What Blue Planet Aquarium does

Blue Planet Aquarium is a single-site marine visitor attraction located at Cheshire Oaks in the United Kingdom, operating as part of the Aspro Parks UK group under parent company Deep Sea Leisure PLC. Its physical infrastructure centres on a 4 million litre Ocean Exhibit with a 71-metre underwater tunnel housing over 100 species and approximately 1,500 animals, marketed as Europe's largest collection of sharks. The aquarium runs a PADI-certified Dive Centre that delivers cage-free shark diving experiences for both adults (ages 16+) and juniors (ages 8-15), distinguishing it from most competing UK aquariums.

The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B model. Consumer revenue is generated through standard admission tickets, Flexi Tickets valid six months, seasonal promotional tickets (Great British Summer Savings), and Annual Memberships offering unlimited visits. Premium revenue comes from shark dive experiences priced at £180 per participant, on-site food and beverage (Nautilus Kitchen Restaurant and café), and car parking at £2.95 per vehicle. B2B channels serve school groups at £10.25-£10.55 per child plus classroom session fees, group bookings of 15 or more with guided tour add-ons, and corporate venue hire for private events. The aquarium also runs accessibility programming including low-noise days for autistic guests and free carer admission.

Distribution is primarily through the company's own website (built on WordPress) and on-site ticket sales, supplemented by direct telephone/email booking for groups and schools, an email newsletter, blog content covering marine conservation, and social media channels. Marketing emphasises the PADI dive credentials, the shark collection, and a conservation mission. The company has approximately 43 employees, no public revenue disclosure, no disclosed funding rounds, and operates exclusively within the UK market from its single Cheshire Oaks location.

Name

Blue Planet Aquarium

Legal name

Deep Sea Leisure PLC

Website

https://blueplanetaquarium.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Blue Planet Aquarium is a UK visitor attraction at Cheshire Oaks operating Europe's largest shark collection, offering standard admission, PADI-certified cage-free shark dives, school programs, corporate hire, and annual memberships under Aspro Parks UK ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium Visitor Attraction

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Zoo & Aquarium Parks (Ticketed Wildlife Attractions) (THAJAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dive Centers & Scuba Training (PADI/SSI, certifications) (THAAAIAA), Zoos, Aquariums & Botanical Gardens (Educational Collections) (THAJADAL)

Keywords

• Marine aquarium attraction
• Visitor attraction services
• Shark diving experiences
• Educational school trips
• Marine conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheshire Oaks

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Standard admission tickets for individual visitors, sold online and at the door. Includes promotional seasonal tickets (e.g., 10% off Great British Summer Savings between 25th June – 1st September) and Flexi Tickets valid for 6 months from purchase.
2. Annual Memberships: Annual passes offering unlimited visits for a full year with various perks. Marketed as access to Europe's largest collection of sharks.
3. Shark Dive Experiences: Premium diving experiences sold as PADI Discover Scuba Diving sessions. Junior Shark Dives for ages 8-15 at £180 per participant; Adult Shark Dives for ages 16+ with no prior experience needed. Includes free spectator entries.
4. Group Bookings: Discounted group rates for parties of 15 or more, with additional optional guided tours at £25 per 15 people. School group pricing at £10.25-£10.55 per child depending on season, plus session fees of £42 for KS3-4 classroom sessions.
5. Birthday Parties: Birthday party packages offered through the What's On & Events section.
6. Corporate Hire: Private hire of the aquarium facility for corporate events.
7. Food & Beverage: On-site Nautilus Kitchen Restaurant and café. Free hot drink offered to visitors who purchase food in the café when showing their parking ticket.
8. Car Parking: On-site car parking at £2.95 per vehicle (flat rate regardless of duration). Revenue from parking is partially subsidised by café purchases (free hot drink with parking ticket upon food purchase).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Blue Planet Aquarium is a marine visitor attraction that sells admission tickets, annual memberships, and PADI-certified cage-free shark diving experiences for individuals, families, and groups. It also delivers curriculum-aligned educational sessions for UK schools (Key Stages 1-4), hosts group bookings of 15+, and provides private venue hire for corporate events and birthday parties at its Cheshire Oaks facility. The attraction features a 4 million litre Ocean Exhibit with a 71-metre underwater Ocean Tunnel housing Europe's largest collection of sharks.

