National Marine Aquarium celebrates 25th anniversary with record breaking year

On Wednesday 31 January 2024, the National Marine Aquarium welcomed its 355,000th visitor

At the end of January 2024, the National Marine Aquarium welcomed its final visitor of the 2023/2024 season, closing the books on their most successful year since opening 25 years ago, with record numbers of community visits, Blue Mind activities and the UK’s inaugural Seagrass Symposium. 

The UK’s largest aquarium is home to the Ocean Conservation Trust, and cares for over 5,000 animals, acting as an educational institution by teaching new and returning visitors about the marine environment. Proudly connecting people with the Ocean, Wednesday 31 January 2024 signified a significant milestone for the NMA, having connected over 355,000 visitors with the Ocean and signifying its status as a leading local attraction, on the shores of the UK’s first National Marine Park.

Roger Maslin, CEO of the Ocean Conservation Trust said, “This is a huge testament to the power of the Ocean to bring families, friends, and communities together. We have an incredible team of people here who have worked day and night to get through some tough years. Navigating the pandemic was a brand-new challenge for everyone, and we have come out the other side stronger than ever. 355,000 visitors is a significant milestone, and we are so grateful to everyone who’s visited and supported us. We share this success with our amazing team members who really understand what a special place the National Marine Aquarium is”.

“It really is the people here at the NMA that make this place remarkable, and it’s because of their dedication and passion that we can celebrate such a landmark. Our BBC Two documentary, Secrets of the Aquarium, has of course played a role in this success, but it was the cherry on top of an incredible year. We look forward to building on this success in 2024.” 

So much more than an Aquarium, the NMA is run by the Ocean Conservation Trust - a charity fuelled by Ocean optimism and on a mission to inspire a global movement to promote and encourage a wave of positive behaviour towards the Ocean. Visitors to the NMA, whose tickets can also be upgraded to an annual pass for free, can look forward to seeing over 5,000 marine animals, across four geographical zones and all the while in the knowledge that the NMA reinvest their profits back into the work of the OCT.

For more information and to keep up to date with all news and updates from the National Marine Aquarium, head to the website: national-aquarium.co.uk or follow the NMA on Instagram, Facebook and X.