On Saturday 4th of August the UK welcomes the Sea Creatures: Life Beneath The Oceans Tour opens it’s doors to the general public. Sea Creatures is a groundbreaking new exhibition that allows visitors to explore the secrets of life beneath the ocean waves through incredible cross-sections of marine animals. Full body specimens include whales, penguins and great white sharks, and visitors can also get an up-close glimpse into the complex organs and body parts of a large number of species.
We were lucky enough to visit the tour for a sneak peak before it’s doors are opened to the general public to see how exciting this fascinating exhibition was. The event was a press only event with lots of famous faces (I felt a little underdressed!) and we even got to rub shoulders with Bill Oddie!
The overwhelming message of the exhibition is about reducing the amount of plastic waste that we find in our oceans. A hot topic that currently fills all of our news sources, TV shows, social media and even slaps us right in the face when experiencing our British Coastlines in the flesh.
The Sea Creatures tour, which – in a UK first – allows visitors to explore life beneath the ocean, with over 200 exhibits including 50 incredible cross-sections of REAL animals like whales, penguins and Great White Sharks, using the same plastination process developed by Dr. Gunther von Hagens. The main attraction is the perfectly preserved Minke whale, sourrounded by a huge stingray, dolphins and porpoises.
Alongside the complete creatures, visitors can explore the VR experience, watch episodes of The Blue Planet II and children can play in an interactive ball pit. There really is something for everyone. Step aside old school museums and make room for an immersive and interactive touring masterpiece.
The exhibition is being held at the Royal Horticultural Society halls in The Westminster area of London. I’ll be honest I was a little surprised at what the venue was like .I imagined a Grand Hall full of plants (as the venue name suggests) so I was a little taken aback that we were effectively in what looked like a school hall. But despite the surroundings the exhibition was truly marvellous.
We visited with Willow our six-year-old. She did find it hard to understand that the specimens were real because yes they do look very plastic! It’s hard for her small brain to process that a sea creature can be so immaculately preserved forever for her to see and that these creatures were once alive within our oceans.
All of the specimens are ethically sourced and were not murdered for the sake of art. They are there to teach scientists (and the rest of us!) about the wonders of our oceans and the horrific affects and the dangers of plastic found within the oceans. This event is truly spectacular and well worth a visit for every member of the family. If you are looking for something to do this summer holidays I urge you to take your children to visit the Sea Creatures Tour. Not only to show them how amazing our sea creatures are, nor to just look at wonderful specimens or learn about the Anatomy of these creatures , but also to teach our children about the awful impact that plastics are having on our oceans and the incredible creatures that that live there.
Sea Creatures: Life Beneath The Ocean is stopping in Edinburgh, Harrogate, and Belfast, and will see 50 real-life specimens of creatures including a Minke Whale, Baleen Whale, Whale Shark, Great White Shark, Dolphin, Seal, Octopus, Penguin and Sting Ray on display, allowing visitors to glimpse inside the majestic beasts, learning about the complex life systems within and why we need to protect precious ocean life.
For more information of the tour, and to buy tickets visit the Sea Creatures Tour website here.
