The 71-metre underwater tunnel
Curved glass beneath four million litres where sand tiger, zebra and blacktip reef sharks cruise overhead, with a moving walkway running its length when it is in service.
Rept0n1x — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mike Pennington — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mike Pennington — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Mike Pennington — CC BY-SA 2.0
Seventy-one metres of curved glass overhead, four million litres of seawater, and sand tiger sharks gliding an arm's length away as you take the tunnel at your own pace — and on days when the moving walkway is running it carries you the length of it without a step. That is what people come to Blue Planet for, and it alone justifies the ticket: one of the longest underwater tunnels in Britain, twenty minutes north of Chester by car, wedged against the Cheshire Oaks designer outlet at junction 10 of the M53. Queen Elizabeth II opened it on 31 July 1998, a £12 million build that was then the largest aquarium in Britain and remains the biggest in north-west England. The building is shaped like a breaking wave, but the inside is what counts: the main Ocean tank, which the aquarium describes as holding one of Europe's largest collections of sharks, then the Coral Cave, the Flooded Forest and tropical rivers with their oddball fish, the chilly Northern Streams, the Venom room, and the Dalmatian pelicans — the largest pelicans in the world — who steal every small child's attention. Talks and feeds run right through the day from 11:00 to 16:00, including shows in the Aqua Theatre, and anyone wanting to go deeper can book a paid, cage-free dive among the sharks. Set expectations honestly: this is a two-to-three-hour visit, not a full day, and it is older and smaller than the Dubai Mall aquarium many Gulf visitors know, even though the tunnel here is longer. Under-tens come out wide-eyed; teenagers may find it quiet once the tunnel is done. It spreads over several floors with lifts and ramps, so pushchairs are no problem, and you may bring your own food to eat in the outdoor picnic area or at seating away from the restaurant, which suits families who prefer their own meals. The Cheshire Oaks restaurants are a short walk away if you want something more substantial. Getting there from Chester is easy: about 20 minutes by car via the A56 and M53 to junction 10, with a flat parking charge of roughly £3 however long you stay. Without a car, the Stagecoach number 1 (or the faster X1) from Chester's central bus station calls at Cheshire Oaks every half hour Monday to Saturday and hourly on Sundays, taking around 40 minutes; the train to Ellesmere Port leaves you two miles short, with a local bus or taxi for the last stretch. An adult ticket is £28.90 and it is a flexi ticket, valid on any day within six months; the aquarium asks you to buy at least an hour before you arrive, and the desk may charge more than the online price. In July and August and on wet weekends the tunnel gets crowded after lunch, so arrive for the 10:00 opening.
Curved glass beneath four million litres where sand tiger, zebra and blacktip reef sharks cruise overhead, with a moving walkway running its length when it is in service.
So the aquarium describes its Ocean tank. Talks and feeds run through the day in the Aqua Theatre and around the building, plus a paid cage-free dive among the sharks for the brave (16+, with a junior version for ages 8-15 in the reef tank).
Cheshire Oaks designer outlet is a short walk away, so sharks in the morning and the shops after lunch makes a perfect wet-weather plan.
Longlooms Road, Cheshire Oaks, Ellesmere Port CH65 9LF
The zoo, without hesitation: it is one of the best in Europe and needs a full day. Blue Planet is a two-to-three-hour visit that suits a rainy day or pairs with a shopping morning at Cheshire Oaks; it is wonderful for under-tens but smaller and older than the Dubai Mall aquarium, even if its tunnel is longer.
There is no timed entry, but the aquarium asks you to buy at least an hour before you arrive, and the desk may charge more than the online price. The flexi ticket is valid on any day within six months, so you lose nothing if plans change. In July and August and on wet weekends, book and arrive for the 10:00 opening before the tunnel fills up.