What Fjord&Bælt does

Fjord&Bælt is a Danish non-profit operating foundation (driftfond) that runs an aquarium and marine experience center in Kerteminde, Denmark, founded in March 1997. Its core activity centers on housing and studying harbor porpoises—one of the very few facilities worldwide maintaining this species for public viewing—alongside harbor seals and the European otter Fie. The center operates an underwater tunnel fed with real seawater from the Great Belt and Kerteminde Fjord, an outdoor free-access Water Laboratory imitating local Belt Sea, fjord, and lagoon habitats, and a structured daily program of animal training sessions that double as public education and research participation (behavior, echolocation, biomonitoring, otter hearing). Research is conducted in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark through the Danish Research Center for Marine Mammals (established 2006).

The business model blends consumer-facing and institutional revenue streams. Direct-to-consumer revenue comes from admission tickets (165 DKK adult / 90 DKK child), annual pass subscriptions (375 DKK adult / 200 DKK child) that include reciprocal access to Naturama and discounts across a partner network of Danish attractions (DAZA members, Museum Odense, Østfynske Museer, AQUA, Lille Vildmosecentret), on-site retail (plush toys, books, clothing, Gyotaku prints), and venue rental for meetings and events catered by Café Anchor. Institutional revenue comes from VPAC (VidensPædagogisk AktivitetsCenter) state funding from the Danish Ministry of Education—one of only 16 VPAC designations in Denmark—plus capital grants from Kerteminde Municipality and the A.P. Møller Foundation for the ongoing expansion. The center is governed by an 8-member board chaired by Marianne Holmer (Dean of Science, SDU), patronaged by His Royal Highness Prince Joachim, and led operationally by director Heiko Buch-Illing (since October 2024), who also directs the cooperating Naturama museum in Svendborg. A new signature building with otter habitat, café, exhibition space, and multi-purpose hall broke ground in April 2025 with a beam-raising ceremony in September 2025.

Name

Fjord&Bælt

Legal name

Fjord&Bælt

Website

https://fjordbaelt.dk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fjord&Bælt is a Danish non-profit marine experience center and research institution in Kerteminde, housing harbor porpoises, seals, and otters for public education and academic research. It serves Danish school groups, families, tourists, and university researchers via its aquarium, underwater tunnel, and VPAC-funded educational programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquarium & Marine Experience Center

NAICS

Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Water (487210)

akta.pro primary industry

Whale Watching & Marine Mammal Tours (THAAAIAC)

Keywords

• Marine experience center
• Public aquarium exhibits
• Marine mammal research
• Aquatic education programs
• Coastal wildlife conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Kerteminde

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Entry fees for visitors to the aquarium and research center. Standard tickets for adults and children, with various pricing tiers.
2. Annual Pass Subscriptions: Annual pass provides unlimited access for one year. Includes benefits at partner attractions including Naturama. Generates recurring revenue and customer loyalty.
3. Retail Shop: On-site shop selling plush toys, books, souvenirs, clothing, and marine-themed products. Open without admission requirement.
4. Venue Rental and Events: Facilities available for meetings, conferences, and private events. Catering partnership with Café Anchor for events.
5. VPAC Government Funding: As a VPAC (VidensPædagogisk AktivitetsCenter), receives state funding support from the Danish Ministry of Education for educational and dissemination activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fjord&Bælt operates a public aquarium and marine experience center in Kerteminde, Denmark, featuring live harbor porpoises, harbor seals, and an otter named Fie, alongside an underwater tunnel with natural seawater from the Great Belt. The center delivers daily animal training sessions, hands-on educational programs, and underwater experiences to visitors, while also conducting collaborative marine mammal research with the University of Southern Denmark.

