I have a somewhat strange soft spot for seals so the Exploris Aquarium is one of my favourite places to go for a family day out. The experts at Exploris take in and care for seals which have been rescued from the coast suffering from injury or illness. Mind you, sometimes there are no seals in the seal sanctuary which is obviously good news for the seal population but not for the selfish visitors who want to see them. Check the website before you go to see how many seals are being cared for. The aquarium has loads of other stuff to see and learn about. The first thing you see when you go in is a huge touch tank where there are frequent talks from the expert staff who encourage visitors to touch the fish and rays which is great fun. There are lots of tanks and pools as you make your way through the aquarium, including one which has a wave splashing too and fro. The most exciting bit is the largest tank which has sharks in it. Only little ones but still very exciting nonetheless and throughout the day divers go into the tank to feed the sharks. There are loads of fish and rays in this tank too to really give you an idea of how the species interact in the open sea. You can view this tank from the side through the glass walls or from above as a bridge is suspended above it. Exploris is relatively pricey to get in - £22 for a ticket for a family of 4 and even if you take a break in the café and visit the shop (both of which will see you forking out more cash), I think the most you will spend there is a couple of hours. Stretch out your visit by taking a picnic and going to the park right next door. read more

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Jaw dropping, awe inspiring, beautiful marine creatures. Take a trip to Exploris Aquarium and witness the amazing spectacle of what life is like in our local waters. I'm a water baby, always have been, always will be and sea life fascinates me. Lucky mites get to live in the water all day every day, why can't I! They don't even get wrinkles! Bah! Jealousy aside, this attraction is a fascinating peek in to the marine world. It's educational and fun; a great day out for the family or there's a tour/workshop facility available for school trips. You can watch in amazement as the divers hand feed the sharks, even walk across the murky depths on the bridge above the shark tank! Make sure you visit the discovery pool where you get hands on action with the flat fish! The staff give regular presentations and talks throughout the day about an interesting range of topics, so if you're a sea geek, don't miss this! The aquarium is also home to The Seal Rescue Centre *arf arf* where sick pups are nursed back to health before being released into the wild. This is a great programme which ensures the rehabilitation and ongoing care of our local seal population. Yay! There are regular exhibitions held on location so contact them before you come to see whats on. For example, this year there is; shark week, seal week, a puppet theatre and art / photography exhibitions. This year seal week is 6 - 14 Nov ...See you there! As of August 2010 - Prices: Adult £7.00 Junior (16 years and under) £4.50 Family (2 adults and 4 children) £22.00 Family (1 adult and 4 children) £19.50 60 years +, Disabled and unemployed £4.50 Under Fours Free Opening Hours: April - August: Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm Sat 11am - 6pm Sun 12noon - 6pm September - March: Mon - Fri 10am - 5pm Sat 11am - 5pm Sun 1pm - 5pm For such an interesting, informative day, Portaferry is only about an hour away from Belfast so if you're stuck on a rainy day don't miss it! Or do as we used to and pack the kids away, hook up the caravan and come stay in the caravan site next door and make a weekend of it! read more

Great little cafe and gift shop and gardens which are free to stroll around. The drive down from newtownards is about 14 miles and stunning views of Strangford lough. There's been much talk of exploris closing or relocating to titanic quarter. I hope it stays in portaferry but the roads improve and maybe they'll put more promotion's on and let people know this actually exists, why do people visiting northern Ireland not know about these places? Go to wales and learn a few lessons on tourism, everywhere has leaflets on their local attractions and venues. We need to start promoting the great things we have to offer, exploris should be up there with the best of them. read more

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I remember going here on a school trip many years ago when I was only tiny in primary school (only a few years after the place opened) It was a rainy Saturday and we were feeling pretty fed up, so we decided to give it a go, just for something different to do. To give a bit of background, the idea of Exploris, is to educate us all about the kinds of marine life that surrounds the island of Ireland. Some of the main features, are the two touch tanks (one near the entrance, the other near the exit) where you can reach in and touch some of the animals inside, such as star fish, sea urchins, and the friendly little rays that circle the tank enjoying getting attention. Another feature is the glass tunnel which gives the effect of walking under the sea, and to either side and abov you, you can see the many fish and sharks that live there. Further on, you can climb the stairs and see it from above too. Last but not least, they have a seal santuary, where you can see some of the cute little seals they have rescued and are taking care of until they can be released. All in all, this is a fab day out - it's for kids really, but adults can join in the fun too, and the staff really know their stuff! read more

Don't Go! Drove the 30 odd miles from Belfast with my family to visit the Exploris Aquarium. What a waste of expensive diesel! (although we all at least enjoyed the ferry over from Strangford!). We paid £18.50 for 3 of us (my twins are 2 years old so got in for free -TG!). The place and staff have an overwhelming feeling of being tired / sad / lethargic / neglected! Despite arriving in the middle of the day there was no-one about (although the staff member on the door said that there was a schoolclass somewhere in the building). Bar the lady on the door and a couple of staff in the canteen there were no other staff in attendance to give us any information on the fish we were looking at. There was supposed to be a 12.30 'Touch and Feel' session according to the board but the lady on the front door had said that as the schoolchildren had been taken for that one the next one would be 1.30. At 1.30 - no sign - 1.45 nothing so at 2pm I asked a staff member in the canteen what was going on. He kindly said he would go check with the 'office' (so there were some aquarium staff members somewhere!). He came back to say there wasnt a 1.30 but there would be a 2.30 'show'. As there were 'NO SEALS' (per sign) in the seal sanctuary (as you can imagine I am starting to feel shortchanged by now) and we had viewed all the fishtanks and the tired 'interactive area' we went for some lunch and came back to the aquarium at 2.25. But you guessed it - another no show! So I checked with the lady at reception - and now it was to be at 2.45! At that point I complained about the chaotic service and asked if anything could be done (as I had told a few others waiting in the viewing area that I had been promised 2.30!). I was waiting in the viewing area and the lady from reception came in and said it would now be 3pm! I laughed - and obviously left my complaint with them - but headed for the exit - never to return and never to recommend. Whoever is paying for the upkeep of this place - whether its the taxpayer or ratepayers - either go into that place and kick some backsides or shut it down and cut your losses! This 'visitor attraction' is an embarassment to Northern Ireland. read more

The Aquarium makes for a fun day out for all. Although most of what It has available can be seen in about an hour, the cafe at the top has a play area for the kids while the adults unwind. Often, the pools are attended by an employee who will explain about its inhabitants and invite the kids watching to interact in some way. Some of the shows are very amusing and the kids seem to enjoy them. The main attraction are the petting tanks. These contain three or four rays which will often surface to be stroked. The tanks are too high for children to put their hands in however in my experience few are willing anyhow. Petting a ray is certainly an experience that alone makes the visit worthwhile and you'll leave with some entertaining videos or stills. At certain times, you'll see a diver in amongst the largest fish and rays in a huge glass tank, alongside which a 'tunnel' runs for underwater viewing. The cave-theme can make parts of the Aquarium cramped and claustrophobic. On busy days, it hard to move with people and often you need to wait for a stream of visitors coming from one end of a tunnel to ease before you can move onto the next area. Having said that, the Aquarium is a fine day out although not something you will be too eager to repeat again in the near future. read more