BIG CHANGES AT THE DEEP
ATTRACTION’S NEW EXHIBITS NEAR COMPLETION
A LOT has been happening behind the scenes at Hull’s award-winning attraction The Deep.
Visitors may have noticed that the Cool Seas exhibition area has been closed. Ben Jones, director of husbandry and exhibition at The Deep, has been able to shed some light on what has been taking place, thanks to funding from a Biffa Award.
Ben said: “Throughout what has been a very busy year we have been able to update three areas within the attraction, all of which are making good progress as we approach the final stages of our project. The first stage of the updates is now almost complete - this is a mesmerising jellyfish and plankton exhibit.
“We are really excited to reveal this exhibit to visitors, it features touchless interactives so they can learn about critical ocean plankton and some eye-catching projections and animations. Another key feature is a large jellyfish exhibit starring the largest jellyfish kreisel (a specialist tank with a circular viewing section) that we have ever installed.
“At 3m wide and 1.6m high our new kreisel needed hoisting through the building overnight. We want our jellyfish exhibition to be informative while retaining the sensory appeal of the space that visitors enjoyed.”
Ben said work was now under way on phase two of the project, which required The Deep to temporarily close the entire Cool Seas exhibition space in order for essential works to be completed, such as replacing the floor covering.
“The focus in this area will be on the energetic shoreline of the East Yorkshire coast,” he said.
“The team have completed a number of site visits to North Landing at Flamborough and a little further north at Cayton Bay. This research will allow us to create a realistic and immersive experience using both audio visual and physical exhibition for visitors to engage with.
“The temporary closure is necessary to complete the final phase of our Cool Seas project and the team and I hope that it doesn’t cause too much disruption. It will definitely be worth it when the project is completed early in 2023, when we look forward to showing visitors our updated spaces.”
Open since 2002, The Deep operates as an education and conservation charity and in recent years has become an international player in marine conservation. Forging partnerships with key governing bodies, conservation organisations and other reputable zoos and aquariums, it is working to make an impact on the protection of our oceans.
One of the most spectacular aquariums in the world, The Deep is home to magnificent sharks, turtles, penguins and the UK’S only green sawfish. The dramatic building, which overlooks the Humber estuary, was designed by world class architects Sir Terry Farrell and Partners in what was then, one of the most deprived and unfashionable cities in England.
The Deep is now the most commercially successful Millennium Project. In its first year, the attraction welcomed over 850,000 visitors, making Hull’s new aquarium busier than London Zoo. This early success financed a £5m extension in 2005, which included additional exhibition space, retail, catering and education areas.
As part of the regeneration of Hull, The Deep has become an internationally recognised landmark and has even featured on a Royal Mail stamp. The attraction has also won many accolades since it opened 20 years ago.