Tag: fish

Children, Families, Family Life, Fish, Holidays, Kids Days Out, Large Families, Learning, London, Memories, Parents, Reviews, Southbank, Summer

Behind The Scenes At Sea Life

by thejoyoffiveLeave a Comment on Behind The Scenes At Sea Life

For many years now my gang have loved visiting Sea Life. They love being able the ability to wander around freely discovering all kinds of weird and wondful creatures that live under the sea…well actually a fare few that live above it too!

The other week we headed to Southbank for a trip around our favourite Sea Life and the chance to take a look behind the scenes with their behind the scenes tour.

In our usual fashion we were running late and had to rush in and get over to the behind the scenes tour. So a quick dash over the shark walkway which the boys weren’t to impressed about and a zig zag past everything else we got their just in time to be greeted by our friendly and thankfully laid back tour guide.

The doors were opened and we headed behind all the exhibits to a small area that was home to some very special creatures. I was a little apprehensive about taking this tour with Oscar as he is only four but only being 30 mins long it was the perfect timing to keep him engaged and I was so pleased to see that all three of them listening intently as we were shown round.

We got the chance to see some of the fish being feed, meet a beautiful chinese snapper turtle that had sadly been discarded by his owner, meet some super cool sea dragons that fast became my favourite of the day due to the male getting pregnant and so much more.

The children loved being shown the huge variety of food the animals were feed, thoroughly enjoyed being able to get hands on and touch things from lobster shells to egg pods, and the highlight for me was how much information they were given and were able to retain as the tour was done in such a relaxed, interactive and informative way.

Full to the brim with a whole host of knowledge on marine life we headed back out to explore the rest of Sea Life. One tip is to get there as early as you can to avoid the crowds although to be honest even though we were there in the middle of the school holidays it was really easy to navigate still and didn’t feel like we struggled to see things in any of the tanks.

The aquarium is set out in sections which include Shark Walk, Atlantic Coasts, Ray Lagoon, Rock Pool, Open Ocens, Ship Wreck, Ocean Tunnel, Nemo’s Coral Reef, Seahorse Kingdom, Creatures Of The Rainforest, Thames Walk, Penguin Point, Conservation Cove, Shark Reef and Ocean Invaders.

Each area has its own uniqueness to it and being in distinct groups means its a lot easier to for the children to understand where each creature is from.

The sharks were certainly a huge hit with the boys and we sat for ages watching them glide around the tanks in their majestic manner, they all got to touch a star fish which I think is such a wonderful experience and something you certainly can’t do everyday! For me the highlight had to be the seahorses as I am always in awe of their delicate beauty.

As we moved around each section I loved the fact it wasn’t all about gazing into tanks, We thoroughly enjoyed getting a shock from the jelly fish wall, getting a nip from a parihna and climbing on board a distressed ship that was getting battered with thunder and lightening.

For us Sea Life gets better and better on each visit and there really is something for people all ages to enjoy. We will be back very soon!

*We were asked along to Sea Life for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions.

Children, Families, Family Life, Fish, Kid Bloggers, Uncategorized

Giving My Teen Some Responsiblity With Tetra

by thejoyoffive1 Comment on Giving My Teen Some Responsiblity With Tetra

In the summer we went along to an event in Old Street tube station where Tetra had turned an area of the dingy station into a tranquil spot to sit back and relax whilst looking at all the beautiful fish swimming around peacefully whilst the hustle and bustle of London Town was going on in the background. 

Unfortunatly for me with three hyper children running around the experience was not as relaxing as I had hoped for!

We still managed to take in lots of information on the fish and how to look after them and they all loved trying out the cool Tetra app that allowed their colouring to come to life right in front of their eyes.

We already have a goldfish at home that as expected has always been my job to look after.

Number two however has been going on and on about having tropical fish for ages and it had always been a no, no as I didn’t want the responsibility of anything else.

When Tetra sent us a fantastic Cascade Globe Aquarium I decided it was time to let number two prove to me he is responsible enough to look after a fish by himself.

Although this tank isn’t suitable for tropical fish he was more than happy with the waterfall feature, LED lights and sleek design that was going to be perfect to house his new fancy goldfish.

There was no setting up at all apart from plugging in the filter which is always a bonus.

Tetra make a great product called Watersafe that makes the water ready to use straight away rather than having to have a tank full of water sitting there waiting for weeks.

Number two happily got the tank ready and put his new little friend in that was now going to be his sole responsibility.


