Seaquarium Institut Marin

What Seaquarium Institut Marin does

Seaquarium Institut Marin is a marine aquarium and scientific culture center founded in 1989 in Le Grau-du-Roi, Occitanie, France, operating under the SEM SEGEL semi-public corporate structure. It spans over 2,400m² with 40 aquariums holding approximately 3,000,000 liters of seawater housing more than 200 fish species, 25 shark species, and 10 ray species. Its flagship asset is the Requinarium, Europe's only center dedicated entirely to sharks, covering 900m² and including an 800,000-liter pool. The facility is organized into themed zones: Mediterranean Space, Tropical Space, Marine Mammal World (harbor seals, Patagonian and South American sea lions), Imaginarium, Turtle-Museum, and an underwater tunnel. It also hosts CESTMed, the only sea turtle rehabilitation center in the French Mediterranean.

The business model is direct-to-consumer, primarily through ticket sales (adults €17.50, children €13, school groups €8.50, family pack €55.50) supported by an annual Seaq'Pass subscription (€23-€33), an on-site Seaq'Boutique retail operation, and B2B sales to school groups, corporate CSE (employee committees), and associations. Distribution is via on-site box office and a global online ticketing platform, combined with direct sales for institutional clients. Annual visitation exceeds 400,000, with nearly 600,000 schoolchildren cumulatively since 1989.

The company is positioned as a public-interest scientific culture center recognized by AMCSTI since 2024, with an active preservation program including scientific expeditions, the ReSeaclons marine plastic recovery initiative backed by its TRIVEO partnership, and citizen science participation through the Sentinelles de la Mer network. Strategic partnerships with IFREMER, OFB, Camargue Regional Nature Park, Peau Bleue Association, and Stellaris support ongoing research on seahorses, blue sharks, and Mediterranean seagrass beds. Core supporting infrastructure includes independent multi-stage seawater filtration (mechanical, UV, biological) drawing directly from the Mediterranean.

Name

Seaquarium Institut Marin

Legal name

SEM SEGEL Le Seaquarium Institut Marin

Website

https://seaquarium.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seaquarium Institut Marin is a 1989-founded French marine aquarium and recognized scientific culture center in Le Grau-du-Roi, serving families, school groups, corporate CSEs, and tourists via ticketing, annual passes, and education programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Aquarium and Leisure Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAAAAAJ

Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Amusement Parks & Theme Parks

SECONDARYTHAAAIAH

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks)

Travel & Hospitality/Adventure, Amusement Parks & Ecotourism/Marine & Coastal Ecotourism (Diving, Snorkeling, Whale Watching)

Keywords

• Marine aquarium exhibits
• Scientific culture centre
• Sea turtle rehabilitation
• Shark conservation centre
• Marine education programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Grau du Roi

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Individual Ticket Sales: Day admission tickets for individual visitors with time-stamped entry. Adults €17.50, children 5-15 €13, under 5 free. Special rates for students €15.50 and disabled adults €13.50.
2. Annual Pass (Seaq'Pass): Individual annual subscription giving unlimited access during opening hours. Adult pass €33, Child pass €23, Reduced pass €27.
3. Seaq'Boutique Retail: On-site souvenir shop selling marine-themed merchandise including soft toys, books, postcards, and personalized articles.
4. Group Bookings: School groups (€8.50 per child), adult groups (€14.50), CSE/comité d'entreprise bookings with special rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Seaquarium Institut Marin operates a marine aquarium and scientific culture centre featuring 40 aquariums with 3,000,000 litres of seawater across Mediterranean and tropical zones, Europe's only Requinarium dedicated to sharks, a Marine Mammal World with seals and sea lions, the Muséo-Tortue housing the French Mediterranean's only sea turtle rehabilitation centre (CESTMed), an Imaginarium, and an underwater tunnel. Core offerings include individual and family admission tickets, the Seaq'Pass annual subscription, educational animations for school groups, corporate and CSE group programmes, on-site retail at Seaq'Boutique, and conservation/scientific expeditions across the Mediterranean.

