Close Encounters Of The Creature Kind Make Lakes Aquarium Visit A Half Term Must

Lake District visitor attraction Lakes Aquarium is gearing up to allow children and adults alike to get up close and personal with its incredible and awe-inspiring creatures through a half term ‘Close Encounters’ event running from February 13-19, 2012.

 The Lakeside-based attraction, near Newby Bridge on Windermere’s southern shore, is preparing to feed visitors lots of science facts, rather than science fiction, while enabling them to feel, observe and discover the range of wildlife under its roof in a variety of dynamic ways.

 Every day, children will be able to handle snakes and a giant land snail, use magnifying glasses to observe rock pool creatures and their characteristics and dive into creative discovery bags located around the Aquarium.  These will contain storybooks, puzzles, discovery challenges and other useful ways of finding out more about different wildlife.

 The usual daily talks will be taking place, with the 10.30am and 3pm talks focusing on Lakes Aquarium’s very own UFOs – unforgettable, furry otters.  At 11.30am and 1.45pm there are Morecambe Bay talks, followed by Rockpool Discovery talks at 11.45am and 2pm.  A Lake Tunnel talk takes place at 11am and 4pm and a Rainforest talk, complete with additional creature handling opportunities, will be at 12.45pm.

 Visitors can learn about creatures with amazing abilities, appreciate those considered ‘aliens’ by virtue of being invasive species and find out more about conservation and climate change.

 An animal tracking quiz and leap frog game add fun to the learning opportunities as visitors explore wildlife locations around lakes of the world, including the Lake District.  There’s a journey to the bottom of an African lake to be had by entering the world’s first Virtual Dive Bell, which brings adventurers face to face with an angry hippo, a cranky Nile crocodile and spine-chilling sharks, while also entertaining with creature-focused computer games.

 All of this adds value to an entrance price already reduced for the 2012 season. Adult admission is lowered to £8.95, children’s to £5.95 and a family ticket is priced at £23.75 for two adults and two children, with other options available. Buying tickets online in advance at www.lakesaquarium.co.uk saves up to 25 per cent.

Witches and Wizards Week

Monday 24th October – Sunday 30th October 2011

Join us this half term for some magical fun!

Are you a fan of Harry Potter or all things magical if so we have a fun packed week of events planned for this half term. Activities vary from spooky quiz trails and cringe worthy crafts to creepy creature talks.

Monday 24th October - Friday 28th October 2011                                  

• Bat Displays- Meet some real life bats, displayed by Furness Bat Group (10am-4pm)
• Meet owls and snakes- Predator Experience (10am-3.30pm)
• Spooky Quiz Trail- Take part in our spooky trail as you travel around the aquarium
• Cringe Worthy Crafts- Run by Furness bat group (10am -4pm)
• Toad Collage- Add your design to our toad collage wall.
• Creepy Creature Talks- Come face to face with some of the aquariums creepy creatures (12.45pm)
• Travel to the aquarium on board the Lakeside and Haverthwaite ghost train- Combined Aquarium and Steam Train can be purchased online or on the day. SPECIAL OFFER, treat your little ‘witches and wizards’ by purchasing a special ‘OWL POST’ ticket online and receive exclusive owl post invitations in the post. Tickets on sale from Saturday 24th September!

Saturday 29th October – Sunday 30th October 2011

• Meet owls and snakes- Predator Experience (10am-3.30pm)
• Spooky Quiz Trail- Take part in our spooky trail as you travel around the aquarium
• Cringe Worthy Crafts- Run by Furness bat group (10am -4pm)
• Toad Collage- Add your design to our toad collage wall.
• Creepy Creature Talks- Come face to face with some of the aquariums creepy creatures(12.45pm)
• Travel to the aquarium on board the Lakeside and Haverthwaite ghost train- Combined Aquarium and Steam Train can be purchased online or on the day. SPECIAL OFFER, treat your little ‘witches and wizards’ by purchasing a special ‘OWL POST’ ticket online and receive exclusive owl post invitations in the post. Tickets on sale from Saturday 24th September!

Find out more

Purchase a Lakes Aquarium 2012 Annual Pass this September and get the rest of 2011 FREE! Purchase online and enjoy unlimited access until 31st December 2012.

Find out more!

‘Like’ us on facebook and you will receive a BOGOF voucher, be quick before the kids go back to school!

http://www.lakesaquarium.co.uk/#facebook

 The possibilities are endless when you recycle – as Lake District visitor attraction, Lakes Aquarium, is proving with a little help from the All England Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon. 