So far so good and he has been enjoying the whole experience. 

For me a fish is the perfect first pet as care is minimal but children can still get a huge amount of enjoyment from them.

Let’s see if in time he will be able to get those much longed for tropical fish soon!

*we were fine this tank for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions.

Children, Families, Family Life, Fish, Kids Days Out, Learning

Shrek’s Adventure and Sea Life London Aquarium Review

by thejoyoffive3 Comments on Shrek’s Adventure and Sea Life London Aquarium Review

What child wouldn’t love going on and adventure to find Shrek and Dory in the same day!

This is what we were lucky enough to do at the beginning of the holiday when we took a trip to Shrek’s Adventure and the Sea Life London Aquarium that are directly next to each other housed the stunning buildings along the Southbank.

Shrek was our first port of call and after a bit of a faff with a queuing system that didn’t seem to be working to well we set off on our adventure to find Shrek.

We were whisked off by Donkey on the magical 4D bus that tossed and turned us through the sky, giving us a few surprises on the way. 

 Next came several different rooms where we were met by wonderfully vivacious characters that helped us to piece together the mystery to where Shrek was with lots of twists, turns and eye-openers as we entered each new door, with the anticipation of finding Shrek the whole way round.

The whole experience kept my three youngest engaged throughout but it may be a little scary at times for little ones with sections of darkness and some very realistic acting, and as buggies are not permitted on the tour if you have one that doesn’t like walking asI did it can be a bit much on your arms. But this is why they state it is best suited for age 6+.

If you are a Shrek fan or not you will find something to love on this adventure that was filled with wonder and surprise the whole way round.  I would challenge anyone to not feel the same.

After we had completed our adventure we popped straight next door to the Sea Life London Aquarium where you immediately felt you had been submerged many miles under the ocean as you wind your way round looking at the majestic stingrays skimming the sand, pretty seahorses dancing in the reeds and voracious sharks owning the water.
Each tank brings you something different allowing your to take in the vast array of sealife that makes up the underwater world.

With the release of Disney Pixars Finding Dory there is a great quiz sheet available as you enter which kept mine amused as we walked around by filling in the questions and searching for the lovable character with your chance to get a special reward at the end.

We really enjoyed walking through the open tunnel and having the change to see everything so close up and from so many different angles.  The children loved climbing into the portholes to get a closer look.

Something I wasn’t expecting to see was the Gentoo penguins from the Antarctic. Although they were super cute to look at I’m not sure if I felt this type of enclosure was the best place for these wonderful creatures.

My little ones love the opportunity to get hands on with anything and were really excited when they got to touch a starfish which is something they have never done before.

The Sea Life London Aquarium offers children the experience to learn so much about sealife in an interesting, fun and hands-on way that it is well worth a trip.

Southbank really is a hive of entertainment and has so much to offer in one place.  There is the choice of Shrek’s Adventure, Sea Life London Aquarium, The London Eye and London Dungeon to chose from and some great deals when you book attractions together.

London Dungeon is certainly on my list of things to do with my teens as it looks like a real thrill seeking day out.

*We were given tickets for the purpose of this review and they are all my own, honest opinions. 

 

 

Allergy Free, Dairy Free, Diet, Egg Free, Family Life, Food, Healthy Eating, Nut Free, Recipes

Sticky Asian Salmon

by thejoyoffive4 Comments on Sticky Asian Salmon

Along with most people after the indulgences of Christmas, New Year is the perfect time to get healthy eating regimes back on track.  In my experience as a personal trainer most people fall off the wagon due to unrealistic goals and being to strict with themselves.

The word diet immediately puts fear into people’s heads and food plans that are not suited to your personal choice means that they stop before they even really begin.

I am a food lover and find that if I keep my meals flavoursome and varied I am much more likely to stick to them.

A favourite in this house is my sticky Asian salmon that we serve with rice noodles and stir fry veg but is equally as yummy with rice or simply on its own.

Sticky Asian Salmon

  • 3tbsp runny honey
  • 3 cloves finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • Thumb sized amount of grated ginger
  • 2tbsp soy sauce
  • Half a side of salmon
  1. Line a baking tray with enough foil to sit the salmon on and cover over the top.
  2. Mix together all the above ingredients and cover the salmon
  3. Leave to marinade in the fridge for 30 mins or overnight if you can
  4. Cover and place in a preheated oven 180 C/gas mark 6 for 20 mins
  5. Cook uncovered for a further 5 mins and then serve