Product overview

Seaquarium Institut Marin is a unified marine aquarium and scientific culture center spanning over 2,400m² with multiple themed exhibit zones (Mediterranean Space, Tropical Space, Requinarium, Marine Mammal World, Imaginarium, Turtle-Museum, Underwater Tunnel), retail services (Seaq'Boutique), subscription products (Seaq'Pass annual tickets), educational programs for schools and the public, digital content (Web TV), and conservation research services (Scientific Expeditions, Preservation Actions). The facility houses over 2,000 fish from Mediterranean and tropical waters, approximately 25 shark species, seals, and sea lions, with the Requinarium being Europe's only shark-dedicated center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seaquarium Institut Marin Aquarium Admission General admission to the 2,400 m² marine aquarium across themed zones (Mediterranean, Tropical, Requinarium, Marine Mammal World, Imaginarium, Muséo-Tortue, underwater tunnel) for individual visitors and families; priced per visitor tier with time-stamped entry.
• Seaq'Pass Annual Subscription Annual subscription pass providing unlimited aquarium access for 12 months, with adult, child, and reduced-rate tiers (adult €33, child €23, reduced €27).
• Animations Groupes Scolaires (School Group Educational Programmes) Structured marine biology and environmental education programmes from Maternelle through University delivered by 5 science mediators, including guided tours and educational workshops at €8.50 per child.
• Animations Tous Publics (Public Animations) Family-oriented discovery animations and activities about marine biodiversity and environmental fragility aimed at general public visitors.
• Animations Entreprises / CSE Group Programmes Programme for associations, companies, and specialized establishments offering cultural outings and team-building activities, with adult group rate of €14.50 per person and dedicated CSE (employee committee) services.
• Seaq'Boutique Retail Shop On-site gift shop selling marine-themed merchandise including soft toys, books, postcards, and personalized articles, with both physical storefront and online boutique at boutique.seaquarium.fr.
• CESTMed Sea Turtle Rehabilitation Service Sea turtle rehabilitation and release service operated by CESTMed on Seaquarium premises, receiving accidentally caught turtles from fishermen, providing care, and releasing recovered turtles back to the sea.
• Scientific Expeditions and Preservation Actions Marine research expeditions and preservation programmes across the Mediterranean including seahorse monitoring, blue shark tracking (Gulf of Lion), seagrass bed (Zostera) monitoring, and marine plastic waste initiatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 600,000 children welcomed on school trips since 1989
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CESTMed (Centre de Sauvegarde des tortues marines en Méditerranée)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe only sea turtle rehabilitation centre in French Mediterranean, housed on Seaquarium premises. Receives accidentally caught turtles from fishermen, provides care, and releases them back to sea when recovered.
• Peau Bleue Association (Patrick Louisy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for monitoring short-snouted seahorses and pipefish at Espiguette since 2012, contributing to citizen science and species conservation.
• Camargue Regional Nature ParkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in monitoring activities and visitor numbers at Espiguette sand spit, and educational marine area programs.
• Stellaris AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on blue shark research in the Gulf of Lion, investigating potential nursery role of the gulf.
• IFREMER (Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific partner for blue shark research with Francois Poisson from IFREMER Sète, studying shark populations in Mediterranean.
• OFB (Office Français de la Biodiversité)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in educational marine areas program and various conservation monitoring initiatives.
• Munich AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on blue shark research in the Mediterranean Sea alongside Stellaris and IFREMER.
• TRIVEOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation partner for ReSeaclons project - development of marine plastic waste collection system by fishermen.
• ReSeaclonsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStartup born from ReSeaclons project ensuring deployment of marine plastic collection in ports across Occitania.
• Vidourle ETPBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Blue Barriers innovation project to block litter from land before it enters the sea.
• ecogestes Méditerranée OccitanieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSea aquarium serves as departmental coordinator for boater environmental best practices campaign.
• MedFundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipation in MedFund for marine protected areas of the Mediterranean.
• Sentinelles de la Mer OccitaniemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAquarium is ambassador for this citizen science network, encouraging visitors to participate in marine monitoring.
• Bassin de Thau CPIEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in marine litter initiatives and Sentinelles de la Mer Occitanie network support.
• Labelbleu AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in coastal litter cleanup campaigns and 'Faisons des MerVeilles' maritime campaign.
• Le PalminorOthersZoo in France where seal Tommy was born on June 24, 2020 before arriving at Seaquarium.
• Pairi DaizaminorOthersZoo in Belgium where seal Saïka was born on June 30, 2017 before arriving at Seaquarium.
• Regard du Vivant AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on educational project with CM2 class discovering orcas in Norway with photographer Thomas Roger.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Oceanogràfic (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias): Largest aquarium in Europe, in Valencia, Spain. Comparable in scale, Mediterranean-tropical species focus, marine mammal exhibits, and scientific research mission.
• Cinéaqua – Aquarium de Paris: Major urban aquarium in Paris with comparable mix of family ticketing, school programs, and themed exhibit zones. Same regulatory environment and target demographic.
• Aquarium de Lyon: Mid-sized French regional aquarium with similar family/school proposition, comparable ticket price points, and annual pass model.
• Mare Nostrum Aquarium (Montpellier): Aquarium operated by the City of Montpellier, ~30 minutes from Seaquarium. Most direct regional competitor for Occitanie family visits and school trips with a Mediterranean marine life focus.
• Océanopolis: Public aquarium and ocean discovery park in Brest, France. Comparable in its dual role as a marine tourism attraction and a recognized scientific culture centre with strong school-group programming.
• Nausicaá – Centre National de la Mer: Largest public aquarium in Europe, located in Boulogne-sur-Mer, France. Directly comparable as a science-and-conservation-led marine attraction targeting families, school groups, and tourists with similar ticketing, annual passes, and educational programs.
• Acquario di Genova: Large Mediterranean aquarium in Genoa, Italy, with a similar blend of tropical and local species, family ticketing, school programs, and conservation partnerships.
• Zoomarine (Algarve): Portuguese marine theme park combining aquarium exhibits with marine mammal presentations. Comparable business model targeting Mediterranean family tourism and school groups.

Broad incumbents

• Pairi Daiza: Large Belgian zoo and botanical garden with a substantial aquarium component and an animal origin partner for Seaquarium. Comparable as a broader leisure attraction where aquariums are part of a wider portfolio.

Regional players

• Le Pal: French zoological and amusement park that has supplied animals to Seaquarium (e.g., seal Tommy in 2020). Comparable as a French regional family leisure operator with overlapping school-trip and family demographics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/leseaquarium
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/seaquariumgrauduroi
• Facebookfacebook.com/seaquarium.le.grau.du.roi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seaquarium-institut-marin
• Instagraminstagram.com/seaquariumgrauduroi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Seaquarium Institut Marin