About
The Deep in Hull is one of the world's most spectacular aquariums and marine science centres, housed in a dramatic aluminium-clad building designed by Sir Terry Farrell that has become an iconic landmark on Hull's waterfront. Opened in 2002 as part of Hull's regeneration, this award-winning attraction combines cutting-edge aquarium technology with innovative interpretation to explore humanity's relationship with the oceans from the dawn of time to the uncertain future.
Home to over 3,500 fish including sharks, rays, sawfish, and tropical species, The Deep features Europe's deepest viewing tunnel at 10 metres below sea level, providing a stunning 360-degree underwater experience as sharks and rays glide overhead. The building's unique design resembles both a ship's prow and a diving aquatic creature, creating a five-storey immersive journey through the world's oceans. The 2.5 million-litre Endless Oceans tank is one of Europe's largest single aquatic exhibits, featuring a coral reef ecosystem teeming with life.
As a registered charity dedicated to marine conservation, education, and research, The Deep combines spectacular living exhibits with scientific interpretation explaining ocean biology, ecology, and the urgent need for marine conservation. Interactive exhibits explore topics from the evolution of life in ancient seas to modern threats like plastic pollution, climate change, and overfishing. The Deep has been instrumental in breeding programmes for endangered species including sawfish and has contributed to significant marine research.
With over 300,000 annual visitors and recognition as Yorkshire's Tourism Business of the Year, The Deep provides an unforgettable journey into the underwater world while promoting ocean literacy and inspiring the next generation of marine scientists and conservationists.
Categories:
Annual Visitors (2019)
300,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings (10:00-11:00) in term time for quietest experience. Avoid weekends during school holidays.
💡 Visitor Tips
- Book tickets online in advance for £1-2 discount and to guarantee entry during busy periods (weekends, school holidays). Walk-up tickets subject to capacity.
- Arrive at opening (10:00) to experience exhibits at their quietest before school groups arrive (usually 11:30 onwards). The shark tunnel is magical when nearly empty.
- Allow minimum 2-3 hours for full visit. With all keeper talks, feeding demos, and restaurant, you can easily spend 4 hours. Check daily schedule at entrance for talk times.
- The Two Rivers Restaurant offers unique underwater dining with floor-to-ceiling shark tank views. Book ahead for lunch (open to non-visitors too). Watching sharks glide past while eating is unforgettable.
- Photography allowed without flash (disturbs animals). The shark tunnel photographs spectacularly - wait for sharks to swim directly overhead for dramatic shots. Low light requires steady hands or high ISO.
- Free on-site parking up to 4 hours with ticket validation (£4 without). Validate at reception before leaving. Excellent value compared to Hull city centre parking.
- Annual membership excellent value for families - pays for itself in 3 visits. Includes member events, early access to new exhibits, 10% shop discount, and supports charity.
- Keeper talks and feeding sessions throughout the day are highlights - especially penguin feeding (usually 11:00 and 14:00) and shark dive shows. Check schedule on arrival and plan route accordingly.
Highlights
Endless Oceans - Europe's Deepest Viewing Tunnel
The Deep's showpiece exhibit is the 2. 5 million-litre Endless Oceans tank with Europe's deepest viewing tunnel at 10 metres below sea level, providing a spectacular 360-degree underwater experience. Visitors descend through a glass tunnel completely surrounded by water as sharks, rays, sawfish, and tropical fish glide overhead and around them.
The tank recreates a coral reef ecosystem featuring green sea turtles, blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, bowmouth guitarfish, and hundreds of smaller reef species including clownfish, angelfish, and surgeonfish. The viewing tunnel creates the sensation of walking on the ocean floor, with marine life approaching from all angles.
This immersive experience is one of Europe's most spectacular aquatic exhibits and The Deep's signature attraction.
Daily dive shows feature divers hand-feeding sharks and interacting with turtles while explaining marine biology and conservation.
Kingdom of the Ice Bear - Cold Water Seas
Journey to the Arctic and Antarctic regions in this dramatic cold-water exhibit featuring species from polar and temperate seas. The highlight is the stunning Gentoo penguin colony where visitors can watch these charismatic birds swimming, diving, and interacting both above and below the waterline through underwater viewing windows.
The exhibit also features lumpfish, cold-water species from British seas, and interpretation explaining polar marine ecosystems and the impacts of climate change on Arctic and Antarctic wildlife.
