• WMSP
  • 

    SeaQuarium is a partner of West Midland Safari Park,

    Visit the WMSP Website...

LATEST NEWS...

LOVE YOUR OCEANS EVENT!

Seaquarium Rhyl are delighted to announce the arrival of new male Thornback ray just in time for Valentine’s Day. 

The new addition arrived from Liverpool Natural History Museum in January and is now ready to meet the current females on display and hopefully find a new finned female friend. 

The pairing coincides with the start of the Love Your Oceans Event, where visitors can travel around the centre and complete a trail of clues, take part in hands-on activities and be treated to a themed Seal Show. With the additional Valentine’s theming for the event, staff are hoping it will increase the possibility of romance between the rays.

Aquarist, Richard Morrilly, said, “We’re very excited to have a new male in the group with the potential for eggs and babies in the future. We do have one male Thornback ray already, but he is still too young to breed. Having this new arrival should mean that we get some eggs this breeding season, with the potential for more in the following years.”

Thornback rays are found locally around the seas of the UK, as well as European waters. Classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), they are currently at risk of becoming endangered, which could be extremely harmful for the longevity of this fantastic species. 

Being able to breed Thornback rays in captivity is essential as their numbers in the wild are decreasing, with many populations under severe threat from over fishing. 

Rays will lay precious egg cases called mermaid’s purses, and once hatched will look like tiny versions of their parents. Babies can take up to five months to hatch and juvenile rays are ready to breed after at least five years, meaning they face many pressures in the wild. 

As well as seeing the new addition to the Ray Pool, guests will be able to take part in Touchpool Demonstrations and learn more about the creatures found in rock pools around the coasts of Britain. The event will also include a number of sessions dedicated to discovering more about why we should love our oceans. 

The Love Your Ocean Event will be running from 10 to 25 February and activities are included in the standard admission price, with the exception of the trail, which includes a small fee. SeaQuarium Rhyl is open 10am daily with last admission at 4pm. Admission tickets are valid all day, so there is the chance to come back and take part in all of the demonstrations and activities throughout the day.