Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium | |
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![]() Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium logo | |
![]() Entrance to Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium on Tamaki Drive | |
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36°50′45″S 174°49′2″E / 36.84583°S 174.81722°E | |
Date opened | 1985; 39 years ago |
Location | 23 Tamaki Drive, Ōrākei, Auckland 1071, New Zealand |
No. of animals | 1500+ |
No. of species | 50+ |
Major exhibits | 8 |
Owner | Merlin Entertainments |
Website | www |
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Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium (formerly Kelly Tarlton's Underwater World) is a public aquarium opened in 1985 in Auckland, New Zealand. Located at 23 Tamaki Drive, it was the brainchild of New Zealand marine archaeologist and diver Kelly Tarlton (1937–1985).[1][2]
Built in disused sewage storage tanks, the aquarium used a new form of acrylic shaping, which allowed curved tunnels rather than viewing areas with flat panels only, as in previous aquariums. The project was also one of the first to use moving walkways for people to travel slowly through the viewing areas.[3]