Baby’s Day Out at London Aquarium

On the Sunday we heard that Tottenham, Enfield and possibly Islington, my home turf, were raging, we were submerged in a completely different world.

We’d gone on a family expedition (including aunties and cousins) under the sea at the London Aquarium to make eyes at catfish, seahorses and sting rays.

It’s a pricey visit (book online and go after 3pm for best prices) but certainly worth the trip as it does feel like a welcome escape from the urban grind.

There are more than 500 different species of sea life here, from crocodiles to endangered coral. As you wander through the 14 themed zones, you learn fascinating facts – e.g. did you know that only a small number of jellyfish species actually sting? Plus there are fun extras for the kids like the chance to handle a starfish.

The most enthralling areas of the Aquarium are the shark tanks where you can test your mettle by going nose to nose against the glass with giant predators.

It’s also thrilling to enter the frosty Ice Adventure zone and see real life Gentoo penguins fluffing themselves up for the cameras.

The boys loved spotting friendly faces like the clown fish – ‘there’s Nemo!’ – and the totally cool Green Sea turtle, but were less impressed by the ‘smelly’ open tanks where you could touch and feed creatures slithering by.

Nobody seemed to enjoy our visit more than my 3-month-old niece, who sat wide-eyed in her mama’s carrier, captivated by all the colours, shapes and strange faces.

The deep sea tour winds up with the Shark Walk – a chance to stroll over a glass and metal ‘plank’ that hovers over sharks swimming below. Sounds scary, but my 2-year-old managed it twice!

The grand finale’s a bit of an anticlimax but the London Aquarium is a magical experience for any age.

Sea Life London Aquarium is at County Hall (next to London Eye), Westminster Bridge Rd, SE1 (Waterloo tube). Tickets from Adult £14.28/Child £10.50 (online, after 3pm).