Today, The Deep was delighted to welcome its 9 millionth visitor in its 20th anniversary year.
The Burrell - Moore family made up of Andy, Danielle and sisters Jessica and Sophie from Doncaster, were unaware that their family day out was going to take such an exciting turn and include a VIP tour behind the scenes and complimentary lunch at The Deep to celebrate the milestone.
Dad, Andy stated “It was a lovely and unexpected surprise when we turned up today for a visit and the girls were able to meet Pebbles the penguin, we couldn’t believe it when we told we were The Deep’s 9 millionth visitor since opening 20 years ago. Our family day out turned into an amazing experience, we got to see behind the scenes and learnt so much about the animals here, we even got to feed some of the fish!”
After meeting with Pebbles and having their photos taken, Tom Rowe Husbandry Supervisor) took family on a tour behind the scenes. Tom showcased some of the inner workings of the aquarium and species currently housed there. The family was also able to carry out a scatter feed over the main exhibit and find out about some of its residents including sharks, rays and turtles.
Katy Duke, CEO at The Deep said: “We are really excited to have reached our 9 millionth visitor. It’s an amazing milestone, especially in our 20th anniversary year. We are proud to have attracted 9 million visitors from around the UK and further afield as well as locally. It was one of the primary goals that The Deep would attract visitors to the region and we are very proud that we continue to do so 20 years on. As an education and conservation charity we value all our visitors and aim to inspire the next generation of marine and environmental advocates. We are very much looking forward to welcoming many more visitors over the coming years, not only to engage people with conservation and the aquatic world but to showcase Hull and East Yorkshire as a fantastic place to visit, live, study and work.”
20 YEARS OF THE DEEP
- The Deep operates as an education and conservation charity
- The Deep is a member of BIAZA (British and Irish Association for Zoos and Aquariums) and WAZA (World Association for Zoos and Aquariums), the professional bodies representing the best zoos and aquariums in the world
- The dramatic building, which overlooks the Humber estuary, was designed by signature architects, Sir Terry Farrell and Partners
- The Deep has an estimated annual economic impact of £14,721,588 to the local economy
- Over 14,600 dives have been carried out by the aquarists
For more information, please contact Zoe Montgomerie, Head of Communications & Marketing on 01482 381093 or email zoe@thedeep.co.uk