Product overview

Blue Planet Aquarium is a visitor attraction offering a unified portfolio of experiences centered on marine life observation and education. The core offering consists of admission tickets (Standard, Flexi, and promotional Summer Savings tickets) and Annual Memberships providing unlimited access to Europe's largest shark collection. The aquarium provides differentiated experience products including Adult Shark Dives (PADI-certified cage-free diving for ages 16+) and Junior Shark Dives (supervised reef diving for ages 8-15). Event services encompass Birthday Parties and Corporate Hire for private functions. Educational services include School Sessions for Key Stages 1-4 with curriculum-aligned programs, Group Bookings with discounted rates for parties of 15+, and Guided Tours as premium add-ons. Content and resource services include a Blog with educational articles and downloadable Educational Resources worksheets for schools. The aquarium also operates mission-driven Conservation Programs focused on marine protection. The Ocean Exhibit serves as the flagship attraction featuring a 4 million litre tank, underwater tunnel, and over 100 species including one of Europe's largest shark collections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard Admission Tickets Day admission tickets granting access to all exhibits, animal displays, talks, and feeds throughout the operating day at the Cheshire Oaks aquarium.
• Flexi Tickets Flexible admission tickets valid for a single visit within 6 months of purchase, allowing visitors to book their preferred date later and avoiding promotional-window restrictions.
• Great British Summer Savings Tickets Discounted admission tickets (10% off) available for visits between 25th June and 1st September as a seasonal promotional offer.
• Annual Memberships Annual passes offering unlimited visits for a whole year with various perks, marketed around Europe's largest shark collection.
• Adult Shark Dives PADI Discover Scuba Diving session for ages 16+ offering a cage-free dive in the Ocean Tank with Sand Tiger Sharks, Nurse Sharks, and other marine life; no prior experience required.
• Junior Shark Dives Supervised shark diving experience for ages 8-15 (minimum height 125cm) using child-sized scuba gear in the reef section of the Ocean Tank; £180 per participant including full scuba kit, expert guidance, free aquarium entry, and one free adult spectator.
• Birthday Parties Celebration packages for children's birthdays at the aquarium with themed activities and animal encounters.
• Corporate Hire Private venue hire for corporate events, team-building activities, and business functions within the aquarium facilities.
• Group Bookings Discounted admission for parties of 15 or more, including optional exclusive guided tours for an additional fee.
• School Sessions (Key Stage 1 & 2) Curriculum-aligned educational programs for primary school children featuring classroom sessions and aquarium exploration covering marine biology, ocean conservation, plastic pollution, and animal habitats.
• School Sessions (Key Stage 3 & 4) Secondary school educational programs focused on marine biology, shark conservation, and environmental topics with interactive classroom sessions; £42 per session (max 30 children), minimum 10 children per booking.
• Guided Tours Exclusive guided tours available for groups at £25 per 15 people, providing in-depth information about marine animals and aquarium operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 million litre Ocean Exhibit with 100+ species and 1,500+ animals
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PADIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlue Planet Aquarium is a certified PADI Dive Centre, offering PADI Discover Scuba Diving shark dive experiences. The PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification enables the aquarium to offer accredited diving experiences and log dives for participants.
• Deep Sea Leisure PLCcoreOthersBlue Planet Aquarium is owned by Deep Sea Leisure PLC, registered in Scotland at North Queensferry, Fife, KY11 1JR. Company number SC135353, VAT number 592 9930 86. Deep Sea Leisure is part of the Aspro Parks group.
• Aspro Parks UKcoreOthersBlue Planet Aquarium is part of the Aspro Parks UK group. The footer displays the Aspro Parks UK logo alongside those of other group attractions (Aspro, Dowtk, Plaza, Mindful).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Deep: A single-site aquarium in Hull with a similar product mix — large display tanks, educational programming, and premium dive experiences. Comparable in scale and target market to Blue Planet and competes for UK family visit occasions.
• SEA LIFE (Merlin Entertainments): The UK's largest aquarium brand with multiple sites including Manchester, offering marine exhibits, educational programs and premium experiences. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to Blue Planet in the UK aquarium category and shares the same core customer base of families and school groups.
• National Marine Aquarium: Plymouth-based aquarium operating as a visitor attraction with educational programming, school sessions and conservation focus. Closely comparable to Blue Planet on single-site model, B2B education channel and public aquarium positioning.
• Bristol Aquarium: A UK regional aquarium offering marine exhibits and educational visits. Comparable in scale, single-site operations, and reliance on regional family and school visitations.
• Oceanarium Bournemouth: A regional UK aquarium on the south coast offering marine exhibits, talks and feeds, and school visits. Similar mid-sized single-site model targeting families, tourists and schools in a defined catchment area.

Emerging players

• Lake District Coast Aquarium: A smaller regional aquarium in the North West of England focusing on local marine life. Competes for a portion of the same regional family audience and represents a niche, smaller-scale analogue to Blue Planet's family visitor proposition.

Others

• Aspro Parks: Parent group of Blue Planet Aquarium operating marine and leisure attractions across Europe. Sister sites provide group-level synergies and shared services, and the group is the closest internal peer for benchmarking operations and capital allocation.

Broad incumbents

• Merlin Entertainments: Parent company of SEA LIFE and one of the UK's largest leisure operators. A broader incumbent whose aquarium portfolio competes directly with Blue Planet across multiple UK catchments, leveraging significant scale advantages.
• Knowsley Safari Park: A major Merseyside wildlife attraction roughly 20 miles from Blue Planet, competing for the same North West family day-out market. While a safari rather than an aquarium, it is a significant alternative-venue competitor for the regional leisure pound.
• Chester Zoo: A much larger zoological attraction located within 30 miles of Blue Planet, competing for the same North West England family day-trip and school group spend. While not an aquarium, it is the dominant wildlife attraction in the immediate catchment and a key competitive benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blue-planet-aquarium

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blue Planet Aquarium