The Deep was named Runner Up in the Visit England Inclusive Tourism Award 2017. It has also been awarded Gold in the National Enjoy England Awards – Access for All category 2011, and Silver in the Enjoy England Award in the Access for All Category, 2009. And you can see why. They have truly done their best to make the visit accessible to all. Its often just the simple things that have the most impact. Like the way that The Deep has a separate entrance for accessibility and groups and the queue tends to be shorter here – always a good thing for our children.

Our trip unfortunately missed the grand opening of the new Changing Place which was a shame and would have been very useful but we were welcome to use the First Aid room on the day. We’ve since seen the photos of the Changing Place and with its wall of a coral reef image its got to be oneof the prettiest! It contains an adjustable bed, hoist, adjustable basin and mirror, a centrally placed toilet and a portable privacy screen. The Changing Places facilities is also open to any who need it – not just visitors at The Deep.

I’ve not even mentioned the exhibits at The Deep yet. It takes about 2-3 hours to get around and in this time you pass large glass tanks full of fish, jellyfish, sharks, giant serene looking turtles (my favourite) dangerous looking Swordfish (my son’s favourite) and of course, the penguins – who were all in doze mode when we passed them. Can’t say I blame them though. Looked peaceful! You pass through the history of giant marine animals of times past and onto our present. You get a glimpse into the Midnight Zone and the animals that reside in the darkness. The learn of the dangers that humankind are presenting to this world and ways in which we can help (Spoiler – reduce plastic use!) and near the end you are shown a variety of non-marine animals such as the Leafcutter Ants that snaked their way from leaf source to their ant nest on ropes above our heads. All in all, it was a very educational and fun day. It is definitely worth a visit if you have never been.

Some of the feedback that we received on the day was that it was too busy which some of the children didn’t cope too well with. Unfortunately in this instance it couldn’t be helped. We decided to visit The Deep in the winter months as it was cosy and warm indoors and it seems that a lot of other people also had the same idea! However, when I spoke to The Deep after the event to thank them I mentioned the feedback. I was informed that they are now doing Tranquil Tuesday after 3pm where the lights will be brighter and the audio turned down, creating a tranquil environment for visitors. This event is perfect for those who prefer to visit during a quieter and more peaceful environment. I was also informed that there will be a ‘Quiet Day’ on September 12th – keep an eye on their website here for more information on this!

Website: www.thedeep.co.uk

“Thanks for today Little Hiccups was a lovely day.”

“Thank you for organizing such a lovely trip to the Deep”

“Great afternoon – Billy didn’t just tolerate the crowds (best result ever in a public place)- he had a brilliant time interacting with all the lights and displays and ice wall! Thanks guys x”

“Thank you little hiccups had a cracking day out was great to see kids interacting but best was watching Ben focusing and following the fish xxx”

“Fab day out xxx”

“Thanks for a fab day”

“Thank you Little Hiccups fab day as always. What would we do without you. Didn’t take photos but we had a great day xxx”

“Thank you for a lovely day at The Deep”

“Thank you so much for today. The boys had a fab time”

“Thanks little hiccups. Great morning at the Deep.”

“Thank you little hiccups for a great trip to the deep.”

“Thank you joe loves his deep family day out.”