Cod
This is a large specimen we have in our Deep Reef display.
In spite of national dwindling of stocks there seems to be a reasonable population on the Solway Firth.
New Aquarium Extension:
Our new Exhibtion Hall and Audio Visual Lounge is taking shape the Foundations are down.
The brick work is up
And the roof truss's are up
There will be a opening day with the Shark Trust putting on the first Exhibtion some time in august.
Stay tuned for more information.
Winter Sunset from the Aquarium over Ellenfoot Bridge:
New arrivals - Autumn 2007:
This October the aquarium has received a number of new fish including our first ever common sting ray (Dasyatis pastinaca), a number of trigger fish, 3 crawfish, a john dory, brook trout, rainbow trout, cuckoo wrasse.
The sting ray has a venomous spine half way down its tail and although the sting can cause paralysis it is generally not fatal!
Shark Awareness Week
The 8th to the 14th of October is europes first ever shark awareness week, the aquarium be holding daily shark and ray talks at 3 o'clock followed by feeding the sharks and rays. This will be repeated over half term when we will also be hosting a "big draw", come along to the aquarium and add your drawing to our underwater scene.
Sign the online petition here.
Members Day 2007
The first weekend in October has been earmarked for members weekend, all member will get a 25% discount in the shop, and access to the following activities.
List of winners on our members page
Black Pearl?
The replica Tall Ship HMS Bounty visited Maryport, near the birth place and grave of the famous mutineer Fletcher Christian (the near by Church of St. Bridget's, Brigham is where he was christaned and buried), on its tour of England before embarking for Tahiti, a re-run of the HMS Bounty's ill fated voyage.
For more information click here.
The HMS Bounty arrives in Maryport
HMS Bounty enters Elizebeth Dock through the new Ellenfoot Bridge
New Arrivals - September 2007
An assortment of freshwater fish, including Perch, Carp and Bream. A new collection of Starfish in the Rockpool and a Red Gurnard in the Shipwreck, along with locally caught Lesser Spotted Catsharks (dogfish) in the Raypool.
New Arrivals - Summer 2007
A piebald (black and white) lesser spotted dogfish, affectionatly named "pongo", was caught by a trawler in the solway, the fishermen had never seen anything like it before and kept her alive to donnate to the aquarium.
We are also pleased to display - Stone Crabs, baby Pipefish, Soft Corals (Dead Man's Fingers), Edible Sea Urchins, Tope (should be on display soon). Also on display are some tropical Peppermint Shrimp and Skunk Shrimp.
Whats New - Winter 2006
Cuttlefish eggs
Fantastic news on the 30th November, our cuttlefish(sepia officinalis) have laid eggs. Clumps of eggs, dyed black with ink and known as "sea grapes", are attached to seaweed and hatch after 2 or 3 months and miniture cuttlefish about the size of a finger nail emerge. Females only breed once and die soon after laying their eggs. Unlike their relative the octopus, they take no care of them.
The eggs can be seen below attached to the kelp.
Ray Egg Update 27/11
The baby Undulate Ray continues to develope inside its protective egg (mermaids purse) and can regularly be seen wriggling arround within the egg.
Aquarium in a toilet?
The new shopping centre at workington has an aquarium display, designed and created by ourselves, check out this link for some pictures and further information about the Workington Town Center Development.
The display is situated within the new toilets and seems to be attracting a lot of attention, with people visiting the toilets just to see the fish!!!
While out walking on the beach the aquarium owner came across a clump of Goose Necked Barnacles (Lepas anatifera) (so called because victorian marine biologogists thought they were the eggs of the barnacle goose), these funny looking animals are members of the crustacean family and so are related to crabs and lobsters and not as you might think snails, just like all other crustaceans they have to moult their skin to grow.
We have just taken delivery of our first ever electric ray!! a marbled electric ray (torpedo marmorata) although only growing to 60cm it can still deliver an electric shock of 220 volts at 6 amps, enough to stun a fully grown man!!!!! She has been put into a tank by herself (except for some common gobies for food), these sharks are nocturnal waking up throught the night to hunt down their prey before stunning them with an electric shock, ouch!!
Through the day she buries herself under the sand and remains almost hidden except for her eyes showing as in the photo below, the ray is partially covered by sand while a common goby tempts fate.
