The Deep, like many other Millennium Commission projects, has a rather striking design |
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| Date opened | 2002 |
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| Location | Hull, England |
| Number of animals | 3,500+[1] |
| Volume of largest tank | 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) |
| Website | www.thedeep.co.uk |
The Deep is a large underwater aquarium situated at Sammy's Point, at the confluence of the River Hull and the Humber estuary in Hull, England. It opened in March 2002.
Billed as 'the world's only submarium',[2] the tanks contain thousands of sea creatures (including seven species of shark), 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of water and 87 tonnes (96 tons) of salt housed in an iconic structure designed by Sir Terry Farrell and built as part of the UK National Lottery's Millennium Commission project.
Since opening, The Deep has welcomed over two million visitors from around the world.
As well as a tourist attraction, The Deep is a centre for marine research. Behind the scenes a team of dedicated marine biologists look after all of the animals in The Deep’s collection as well as carrying out vital research into the marine environment.
The Deep is a charitable public aquarium dedicated to increasing peoples enjoyment and understanding of the world’s oceans. It is one of the most successful millennium projects in the Country.[3]
Contents |
A visit will generally last between 2 and 3 hours. Using a combination of hands on interactive displays, audiovisual presentations and living exhibits it tells the story of the world's oceans. Visitors will be taken on a journey from the beginning of time through the present day oceans the icy darkness of a futuristic Deep-Sea research lab, Deep Blue one. One is directed up to the third floor and from this level a gently sloping ramp with interspersed audio-visual displays and interactive features leads you back down a couple of levels. Along the way, the handrail depicts time from the beginning of the Earth (1.5 cm = 1,000,000 years) and the displays are located at the chronological point along the way.
At the bottom of the ramp is a bright lagoon with many brightly coloured tropical fish. Details of their habitat can be found on the interactive "find your creature" panels.
Next comes the main feature, a 10-metre (33 ft) deep pool containing 2,500,000 litres (550,000 imp gal; 660,000 US gal) of water, several sharks and large rays and a multitude of other fish. Early each afternoon, a show dive is performed where two members of the team dive to the bottom of this tank and feed the sharks and rays by hand.
The facility also includes fish that glow in the dark, coral, and sea horses. Finally, there is an interactive area where visitors can learn to control an underwater diving vessel.
The Deep has an education programme which hosts 30,000 primary and high school students in its three dedicated classrooms each year. Some of the themes covered in these programs include food chains, caring for the marine environment, predator-prey relationships, adaptations, and habitats.[4] In addition, The Deep hosts a variety of special events for schools, families, and individuals of all ages.[5]
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