NB: Manly Sea Life Sanctuary has now closed its doors. Please check out Sydney Aquarium at Darling Harbour by clicking here.

A short ferry ride from Circular Quay, Manly is home to many things, one of which is the Sea Life Sanctuary. The location is perfect, easy to get to, being located on the ferry side of Manly on the harbour making it easy to get to for both locals and tourists.

There are daily activities which means there is always something going on for you or the family.  For ticket prices, check out their website.

The Aquarium

We spent around 2 hours just walking through the aquarium enjoying the different species of marine life. The moment you enter you’re greeted by a colour display of marine life! If you look close enough, you might even be able to spot Nemo and Dory circling the waters.

Here are some of our favourites…

The upper level of the complex is where you’ll find Penguin Cove, a great habitat for Little Penguins. We learnt that Manly’s Little Penguin colony has been listed as an endangered population, and the local area has been declared a critical habitat for the population.

Then, you head downstairs to where the big fish are! We joined one of the daily talks and got to know more about the species of marine life in these large tanks.

The tank is not actually made of glass like most of you would think, in fact, it is made from acrylic which we were told is much stronger than glass, meaning the pressure of the water won’t cause damage… not to mention, it is bulletproof!

As we were walking through, an interesting fact we picked up was that everything appears 30% smaller than what it actually is and this is because of the curved tunnel you’re looking through. So, the thought ran through our minds.. if they look this big here, imagine how large they will be when you are in the tank with them!  Yep, that’s right, you can participate in the Shark Dive Xtreme at the Sea Life Sanctuary as well. We were booked in that afternoon for the Shark Dive so needless to say we could feel our heart rate rising at this point!! Jenna became a little more nervous about our upcoming dive, wondering what she had got herself into!!

The good thing about the Sea Life Sanctuary is that the location is perfect and caters for everyone.  You can head on over in rain, hail or sunshine and it only takes a couple of hours so if you’re short on time, it’s perfect!

Here is a short video of Manly Sea Life Sanctuary.

Shark Dive Xtreme

For more information on the Shark Dive Xtreme, click here.

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“Travel and change of place impart new vigor to the mind.” – Seneca