Look back over last 12 months
Lets look back over the last 12 amazing months since the flood which devastated the Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary on 5th December 2013.
The Team have worked around the clock since then to get it as good as new, in fact, when the Sanctuary re-opened on 16th October 2014, it was even better than it was before! This totally amazing journey started in early December 2013.
| A major operation to evacuate the thousands of fish at Hunstanton SEA LIFE Sanctuary got underway in the very early morning of 6th December 2013 after power to vital life support systems was lost during the previous night´s severe flooding.
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Sea Life Staff from all over England came together to help. Totally amazing people. The sharks, penguins and Ernie, the green sea turtle, were driven 90 minutes to the Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre, where they stayed for 10 months. The Seals and the Otters were taken to Scarborough Sea Life Sanctuary where the staff made a big fuss of them.
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Work immediately started to clear the contaminated tanks and the water damaged areas were ripped out.
For four months, the site was tented with heaters filling the building with very hot air to dry everything out!
| By April 2014 all the areas have been stripped back so the rebuild could start. Photo below: The start of a Super New Seal Hospital.
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By 10th June 2014 work was progressing well on rebuilding the discover pool area!
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By August 2014 with great excitment...there was a poster announcing the opening on 16th October.
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Now the Sanctuary had been re-built, bigger and better than before, and its residents returned 10 months after their dramatic exodus.
But before the resident seals could be returned, Nigel Croasdale, the Sanctuary´s General Manager, called on the Fire Service and asked them to come to the rescue again and help to fill the tanks!
Just as they were the night of the flood to pump the water out, they were now here again to do the opposite.
All the tanks were now filled and ready for the arrival of the animal residents!
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Common seals, giant sea turtle, otters, penguins and rays...arrived along with hundreds of fish on 23rd September 2014.
| The Sea Life Sanctuary re-opened to the public on 16th October 2014.
| | Click here to watch a short video showing what has happened during the past 10 months.
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Rescued Seal Pup
A month on after the rescue of a common seal on 15th October,
Madeleine is looking so much better after treatment by the Animal Care team and is well on her way to a full recovery.
Since being at the Sanctuary, she has found a new love for fish and is eating really well!
Click here to see a larger version of this and further photo taken on 8th November 2014 in the hospital pen.
| Resident Seals
Joyce, part of the website media team, helped Kirsty with the feeding of the resident seals in mid November (she did not need much persuasion!).
| Pendle is enjoying being back at Hunstanton and likes the new pool with the underwater viewing area, he also seems very fond of his lifebuoy, not sure he really needs it!
| Resident Otters
Mum Summer is enjoying her new home with three boys Smartie, Yorkie and Twix and exploring the cosy holt, waterfalls, stream and dive pool!
| Resident Penguins
The Penguins have really settled back in to their enclosure, it is as though they had never been away.
| Aquarium
In November saw the arrival of Noah from Great Yarmouth Sea Life Centre to join Ernie, the Green Sea Turtle. Ernie was delighted to see his old friend who is here on holiday as his ocean tank home at the Sea Life Centre at Great Yarmouth is currently having an amazing refurbishment.
| It might seem an unlikely description for Cuvier´s dwarf crocodiles...but the three razor-toothed reptiles seem more lively since being back in their home and are still definitely "cute" (although their teeth are getting bigger).
| Oldest Visitor!
We think Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary had it's oldest visitor when this lovely lady who is 102 years young visited in November with her family.
| Coffee Shop
Have you visited the Coffee Shop yet?
| P...P...Pick up a Penguin!
Forget about that advert with the penguins...you can buy your own cuddly one from Hunstanton Sea Life Sanctuary - starting from £5.
Contact Angela Rudd, Retail and Front of House Manager, for more details.
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