Sea Life Sunshine Coast

Sea Life Sunshine Coast at Mooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and wildlife sanctuary. Sea Life Sunshine Coast is an institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association (ZAA). The attraction is a Sea Life Centre owned by Merlin Entertainments, and is globally referred to as Sea Life Sunshine Coast by the firm. It was formerly known as UnderWater World.

    Sea Life Sunshine Coast
    Entrance to Sea Life Sunshine Coast
    LocationMooloolaba, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia
    Coordinates26°40′58.25″S 153°07′16.6″E
    Volume of largest tank2,500,000 l (660,000 US gal)[1]
    MembershipsZAA[2]
    Websitewww.sealifesunshinecoast.com.au

    History

    UnderWater World officially opened in 1989.[3]

    Several scenes in the Jackie Chan 1996 film Police Story 4: First Strike were shot in the park,[4] including a scene in the main aquarium. In one of the scenes a tourist family is visible in the reflection on one of the tanks.

    During the period of Christmas on 2006 UnderWater World had a Giant Squid preserved in a block of ice on display.[5]

    In July 2013, UnderWater World's owners, Merlin Entertainments, announced that they would be spending $6.5 million on the refurbishment of the facilities. As part of the process, the aquarium was rebranded as a Sea Life Centre and relaunched in December 2013.[6][7][8]

    Exhibits
    Sharks Alive

    A moving walkway in a 80-metre (260 ft) shark tunnel under the 2,500,000-litre (660,000 US gal) oceanarium takes visitors past several viewing windows, with fish swimming all around the walkway. The exhibit includes three separate habitats: coral reef, cave and open ocean. Its residents include rays, moray eels, grey nurse sharks, whitetip reef sharks, and zebra sharks.[1]

    In November 2011, the shark tank and moving walkway were closed for an upgrade.[9][10]

    Seal Island

    There are about seven seals at Sea Life Sunshine Coast, one New Zealand fur seal, two Australian fur seals and four Australian sea lions which make up part of the Seal Island Exhibit.[11]

    Shows and talks

    Sea Life Sunshine Coast presents seal shows and wildlife information talks, and has hands-on marine displays. Shows at the park include:

    • Seal Shows in the Seal Stadium
    • Stingray Reef talks
    • Ocean Tunnel Tours
    • Touch Pool
    • Jellyfish Tours
    • Behind the Scenes Tours
    • and much more!

    Conservation

    Sea Life Sunshine Coast is a rehabilitation centre for turtles, seals, and other marine animals.

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    References
    1. "Sharks Alive". underwaterworld.com.au. UnderWater World. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
    2. "Member Location Map". zooaquarium.org.au. ZAA. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
    3. "Turtles in Trouble". underwaterworld.com.au. UnderWater World. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    4. "Jackie Chan's First Strike". imdb.com. The Internet Movie database. Retrieved 29 January 2011.
    5. "Frozen Giant Squid on display in Australia". tonmo.com.au. TONMO: The Octopus News Magazine Online. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    6. "More Exciting Changes" (Press release). UnderWater World. 12 July 2013. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
    7. Muir, Kristy (11 July 2013). "Breathing a new $6.5 million SEA LIFE into UnderWater World". Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
    8. Silva, Kristian (19 December 2013). "Underwater World finishes $6.5 million upgrade". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
    9. "Shark Tank closed during peak season". sunshinecoastdaily.com.au. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    10. "Exciting new Shark Tunnel Upgrade". underwaterworld.com.au. UnderWater World. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
    11. "Visitor's guide to UnderWater World". sunshinecoastdaily.com.au. Sunshine Coast Daily. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
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