Balls fresh from use at the current Wimbledon Championships have been sent up to Lakes Aquarium from SW19, to enable the attraction to create unique nests for its native house mice.  The balls have undergone a little conversion work and are now comfortable and cosy homes and play areas for the rodents, who cannot get enough of their new ‘zorbing’ activity!

A spokesperson for Wimbledon says: “The Wimbledon Museum does all it can to re-use balls left on its hands at the end of Wimbledon fortnight, but most requests are related to much more mundane future uses than that suggested by Lakes Aquarium.  We could hardly refuse to send some, once we heard that this was a re-housing project!”

Alice Jones’ Otter Blog

Alice one of Lakes Aquarium’s Annual Pass Kids Club members has been kind enough to let us follow her on her adventures with her very own otter!

 Check out the fun they have been having together!

10/4/11

Alice – my amazing new owner – collected me on the 10^th of April from the Aquarium. It was a lovely day. I felt a little bit nervous, as it was my first night with a new family, yet I was happy because at the weekends I would get to be by the lake, close to my old friends. Alice also gave me a new, but better name “Oppo”.

Read the rest of this entry »

As part of our Annual Pass Kids Club events this month we are giving away free Oscar otters with kids Annual Passes. All we ask is that the members keep a diary of their adventures with Oscar.

Meet Ben he has been having fun with his Oscar. Not only did he meet Oscar the mascot during an Easter visit to the aquarium but his cuddly Oscar even got to attend his grannys 60th birthday party! We hope Oscar didn't eat all the cake!

Thank you Ben for these wonderful pictures. Keep them coming!

Our lake tunnel is undergoing a spring clean ahead of the official launch of our new otter exhibit tomorrow. They say never work with children or animals so fingers crossed that Mia, Smudge and the two new male otters enjoy being in the spotlight tomorrow and show off their swimming skills. We hope that the photographers who attend will get a fabulous shots of their underwater antics.

The Lake tunnel is undergoing a spring clean ready for the official launch of our new exhibit tomorrow. Tomorrow is the grand unveiling to press and public of the otters swimming in the underwater tunnel! They say never work with animals and children so lets hope that Mia, Smudge and the two new otters enjoy being in the limelight and show off their swimming skills.

CURRENT VACANCIES
Seasonal Talks Team Member
The Lakes Aquarium is looking for a confident and enthusiastic person to join the Talks Team. This is a key role in providing our visitors with a fun and educational experience. Excellent customer service skills and an interest in wildlife, nature and animals are essential, along with the confidence to talk to visitors on both a one to one and group basis using a microphone when necessary. Duties involve: answering visitor questions , playing an active role in the daily programme of talks and providing groups and schools with an informative tour of the Aquarium displays and creatures. Also includes helping with the cleaning of the displays and public areas. Full training will be provided.
Seasonal contract, variable hours to include weekends and school holidays. To be discussed at interview.
Meets minimum wage.
Please send a CV and covering letter to Charlotte Brown, Lakes Aquarium, Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA12 8AS, or by email to charlotte.brown@reallive.co.uk. For more information call 015395 30153 ext 201.
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General Assistant
The Lakes Aquarium is seeking enthusiastic and flexible team members to work in our busy shops, cafes and front of house. Excellent customer service skills are essential as well as cash handling and retail or catering experience.  Duties involve: till operation, responding to customer queries, basic administration duties, and /or kitchen duties, taking orders, clearing tables etc.  
Variable hours to include weekends and holidays. To be discussed at interview.
Meets minimum wage.
Please send a CV and covering letter to Charlotte Brown, Lakes Aquarium, Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA12 8AS, or by email to charlotte.brown@reallive.co.uk. For more information call 015395 30153 ext 201.
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Catering Supervisor / Duty Manager £7.50 per hour.
The Lakes Aquarium is looking to appoint a confident individual with excellent customer service skills to ensure the smooth and efficient organisation of our busy catering outlets. Responsibilities include stock ordering, replenishment, food preparation and cash handling. Will be required to deputise for the Catering Manager and undertake duty management responsibilities on a rota basis.  Previous supervisory/managerial experience and relevant qualifications essential along with a proactive and flexible approach to working.
This is a seasonal, variable hour contract, up to 45 hours per week to include weekends and holidays. To be discussed at interview.
Please send a CV and covering letter to Charlotte Brown, Lakes Aquarium, Lakeside, Newby Bridge, Cumbria LA12 8AS, or by email to charlotte.brown@reallive.co.uk. For more information call 015395 30153 ext 201.