Living Coasts aquarium and aviary |
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| Date opened | 14 July 2003 |
|---|---|
| Location | Torquay, Devon, England |
| Number of animals | 626 |
| Number of species | 51 |
| Annual visitors | 100,000+ |
| Memberships | BIAZA,[1] EAZA,[2] WAZA[3] |
| Major exhibits | Auk Cliff, Penguin Beach, Underwater Tunnel, Mangroves: The Roots of the Sea, Local Coasts, Discover Zone |
| Website | www.livingcoasts.org.uk |
Living Coasts is a coastal zoo owned by Paignton Zoo as part of the Whitley Wildlife Conservation Trust, which includes Newquay Zoo. It is a registered charity, and is based around sea birds and other coastal wildlife. The site is covered by a giant Aviary which includes several animal enclosures and habitats including an artificial tidal estuary, a penguin beach, a tropical mangrove swamp, and a collection of underwater viewing areas.
Living Coasts is Britain's only coastal zoo and a nationally-important discovery centre. It is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).
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Living Coasts opened to the public on 14 July 2003,[4] and is now visited by over 100,000 visitors a year.
The aviary, which cost £7 million to build, is 19 metres (62 ft) at its highest point and has a total volume of 1.8 million cubic feet (51,000 m3). Aqauarium tanks inside the avairy have a total capacity of 1,214 cubic metres (321,000 USgal) and are home to many mangrove species including 3 types of sting ray and many different types of fish. Also local coasts encourages knowledge of local species such as edible crabs etc.
This free flying enclosure is home to mammals and birds including South American Fur Seals, African penguins, macaroni penguins, Sea ducks, pied avocet, redshanks, black necked stilts, ruffs, and Terns.
The aviary was the first open-air auk exhibit in the world, and has won a design award. It was also the first place in the U.K to breed Pigeon Guillemots, Common Guillemots and Tufted Puffins. Also found in the auk enclosure are red legged kittiwakes and red billed choughs.
Mangroves: The Roots of the Sea opened in July 2009, and features large aquarium tanks containing over 20 species. It is Britain's first major exhibit themed on a mangrove swamp habitat.
The Local Coasts exhibit is themed on the underside of a classic English pier and is home to native marine species including Seahorses and Starfish.
Discovery Zone, which opened in March 2008, features an interactive floor with a series of specially-created penguin computer game stations called Penguin Academy.
Special shows, extended talks and hands-on events are available throughout the site each day.[5] Other programs let visitors be keeper or junior keeper for the day, take part in one of the penguin feeds,[6] or (for certified SCUBA divers) take a 45 minute swim with the penguins.[7]
Living Coasts has a Cafe that overlooks Torbay and is open during the day to everyone (whether or not visiting Living Coasts). The Tradewinds Gift shop is also open to visitors and non-visitors and is themed on a colonial harbour.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Living_Coasts Living Coasts] at Wikimedia Commons