First 'submarium' matches success of Eden Project
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Your support makes all the difference.The lure of the deep is proving enticing for one of the country's newest millennium projects. The prospect of coming face to face with sharks, dolphins and other forms of sea life has helped Hull's The Deep, the biggest aquarium in Europe, to swamp expectations for visitor numbers.
Figures released yesterday showed more than 500,000 visitors came in its first five months – compared with a prediction that it would attract 200,000 in its entire first year.
The £45.5m project, built with the aid of a £21.1m National Lottery grant from the Millennium Commission, lies on the Humber estuary in Hull.
It has been dubbed the world's first "submarium" and boasts more than 100 species of marine fish and 19 species of shark. Visitors can walk through transparent tunnels that take them from the shallows of a coral lagoon to the inky depths of the abyssal plain. They also have the chance to come face to face with sharks and other sea life as they travel in an acrylic lift up the wall of a 10m-high tank.
The Deep has worked on conservation projects with a range of organisations such as The Shark Trust, the Galapagos Conservation Trust and The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. The idea was conceived by David Gemmell of the Yorkshire Tourist Board and Colin Brown, former director of leisure services at Hull City Council and now chief executive of The Deep. The building was designed by Sir Terry Farrell.
Organisers of the project said it was aimed at giving a better understanding of the world's seas and oceans. Mr Gemmell said: "We wanted to raise the aspirations of people in Hull, to raise their expectations and help regenerate the city."
Yesterday's figures show that environmental projects have recorded phenomenal successes in the past few years.
The Eden Project in Cornwall, which is now internationally recognised as a centre of scientific excellence, recreating a whole range of different world environments, has become one of the top five charging attractions in the UK.
It is the second most visited destination outside the M25 with nearly two million visitors in its first year – bringing in an extra £111m into the local economy in its first eight months of operation. It contrasts sharply with the Millennium Dome, which is still costing £250,000 a month despite being closed for nearly two years.
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