SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
4.1
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
About
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is New Zealand’s most famous aquarium! It is home to New Zealand's only sub-Antarctic penguins and offers a myriad of opportunities to get up close and personal with incredible marine life from the Pacific and Southern oceans. For a truly incredible experience, take the plunge on an Animal Adventure jump into the shark Cage and go snorkeling with massive sharks or jump on the ice and get up close and personal with the King and Gentoo penguins!
Duration: 1-2 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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$36.00
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4.1
3,099 reviews
Excellent
1,264
Very good
1,058
Average
548
Poor
153
Terrible
76
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Tour41587119905
2 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
The first clue that this aquarium was quite compelling was the fact that on a Tuesday midday, most of the patrons were adults without children. The penguin exhibit was very good, with its giant antarctic penguins waddling around. The turtle tank where they rehabilitate injured giant turtles was a bit vacant as only one turtle missing a flipper was residing. The shark tank with its moving sidewalk inside a tunnel was quite good. Many other colorful fish and attractions complete your day. We accessed the aquarium on the TMK bus from Britomart (about 15 minutes). Be aware they are cashless, so bring your credit card!
Written 13 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Aussie_2012
Melbourne, Australia959 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
This place is an institution of Auckland so really wanted to visit and it did not disappoint. Price was a little on the steep side ($41 adults) but we did get to see some amazing animals in very good enclosures such as the king penguins in the ice habitat and the sharks and rays in the huge underwater experience which we went around 3 times it was so much fun. I didn’t find out about the encounter experiences but we did see some people having a close encounter with the penguins which would’ve been most memorable. There is so much educational information as well as a historical section dedicated to Kelly Tarlton himself. There’s a cafe and gift shop as well as an extremely educational and well done exhibit on Scott’s but in Antarctica. Arrive early as the place was packed and even a queue 15 minutes before opening. The car park too is a bit of a nightmare so more reason to get there early to secure a spot. Well worth it.
Written 7 January 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brittany
Sevierville, TN261 contributions
Feb 2023 • Family
My son had a blast from the moment we walked in! Compared to the aquarium near us in the U.S., this one was quite a bit smaller but still a lot to see and learn! There was plenty to keep my son interested, as well as a playground near the end. We weren't planning on visiting the aquarium but there was so much rainfall, we needed an indoor activity and I'm very glad we chose to go! We picked up a stuffed animal penguin "Pang" that my son still plays with to this day.
Written 29 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nomad10947309959
2 contributions
Mar 2024 • Couples
Don't bother prepaying tickets. You won't get parking to actually visit and a refund shouldn't be expected. Parking Nissan absolute joke at any point in the day and you just seem to the congestion circling around in fruitless hopes of visiting the venue.
Written 11 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
slusignan
Montreal, Canada118 contributions
Mar 2023
This is a great place to see live penguins and the walk-through aquarium is wonderful; full of large fish, stingrays, sharks. It was not crowded when we went so we could appreciate it better. We found it a bit pricey as it's not a very large Aquarium and would only take you less than an hour to tour.
Written 25 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia ora. Thank you for leaving us a review about your visit with us. We are sorry to hear that you found us too expensive. As we are home to thousands of animals, our running costs are very high and we try our best to limit how much of this is passed onto our guests. Unlike other Auckland attractions, we do not receive any Government funding and so we rely on the proceeds from our ticket sales to cover the running costs. Due to the entire attraction being underground, we do not have the space to expand our aquarium much more. I hope you were able to enjoy all of the different zones we have inside the attraction, including the largest colony of sub-Antarctica penguins as well as New Zealand’s one and only Turtle Hospital!
A great way to add time and value to your visit is to listen to one of our education talks that we do almost hourly throughout the day. We hope to SEA you again soon! Ngā mihi SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's :)
Written 9 April 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Jacqueline S
53 contributions
Dec 2022 • Friends
I suggest you take a packed lunch with you. The cafe here is not fit for purpose, I think you guys are missing a trick, you have a captive audience and they all have to literally walk through the cafe to get to the exit. We visited the cafe at1pm and there was nothing left other than the last1/2 wrap. There was a queue and only one guy serving so even the ice,olly that we picked out of the freezer was all melting!
Written 12 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jojo
Navi Mumbai, India2,870 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Truely amazing underwater views tunnel from Entry to Exit showing about 30 live awesome animal exhibits and wondrful habitants display. It was wonderful experiennce enjoyed penguins, fish,cafe, views, kids games, shops etc.A Day with the Life of Penguin Keeper was most liked. It was properly maintained and especially kids enjoyed most.
Written 8 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
09Bear
Greystanes, Australia128 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Wow, wow, wow, if you ever get the chance, find a way to book in and do the penguin passport experience. The aquarium itself is well worth a visit, but to be able to go into the penguin exhibit and walk amongst the penguins with two of the keepers to guide you is seriously worth every cent.
They only do one tour a day with a maximum group of 4 participants, so it can be hard to get into, but certainly worth it.
