Rocky Shores

In our second zone, we move from the briny depths of the Sunken Shipwreck and into warmer shores bursting with both animal and plant life.

As well as the shores of the Atlantic this zone is designed to recreate the biomes of places like the Mediterranean and Africa.

The Rocky Shores is where you’ll find our Bay of Rays, located in our Urban Jungle – housed within the warm, tropical environment of the giant botanical house!

The display is open-topped and home to several special types of rays, including common stingray, thornback rays and smalleyed rays. You’ll also see some wrasse, triggerfish, thick-lipped grey mullet and more!

Our rays are naturally inquisitive creatures, and will likely take as much from observing you as you do observing them!

Our first section of our botanical house is also home to some incredible and peculiar prehistoric plants!

Learn about the difference between gymnosperms and angiosperms and the incredible affect they had on planet earth when they first appeared millions of years ago.

Watch out! What’s that lurking amongst the plant growth? Keep your eyes peeled for there may be dinosaurs crawling through the grass or swooshing overhead!

As you take a leisurely walk along the windy and twisting walkway, past the prickly cacti and a gently trickling waterfall you will find our Malawi Cichlids display – teeming with vibrant colour and lively activity!

These beautiful fish are from Lake Malawi in Africa and enjoy warm, tropical waters in the fourth largest freshwater lake in the world. In Lake Malawi these fish have bred to become lots of different species, they look very similar but occupy different habitats within this huge lake.

Did you know? Lake Malawi is home to mroe species of fish than any other lake in the world?!