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World, a public aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand, was the brainchild of renowned New Zealand marine archeologist Kelly Tarlton.

History

Opened in 1985 after 10 months of construction, Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World typified the "number 8 wire" attitude of Kiwis. Tarlton developed a new method of building an acrylic tunnel by taking large sheets of clear acrylic, cutting them to size and heating them in an oven until they took the shape of the mould. Some of the sheets weighed over one tonne. An interesting fact is that because of the refraction caused by light traveling through water, and the acrylic sheets used in the creation of the tunnel, the fish appear to be one third smaller than they are.

A tunnel of 110 metres was created in sewage storage tanks that had been unused since the 1960s. The tanks are located below the suburb of Orakei, on Tamaki Drive and overlooking the Waitemata Harbour.

Once the tunnels were in place and the tanks filled to test for leaks (none were found) a seascape of caves and reefs was created using concrete before the basins were filled in one section with a careful selection of more than 1,800 marine creatures.

Another section was filled with sharks (including bronze whaler, sevengill shark, wobbegong, school shark) and stingrays. The sharks are only held for a short period of time before being released back into the area where they were caught. Since its opening in 1985 the facility has been hugely expanded to include a replica of the hut used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott on his tragic expedition to Antarctica as well as a colony of sub-Antarctic penguins.

Current Aquarium

The aquarium's features are listed below, the two main features are the Antarctic Encounter and the Underwater World:

*Antarctic Encounter - This is the first feature found after entry. Visitors can view the aquarium's penguins through glass in their temperature controlled habitat. Visitors then pass through a recreation of the hut used by Captain Robert Falcon Scott during his South Pole expedition in 1912. After this visitors take a ride on an Antarctic Snowcat, a type of vehicle, through the penguin enclosure. The aquarium has a colony of king penguins and gentoo penguins, the ride also has other features relating to Antarctica and its exploration.

*Stingray Bay - Is a 350,000 litre open topped acrylic tank. This tank contains two species of stingray and other smaller fish species including; kingfish, blue mao mao and "Phoebe" a 250 kilogram short tailed stingray with a two metre wingspan. This area of the aquarium has a refreshment kiosk.

*NIWA Interactive Room - This room is located adjacent to Stingray Bay and aims to educate children about the marine world and Antarctica while entertaining them.

*Underwater World - The original part of the aquarium. This 110 metre acrylic tunnel is separated into two tanks which can hold up to 2000 animals. The first tank is filled mainly with shark species, while the second tank has mainly schooling fish such as blue mao mao.

*Sea Creatures - This area contains smaller aquariums usually filled with single species. Here you can find; two tropical marine tanks, red bellied piranha, an octopus, sea horses, moray eels, crayfish plus stonefish and pufferfish in the Poisonous and Venomous fish tank. Adjacent to this area is the gift shop which also contains the exit.

Ownership

Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World was sold in 2008 for NZD $13 million to Village Roadshow, which also owns Sydney Aquarium, Manly Oceanworld and Sea World Gold Coast. The site is a for-profit business but also plays a role in education and conservation which includes providing a rehabilitation centre for sick and injured turtles from around New Zealand's coast.

External links

* [http://www.kellytarltons.co.nz/home/ Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World] (official website)