They only do one tour a day with a maximum group of 4 participants, so it can be hard to get into, but certainly worth it.
Written 18 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maureen D
17 contributions
Aug 2023 • Solo
Small aquarium, a slight disappointment with the size of the aquarium and the number of animals. Some aquariums lack maintenance and cleaning (odor). I appreciated the calm side of my visit, the exchanges with the caregivers who are very accessible. Small, well-stocked shop to finish the visit by purchasing souvenirs.
Written 25 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clayjdar
127 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Was told No cash only card payments.
Disappointed as a overseas tourist as wanted to avoid more fees.
Man at front desk was very condescending and made the visit start with a bad experience.
Think we were in and out in ten minutes.
Whilst conservation cost money i can’t see how you can charge the prices.
It’s an effort to get there so in our opinion was not worth the effort to get there and pay.
Spend you’re time and money elsewhere
Disappointed as a overseas tourist as wanted to avoid more fees.
Man at front desk was very condescending and made the visit start with a bad experience.
Think we were in and out in ten minutes.
Whilst conservation cost money i can’t see how you can charge the prices.
It’s an effort to get there so in our opinion was not worth the effort to get there and pay.
Spend you’re time and money elsewhere
Written 8 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kia ora Clayjdar. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review about your visit with us. We are sorry that you were disappointed with your visit with us. Kelly Tarlton’s, similar to Auckland Zoo, has high running costs due to our care of the animals, which is the cornerstone of our operation. Auckland Zoo is a council-owned, not for profit entity, with significant grants which subsidise their ticket prices. Kelly Tarlton’s is a private organisation, and our sole source of income comes from admissions, which dictates our pricing levels. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we removed all cash handling from our site to ensure that we were not allowing any germs or the virus to spread to any of our guests and staff. We do apologise for inconvenience that this may have caused for you. Ngā mihi SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's :)
Written 18 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Is Rambo the octopus still there?
Written 18 August 2018
I’m not sure if the name but apparently there is an octopus in and out of quarantine (I think they said it was fairly new) so it’s only on display some of the time. Not when I went unfortunately
Written 12 September 2018
Hi we are staying in Hobson street where do we get the free shuttle from Cheers
Written 6 February 2018
152 Quay Street (bottom of Queen Street)
Written 15 February 2018
Do we need to walk alot from the hop on bus station?
Written 6 August 2017
No, the bus stop is very close to the aquarium entrance.
Written 7 August 2017
sparrow8885
Te Puke, New Zealand
At what time do they feed the penguins and fish?
Written 29 January 2017
The sign in the aquarium today said 14:00 tues & thurs for fish feeding.
Written 8 February 2018
Is there a family pass available??
I have 2 adults 4 children aged 11(triplets) and 7 yr old plus a 2 year old.
We would love to come through today before we leave town as we came here for our Christmas present to our kids.
Written 23 December 2016
Yes family pass available
Written 6 January 2017
Whats the chances of getting a park at the Aquarium car park ,mid January, if you arrive early, say 9:30 in the morning.
Written 3 December 2016
If you arrive early on a weekday you may get parking space right opposite the Aquarium. On Weekends - you may have to park some distance away in case there is a rush.
Written 26 December 2016
Hello Kharissa,
if you are thinking about the pictures that were taken before crossing the ice tunnel.. (and where you faking a shark attack)
These pictures were for sale at the exit of the Aquarium - in the general toy / souvenir section - they are not posted online.
Written 8 June 2016
With penguin experience, how close to the Penguins do you actually get?
Written 12 February 2016
Yes the penguins are behind glass for regular paying visitors, however when we went there was a small group within the penguin enclosure getting VERY close. I can only assume they were on the penguin experience as they were being spoken to by one of the keepers. Hope this helps
Written 16 February 2016
Hi, what is the best way to get to Kelly Tarltons from the cruise ship terminal, and how long would it take? We aren't taking the ship tours as they go other places too and we are meeting friends for lunch after. Thanks! It is 2 adults and a 3-year-old.
Written 13 December 2015
If you cant catch the Kelly Tarlton Shark Shuttle Bus the ordinary bus will drop you off outside. Here are the Shuttle details
Free Shuttle Service
The regular Shuttle Service is as follows...
7 days a week Kelly Tarlton's operates a FREE shuttle service from downtown Auckland!
Shuttle departs from 172 Quay Street (opposite the downtown ferry terminal).
The shuttle runs hourly on the HALF hour from 9:30am until 3:30pm, with the final pick up from downtown being at 3:30pm.
Written 14 December 2015
Does anyone know the average time it takes to see the aquarium?
Was trying to plan a day between the Aquarium and Waiheke Island. Is it too much to fit this into one day.
I plan to visit Jan-Feb of this year.
Written 30 September 2015
It takes around 3 hours to see the Aquarium.
For Waiheke Island - you need an entire day.
Written 26 December 2016
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