Product overview

Fjord&Bælt is a combined tourist attraction and research institution offering a unified portfolio of marine experiences. The core offering centers on the aquarium and experience center featuring harbor porpoises (one of the few places in the world to see them up close), harbor seals, and an otter named Fie. Supporting experiences include the underwater tunnel (offering submerged views of marine mammals in real seawater), the Water Laboratory outdoor facility, and multiple daily animal training sessions that integrate research activities. Additional offerings include annual passes providing access to partner institutions, school educational services, and collaborative research programs with universities. The products work together as an integrated visitor experience combining entertainment, education, and scientific research in marine conservation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aquarium and Marine Experience Center The main attraction featuring harbor porpoises, harbor seals, and various marine life exhibits in aquariums and basins. One of the few places in the world where visitors can see harbor porpoises up close. Targeted at general public visitors, families, and tourists.
• Underwater Tunnel Experience An underwater tunnel where visitors go below the sea surface to observe seals and harbor porpoises in their natural habitat. The water is real seawater from the Great Belt and Kerteminde Fjord, connected to natural tidal flows. For general public visitors and tourists.
• Water Laboratory (Vandlaboratorium) An outdoor laboratory facility located in front of Fjord&Bælt that imitates local marine habitats (Belt Sea, fjord, and lagoon). Free admission and open 24 hours. Accessible to all visitors and casual passers-by without center entry fee.
• Seal and Porpoise Training Sessions Daily training sessions for harbor seals and harbor porpoises held multiple times daily, combining animal welfare, research participation, and visitor education. Sessions cover behavior, echolocation, and biomonitoring research. For visitors and research observers.
• Otter Training (Fie) Training and enrichment sessions featuring the European otter Fie, including hearing research activities. Training uses positive reinforcement on a voluntary basis. For visitors interested in otter behavior and hearing research.
• Annual Pass Annual membership providing unlimited free admission for one year to Fjord&Bælt and Naturama, plus 10% shop discount and discounts at partner attractions (DAZA members 15%, Museum Odense 25%, Østfynske Museer 20%, AQUA 50%, Lille Vildmosecentret 20%). For repeat visitors, families, and regional tourists.
• School Services (Skoletjeneste) Educational services for school groups including curriculum-aligned programs, workshops, and hands-on marine biology activities for Danish primary and secondary schools. Authorized as a VidensPædagogisk AktivitetsCenter (VPAC) by the Danish Ministry of Education.
• Research Programs Collaborative research programs including harbor porpoise monitoring, seal behavior studies, otter hearing research, and water quality studies. Conducted in partnership with University of Southern Denmark's Danish Research Center for Marine Mammals. For academic researchers and conservation scientists.
• Venue Rental for Meetings and Events Facilities available for meetings, conferences, and private events at the Kerteminde location. Catering provided through partnership with Café Anchor. For corporate and private event organizers.
• Retail Shop On-site shop selling plush toys, books, souvenirs, clothing, and marine-themed products. Open without admission requirement. For visitors and general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 70,000 annual visitors receive marine education and conservation messaging
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NaturamacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Operational collaboration since January 2013. Shared management, joint job postings, and annual pass benefits. Naturama is a natural history museum in Svendborg with approximately 60,000 visitors annually.
• University of Southern Denmark (SDU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006Collaboration established in 2006 to form the Danish Research Center for Marine Mammals. Purpose is to develop a modern and independent research institution with high quality and ambition in marine mammal research.
• Kerteminde MunicipalitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government partnership supporting center expansion. Funded new main building construction and school services facility expansion.
• HORESTA (Green Attraction)minorOthersIndustry association providing Green Attraction certification for sustainable operations. Includes annual controls and development requirements.
• DAZA Members (Danish Association of Zoos and Aquariums)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNetwork of Danish zoos and aquariums offering cross-promotional benefits. Annual pass holders receive 15% discount at member facilities including Odense ZOO, Givskud ZOO, Copenhagen ZOO, and others.
• Café AnchorminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExternal café partner providing food and beverage services at Fjord&Bælt location. Available for events and visitor refreshments.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kattegatcentret: Regional Danish aquarium and marine experience center in Grenaa, also focused on Danish marine life and education. Closest direct peer in scale, geography and educational aquarium positioning to Fjord&Bælt.
• Naturama: Natural history museum in Svendborg, Denmark, sharing management, board and joint programming with Fjord&Bælt since January 2013. Effectively a sister institution and most operationally intertwined peer.
• Nordsøen Oceanarium: North Sea Oceanarium in Hirtshals, Denmark — a regional Danish aquarium focused on North Sea marine ecosystems. Direct peer in geography and public aquarium category.
• Den Blå Planet (National Aquarium Denmark): Denmark's national aquarium near Copenhagen, featuring similar marine life exhibits and educational programming. Direct peer in the Danish aquarium category though materially larger in visitor scale than Fjord&Bælt.

Broad incumbents

• Monterey Bay Aquarium: Major US aquarium renowned for integrating marine research, conservation, and public education. Comparable in the combination of active research programs, marine conservation focus, and educational mission that defines Fjord&Bælt's positioning.
• SEA LIFE (Merlin Entertainments): Global chain of aquariums under Merlin Entertainments, including locations across Europe. Broad incumbent offering overlapping marine exhibit experiences with greater scale and marketing reach than Fjord&Bælt.
• Oceanogràfic (Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias): Large European aquarium in Valencia, Spain, operated as part of a broader arts and sciences complex. Comparable as a major marine facility combining research, education and public viewing of marine mammals.
• Harderwijk Dolfinarium: Dutch marine mammal park historically focused on dolphin and porpoise presentations. Relevant European peer in marine mammal-themed attractions, though operating under significant regulatory and public sentiment pressure.

Regional players

• Bergen Aquarium (Akvariet i Bergen): Nordic regional aquarium in Bergen, Norway, with similar focus on North Sea marine life and educational programming. Comparable Nordic peer operating in adjacent geography.

Emerging players

• Vancouver Aquarium (Ocean Wise): Research-driven aquarium and marine science center operated under Ocean Wise. Comparable peer in combining cetacean/marine mammal research with public education, providing a model for Fjord&Bælt's research-education hybrid approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/NaturamaSvendborg
• Facebookfacebook.com/fjordogbaelt
• Instagraminstagram.com/fjordogbaelt/?hl=da

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Fjord&Bælt