Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Is Opening a New Sea Cave Featuring Native Creatures from the Hauraki Gulf

Auckland's Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium is currently home to sand tiger sharks, rescued sea turtles, a colony of sub-Antarctic penguins and hundreds of different fish species, but it will soon welcome marine wildlife found in the surrounding harbour.

Announced in line with the 21st anniversary of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is a new zone dedicated to the New Zealand's first and largest marine park. From December 2021, Kelly Tarlton's Sea Cave Adventure will invite visitors to discover the Gulf's native marine species and their environments, the threats to its future and how they can help protect it.

The $1.1 million upgrade at the Tamaki Drive aquarium will tell the story of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park, which was established in 2000 to help stem ecological decline by protecting its natural and historic features.

The underground Sea Cave Adventure will move through four themed chambers where visitors will encounter native octopus, eel, starfish, crayfish, pufferfish and crab species. In addition to the sea creatures, the new zone will include hands-on interactions through a reinvigorated rock pool experience along with educational content and digital displays.

Construction on Sea Cave Adventure will begin in May 2021 and the new zone will be unveiled in December 2021, in time for the summer holidays.

For more information about Sea Cave Adventure and Sea Life Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium, visit kellytarltons.co.nz.