Immerse yourself in the National Aquarium’s largest exhibit, the impressive Atlantic Ocean tank and meet with some of the Ocean’s most stunning animals.

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We’re giving you the chance of a lifetime to experience the Aquarium’s biggest tank from the inside! Climb into our snorkel-pen and immerse yourself amongst animals such as stingrays, sharks and even a cheeky Green Turtle too! You’ll have the best view in the Aquarium as you plunge into a snorkel experience like no other.

NEW for 2024: Additional sessions on Monday and Tuesday!

Who is this Snorkel at The Aquarium experience for?

The experience is for up to two people. All participants must be over 10+ years of age, and at least one adult (18+) will need to accompany and be responsible for anyone under 16 in the snorkel-pen. All those who book must be competent swimmers.

What’s included?

This exclusive experience includes;

  • Animal introduction with a Marine Biologist in front of the exhibit
  • Top of the tank behind the scenes access and viewing
  • Use of wetsuits and equipment provided (Please bring your own towel!)
  • 20 minutes immersive experience in our purpose-built snorkel-pen
  • Face to face with some stunning Ocean animals
  • A year pass to the National Marine Aquarium

If you want a video taster of the experience click here!

Size Guide

For the experience you’ll need to collect a wetsuit when booking, take a look at our size guide here.

SIZE GUIDE

Waiver

Please read this waiver, which you’ll need to sign when you arrive for your experience.  

SNORKEL WAIVER

Experiences gift vouchers!

This unique experience is now also available as a gift voucher. Gift this experience to one of your loved ones for Christmas or their birthday! Our ‘Snorkel at The Aquarium‘ experience is also perfect to gift that adrenaline junkie after their next adventure!

FAQs

Is the experience accessible for wheelchair users?

Sadly this experience is currently not accessible for wheelchair users.

What level fitness is required?

In order to access the snorkel pen you will need to climb down a very short ladder. Therefore we recommend you only take part if you are able to walk up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath.

Am I able to cancel if I can’t make it?

We are unable to refund this experience but can move to a later date with 24 hours notice before the session takes place.
Please note you can only rearrange your date once.

What size wetsuits do you offer?

Check out our range of wetsuit sizes below. Sadly, if we don’t have the wetsuit size you need, you unfortunately will not be able to take part in the experience.

My child is under 10 but can swim, can I bring them?

Due to our health and safety processes, we cannot allow anyone under the age of 10 to take part in this experience.

I’ve already got a year pass, can I have a discount?

We are unable to offer discounts on this experience due to limited availability, however if you already have a year pass we’ll extend this to be a year after your experience.

Can I buy it as a gift?

At the moment we’ve only got limited dates available, so gift vouchers aren’t purchasable. However, if you wanted to book a time and date for someone as a gift, they’d just need to sign the waiver when they arrive.

Can I go in on my own?

You can indeed. The price is £250 for the snorkel-pen experience, but if you wanted to do the experience on your own, you’re more than welcome.

I wear glasses, can I still do the experience?

Of course, but we cannot provide a prescription mask so if you need one, please bring your own. However, you are unable to wear your glasses underneath your mask.

Can I bring my own wetsuit?

Due to our strict cleaning processes for our in-house wetsuits, we can only allow our own equipment into the exhibit.

Do you provide equipment?

We’ll provide all the equipment you’ll need for the experience including wetsuit, boots, mask and snorkel.

What do I need to bring?

You’ll just need to bring swimwear to wear under the wetsuit and a towel for afterwards.

Can I take my camera in the tank?

Unfortunately, we do not allow cameras or phones into the exhibit for safety reasons and cross-contamination of outside influences for our animals. However, our member of staff will be able to take photos for you at the top of the tank on your phones/ cameras whilst you’re in the exhibit.

Can my child do the experience?

Yes, if they are over the age of 10, are a competent swimmer and are accompanied by an adult over 18 years old in the snorkel-pen.

Can I bring someone to come and watch?

Only the two people booked onto the experience can go to the top of the tank for the experience. However, those who would like to watch can purchase entrance tickets to the Aquarium and view from the front of the shark tank when the snorkellers are in the snorkel-pen. In line with our standard ticketing policy, all those under the age of 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult whilst in the aquarium.

How long does the experience last?

The whole experience from start to finish will last for around 90 minutes. The amount of time in the water is 20 minutes.

How many people can book the experience?

The Snorkel at the Aquarium experience is designed for up to two people. This is because of the snorkel-pen size and to ensure the maximum time in the exhibit.

Terms and conditions

  • Any participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a responsible parent/carer/ guardian above the age of 18.
  • We reserve the right to withdraw the experience due to unforeseen circumstances, a full refund will be issued if this happens. Every effort will be made to notify you at the earliest opportunity.
  • We do not offer refunds on this experience.
  • Participants must abide by staff instructions at all times.
  • We reserve the right to stop the experience at any point if we feel there is risk to the safety of our animals, staff or yourself.  
  • Pregnant woman and immunocompromised are unable to take part in this experience. If you’d like to discuss this further contact our team on the email address below.
  • Whilst every effort will be made to accommodate those with a disability or learning difficulty, due to practicality and health and safety this cannot always be achieved. Please contact us for advice before purchasing, this enables us to best meet the participants individual needs.
  • Should you arrive late for the experience, your water experience time may be impacted. If you are over 30 minutes late, the session will not go ahead.
  • For your safety no loose items such as jewellery cannot be worn during the experience, however we have a locker available for you to store your items.
  • Long hair will need to be tied back during the experience.

For any questions regarding this experience please email: animalexperiences@oceanconservationtrust.org

The National Marine Aquarium (NMA) is the UK’s largest aquarium, located in Britain’s Ocean City, Plymouth. It is run by the Ocean Conservation Trust, a charity dedicated to connecting people with the Ocean.

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