KELP REEF & AUDIOVISUAL THEATRE

Enjoy a fantastic view into the kelp reef display, Scotland's deepest open topped tank, and see divers feeding the fish.

Moving offshore from the coast, we enter deeper water and the intertidal community gives way to the kelp reef which edges the Moray Firth’s rocky coastline. The nutrient-rich waters and rocky seabed provide perfect growing conditions for kelp, the largest of the brown seaweeds. Like forests on land, kelp plants attract a variety of organisms that live on and around them, forming a diverse community.

The aquarium’s kelp tank is unique in Britain – it is open to the sky and natural daylight allows seaweeds to grow and create a realistic home for over one hundred fish and countless invertebrates. The tank is 5m deep, 10m in diameter and holds 400,000 litres of seawater.

Divers hand feed the fish in this tank and visitors can watch this spectacle from a large viewing window in the audio-visual theatre. The theatre is also the venue for special talks, slide presentations and videos on a variety of environmental themes. Ask at Reception to find out what will be going on during your visit.