Newly Born
During the last couple of months the baby sharks (lesser spotted cat sharks, undulate rays and thornback rays) have been emerging from their egg cases (mermaids purse).
The new born babies, fully equiped with a set of teeth, are moved to a tank where the aqauarist can keep an eye on them and ensure they have a conatant supply of food and that any waste is removed.
Some of the baby rays are on display in the rockpool area of the aquarium.
Ray Egg
one of our own undulate rays has been laying eggs in the ray pool, upon inspection of these eggs only one was found to be fertile, in the photo below you can make out the yolk sac inside the egg case, the tiny ray embryo has just started to wriggle arround
The aquarium has had an influx of new fish including Viviparous Blennys, Starry Smooth Hound, Blonde and Spotted rays, Trigger fish, Black Sea Bream, Tub Gurnards and Broadnosed Pipefish. Also we have had a number of Lesser Spotted Cat Sharks (dogfish) and a variety of Rays that have been born over the last couple of months.
The 2 pictures below show the Viviparous blenny, so called because the female gives birth to live young.
Whats New - Autumn 2006
New Arrivals
A local fisherman brought us in an unusual species that he had caught in his nets in Allonby Bay, a Trigger Fish, a summer time visitor to the solway firth, he has now settled in to our Solway Estuary display.
What's New - Winter 2005
New Arrivals.
We have just received 2 new additions to our impressive range of animals,
namely 2 Wolf Fish, a strange looking beast with a fierce set of teeth which it uses for eating hard shelled bottom dwelling animals such as crabs, mussels, sea-urchins and other shellfish. check out these pictures.
"Marra" the Dolphin: Monday 30th January
Success! Marra was successfully removed from the marina by the BDMLR
"Marra" the Dolphin: Monday 23st January
Another rescue attempt has failed to get Marra the Dolphin to leave the yatch marina, with several boats involved and numerous experts, Marra stilled refused to leave the confines of the marina. He is stilled following a feeding pattern and his condition does not appear to be deteriating.
His situation and rescue effort is being monitored by experts from the WDCS whale and dolphin conservation society, BDMLR british divers marine life rescue unit, BSAC british sub aqua club, RSPCA and staff from the marina and ourselves at the aquarium.
Dolphin Update: Monday 9th January
"Marra" the Bottlenose Dolphin entered the tidal yatch marina on thursday 6th January while the gates were open at high tide, the dolphin refused to leave the marina when the gates were closed. On saturday the 7th we got in touch with the RSPCA and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue, who sent a team from Egremont to attempt to coax the dolphin out of the marina while the gates were open, although the dolphin showed some interest in them it still refused to leave.
Some people are now concerned about the welfare of the dolphin, its behaviour although not erratic (it appears to be following a feeding pattern, short dives followed by a long dive) is strange as it just sticks to the side of the marina. We are not sure what food would be available to dolphin, we believe the marina contains eels and crabs and a few flatties Also there are reports that during the night youngsters are gathering and throwing objects at the dolphin.
Today, tuesday 10th, the marina staff are going to allow the marina to drain during the afternoon low tide (it is a neap tide so there will still be about 2m of water in the marina at low tide) in the hope that the dolphin will leave. We have contacted the British Divers Marine Life Rescue unit and hopefully they will be on standby along with the RSPCA, the Coastguard and the marina staff, should the dolphin need a little encouragement to leave.
below is a picture of the rescue effort
and below is a picture of it before entering the marina
Porpoise off Maryport: Tuesday 20th December 2005
Following the excitement of the previous days Dolphin visit a quick visit to the south pier was highlighted by the appearance of a mother and baby porpoise,
the mother photoed here with a cormaorant in the background.
So keep your eyes peeled next time you are visiting Maryport harbour and beach.
Dolphin in the harbour: Monday 19th December
Maryport harbour was visited by a lone young Bottlenose Dolphin, it spent a number of hours within the confines of the harbour and soon quite a crowd was gathered along the habour side. The young dolphin was very playful and although it was not jumping out of the water it was showing off, fetching clumps of seaweed from the harbour bottom up to the surface balanced on its nose, to the delight of the gathered onlookers.
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