Aquarist for a Day: An Immersive Behind the Scenes Experience

Embark on a unique adventure with Bournemouth Oceanarium’s Aquarist for a Day experience. This immersive journey offers a hands-on glimpse into the life of an aquarist, blending educational insights with practical activities. Over seven hours, you'll participate in everything from animal health checks to interactive feedings of stingrays, sharks, and turtles. Designed for both marine enthusiasts and aspiring conservationists, this experience promises not only a deeper understanding of aquatic life but also an opportunity to actively contribute to marine conservation. Join us for a day that goes beyond typical aquarium visits, creating lasting memories and providing insights that will change the way you see our ocean’s ecosystems.

Highlights of the experience

Step behind the scenes at Bournemouth Oceanarium with the exclusive Aquarist for a Day experience. You'll engage in everything from morning checks to detailed exhibit maintenance, and even participate in feeding sessions with charismatic marine species like turtles, sharks, and stingrays. Designed for both aspiring marine biologists and enthusiastic ocean lovers, this experience not only deepens your understanding of marine ecosystems but also lets you contribute directly to the care and conservation of its inhabitants.

The Role of an Aquarist

Becoming an aquarist for a day places you at the heart of Bournemouth Oceanarium's vital operations. Aquarists are crucial in maintaining the health and well-being of the aquarium's diverse marine life, ensuring that these captivating creatures thrive in carefully curated environments. By stepping into this role, you will participate in essential tasks such as water quality testing, animal health assessments, and the meticulous preparation of specialized diets. This hands-on experience not only highlights the significance of each task performed by professional aquarists but also emphasizes your important contribution to the preservation and education efforts of the aquarium. As you immerse yourself in this role, you'll gain a profound appreciation of the delicate balance required to sustain marine biodiversity and the direct impact you can have on these ecosystems.

Immersive Behind-the-Scenes Activities

Dive into the daily rhythm of the Oceanarium with our Aquarist for a Day experience. From early morning checks to intricate care routines, this immersive journey offers a unique opportunity to see and influence the behind-the-scenes operations that are crucial for maintaining our aquatic exhibits.

Here are the main tasks you will be doing your day as an aquarist:

Morning checks

Begin your day as an aquarist with morning checks, a critical routine to ensure the health and safety of all aquatic life. You'll inspect water quality, check filter operations, and observe each species for any signs of distress. This foundational activity sets the tone for the day, ensuring that the habitats are pristine and the animals are thriving.

Exhibit maintenance

Exhibit maintenance is key to the health of the ecosystems within the Oceanarium. As part of your experience, you will learn how to clean tanks, manage algae growth, and ensure that all life support systems are functioning optimally. This hands-on task not only maintains the visual clarity of the exhibits but also ensures the environmental quality for the creatures they house.

Animal feedings – stingrays/sharks/turtles

Feeding time is not only a feeding ritual but an exciting interaction with stingrays, sharks, eels, and turtles. Depending on the day, you may feed any of these majestic animals, learning about their specific dietary needs and behaviors. This activity allows you to connect with marine life in a way no other visitor can, understanding more deeply the roles these species play in their natural habitats.

Feed preparation

Before the feedings, you'll engage in the meticulous preparation of diets for various marine species. This involves measuring specific amounts of food, understanding nutritional components, and sometimes even preparing special dietary formulations. This careful preparation ensures that each animal receives exactly what it needs for optimal health and vitality.

Turtle enrichment

Participate in turtle enrichment activities where you help enhance the living conditions of turtles like Carrie, the Loggerhead. Enrichment activities may include modifying their habitats, introducing new objects for interaction, or varying feeding techniques to stimulate natural foraging behaviors. These activities are crucial for maintaining the turtles' health and well-being.

Animal health checks

Conclude your experience with animal health checks, a vital aspect of an aquarist’s duties. You will learn to identify signs of illness or stress among various species, assess physical conditions, and understand the basics of marine animal healthcare. This knowledge is essential for ensuring the ongoing health and welfare of the aquarium's inhabitants.

Creating Lasting Memories

The Aquarist for a Day experience at Bournemouth Oceanarium is designed not just to educate, but to create unforgettable memories that last a lifetime. Immersing yourself in the day-to-day care of marine life offers a unique perspective that few get to see. Capture these special moments as you interact with the diverse marine species—photographs, and videos are encouraged, provided the flash is off to ensure the animals' comfort. Whether you’re feeding a stingray or checking the health of a turtle, each moment is a snapshot of life beneath the waves, preserved for years to come. This experience is more than just a day at the aquarium; it’s an enduring memory made, capturing the heart of marine conservation.

Here is how some of our visitors felt when participating in this experience and what they said about it on TripAdvisor:

Conclusion

Embrace the opportunity to become an aquarist for a day at Bournemouth Oceanarium and step into a world where every task has a purpose and every moment deepens your connection with marine life. This immersive experience offers profound insights into the complexities of aquatic care and conservation, leaving participants with not only cherished memories but also a greater appreciation for our oceans' delicate ecosystems. Get your tickets to the Oceanarium or book your Aquarist for the Day experience now!