ANYONE NEED A WINDOW CLEANER?!
We jumped at the chance to help out at Tynemouth Aquarium!
You don't need to ask us twice...
....any excuse to go diving, so when we were asked if we wanted to jump in the big tanks at the aquarium we were all over it! We were meant to be joining the maintenance team before everything went COVID so it was great to finally get in Tynemouth Aquarium and help them get everything spick and span for reopening.
James and Doctor Seaweed Craig started off in the main building with the tropical enclosure. There's quite a few windows to clean in this one, including the big walk-through tunnel. I know we're in there doing a job... but it's so cool to get up close to the marine life including those beautiful sharks and rays.
After we'd taken care of the warm tank, it was time to jump into the cold in the seal's outdoor enclosure. The water is pumped straight from the sea so it was a canny temperature change! And because it's "au natural", algae can easily build up on the windows (just like it would on any surface in the ocean!). The seals were just as inquisitive and playful as they are in the wild, especially as it was feeding time while we were in there! Although the seals in this enclosure are resident, just over the path is the seal hospital where their wild cousins in need of some TLC are brought for rehab.
Right now we're at the start of the common seal pupping season. The hospital will start to get really busy as The Fifth Point team and fellow British Diver Marine Life Rescue medics attend call outs to sick and injured seals up and down our coast. If you're visiting you can see them through the windows at the hospital if you're really quiet!