Interactive elements allow visitors to experience how penguins' specialized adaptations enable them to thrive in extreme cold. Daily penguin feeding sessions provide insight into their behaviour, diet, and The Deep's participation in conservation breeding programmes. The exhibit demonstrates how marine life adapts to extreme environments from tropical reefs to icy polar seas.
Lagoon of Light - Mediterranean Sea
This beautiful shallow tropical lagoon allows visitors to experience the warm Mediterranean Sea with its turquoise waters and diverse marine life. The exhibit features colourful Mediterranean species including golden grey mullet, bream, and various ray species that visitors can observe from above through open-top viewing.
Most exciting is the interactive touch pool where visitors can gently touch certain species under supervision, including starfish, anemones, and crabs, learning about marine invertebrates through hands-on experience.
Educational interpretation explains Mediterranean marine ecology, the importance of rocky reef habitats, and conservation challenges facing this busy sea including pollution and overfishing. The lagoon provides one of The Deep's most popular interactive experiences, particularly for children, making marine science tangible and engaging through direct contact with living creatures.
Amazon Flooded Forest - Freshwater Ecosystems
Experience the Amazon River's incredible freshwater biodiversity in this atmospheric walk-through tropical exhibit recreating the seasonally flooded forests of South America. The exhibit features some of the Amazon's most impressive species including arapaima (one of the world's largest freshwater fish reaching 3 metres), red-bellied piranhas, electric eels, and giant South American river turtles.
The immersive design includes tropical vegetation, forest sounds, and interpretation explaining the Amazon's vital role in global ecology and the threats it faces from deforestation and climate change.
Visitors learn how the Amazon's seasonal flooding creates unique ecological conditions and how freshwater ecosystems differ from marine environments.
The exhibit demonstrates that aquatic conservation must address both oceans and rivers. Daily feeding demonstrations show the piranhas' feeding behaviour (less ferocious than their reputation suggests) and explain misconceptions about these often-misunderstood fish.
Collections
The Deep maintains living collections of over 3,500 individual animals representing over 100 species from marine and freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Collections emphasize conservation education and participation in breeding programmes for threatened species.
Major collection areas include tropical reef species (clownfish, angelfish, tangs, surgeonfish), shark and ray species (blacktip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, bowmouth guitarfish, sawfish), temperate cold-water species (lumpsuckers, cod, wolf fish), polar species (Gentoo penguins), freshwater Amazonian species (arapaima, piranhas, electric eels), seahorses and pipefish, jellyfish species, and touch pool invertebrates (starfish, anemones, hermit crabs).
The collections serve education, research, and conservation functions. The Deep participates in BIAZA breeding programmes and has successfully bred numerous threatened species. All animals are acquired ethically through sustainable sources including captive breeding programmes.
The Deep's husbandry standards are regularly audited by BIAZA.
The Deep Experience - Five-Storey Journey
The Deep's unique architectural design creates a continuous five-storey journey from the origins of life to the uncertain future of our oceans. Visitors begin at the top floor with 'Origins' exploring evolution in ancient seas, then descend through different aquatic ecosystems and time periods.
The journey progresses through freshwater Amazon habitats, cold polar seas with penguins, Mediterranean lagoons, coral reef ecosystems in the spectacular Endless Oceans tunnel, and deep-sea darkness.
Each level explores different themes: adaptation, biodiversity, conservation, human impacts, and sustainable futures. The building's dramatic architecture by Sir Terry Farrell creates an immersive experience where visitors descend into an underwater world, with exhibits flowing naturally from one to the next.
The journey concludes with 'Ocean's Future', challenging visitors to consider their role in protecting marine life.
This holistic approach makes The Deep more than an aquarium - it's a comprehensive exploration of humanity's relationship with water.
📍 Entire building
Conservation in Action - Behind the Scenes
The Deep emphasizes its role as a conservation charity participating in scientific research and species recovery programmes. Interpretation throughout the building explains breeding programmes for sawfish (critically endangered), seahorses, and coral species. The Deep's water treatment systems, which process 2.
5 million litres, demonstrate sustainable technology. Educational displays explain marine conservation challenges including plastic pollution (The Deep is plastic-free where possible), climate change impacts on coral and polar seas, overfishing, and habitat destruction. Interactive elements allow visitors to pledge conservation actions.
The Deep's research partnerships with universities are explained, including studies of fish behaviour, breeding biology, and aquatic veterinary science. Behind-the-scenes tours (bookable separately) show the enormous life support systems, quarantine facilities, food preparation areas, and veterinary lab, revealing the complex infrastructure required to maintain world-class aquatic collections.
📍 All levels plus optional tour
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.