Kelly Tarlton’s 30th birthday bonanza

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Join the fun at Kelly Tarlton’s 30th birthday bonanza this month!

Family favourite Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium reaches a milestone

The start of an exciting new year is icing on the birthday cake for one of New Zealand’s iconic attractions, as Kelly Tarlton’s blows out three decades worth of candles this month.

Since the world’s first ‘underwater’ aquarium first opened on 25 January 1985 on Auckland’s picturesque waterfront, more than 11.5 million visitors are estimated to have walked through the doors and experienced life under the sea.

To mark the anniversary, a special wall of memories from the past 30 years will be unveiled to the public on Anniversary Weekend. This will feature memories from both people involved in the aquarium, from the Tarlton family to staff who have worked there throughout its history, to members of the public who have sent memories in.

Kelly Tarlton’s SEA LIFE Aquarium’s General Manager, Philip McGowan says, “We are thrilled with the amount of memories from Kiwis all around New Zealand and their stories reinforce what we already knew, that a family trip to the aquarium is a quintessential part of growing up in New Zealand, and one people remember for a long time, if not a lifetime.”

With a year-long celebration, including fun birthday events throughout January, Kelly Tarlton’s is also offering 30 tickets at the original entry fee price in 1985 of $5 online at 8.00am every morning. Birthday games around the brand new ‘underwater’ playground plus the family quiz trail all add to the special birthday atmosphere.

“We would love to welcome families the breadth and width of New Zealand to the aquarium and introduce a new generation to Kelly Tarlton’s and our sea life friends, from the recently hatched Gentoo penguin chicks available to view in the Antarctic Ice Adventure, the rescued sea turtles that are currently rehabilitating in the Shipwreck Discovery Tank before being released later in the year, to Phoebe the stingray, who was caught by Kelly Tarlton himself” Philip adds.

The newly opened Shipwreck Shores playground featuring Auckland’s first indoor splash play area, daily animal feeds and displays will entertain and delight every member of the family this summer.

In April 1984 construction began on the 2.4 metre-diameter tunnel and moving platform walkways. Kelly Tarlton’s Underwater World opened on 25 January 1985 and exceeded Kelly’s aim of 200,000 visitors in its first year. Just seven weeks after opening Kelly personally greeted the 100,000th visitor, making his 18 hour work days’ worth it. Tragically, that night, Kelly died of a heart condition aged only 47.

Thirty years on, Kelly Tarlton’s has firmly established itself as a world leader in breeding, rescuing and protecting sea life, as well as a world renowned attraction.

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