Mermaid swims in to Kelly Tarlton’s for school holidays

A real–life mermaid* is making guest appearances at Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium this July school holidays, as part of a fun for all ages holiday programme.

Bex the Mermaid, who swims in on Saturday 5 July, will be a star attraction of the mermaid-inspired school holiday activity programme running until Sunday 20 July.

Visitors will be able to see Bex make her aquatic guest appearance twice daily at 10.30am and 1.30pm in the Shipwreck Discovery tank. Also on offer around the aquarium are Disney’s The Little Mermaid themed activities including a mermaid quiz trail, and a mermaid grotto activity room, featuring reading, face painting and fun mermaid crafts.

Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium’s Sales and Marketing Manager, Claire Wheeler commented, “Mermaids are magical and mystical creatures who hold a fascination for many of us. Bex is going to be realising a life-long dream swimming amongst the colourful marine life.

“Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia. A little known fact is that New Zealand has its own tale of mermaids! According to Maori legend, the mermaid Pania lived in the sea off the coast of the North Island. Her son Maremare is said to protect the sea and reef in the shape of a shark or stingray.

For visitors wanting to extend their mermaid experience, themed sleep-overs will be available on 5 and 11 July. A fantastic opportunity for up to 70 children and adults to have the entire attraction to themselves, the sleep-over experience starts at 7.00pm and includes:

• The mermaid quiz challenge

• A special Stingray feed

• The chance to explore the Underwater World by torchlight

• A behind-the-scenes visit to feed the fish

• Fun mermaid crafts and storytelling

• Supper and breakfast in amazing Stingray Bay with close up views of the harbour and city

As places are limited, visitors need to pre-book the sleepover experience to ensure availability. Save when you book an aquarium visit online at www.kellytarltons.co.nz More information is available by calling 0800 80 50 50.

Mermaid facts:

• A mermaid is a legendary aquatic creature with the upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish

• In Old English, “mer” means “sea,” and “maid” simply meant woman. Mermaids are therefore “women of the sea’

• Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including the Near East, Europe, Africa and Asia

• Some of the powers of the mermaid are immortality, seeing the future, telepathy and hypnosis

• Famous mermaids include Darryl Hannah in the movie “Splash” and Ariel, The Little Mermaid from the Disney movie

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