See life at new Kelly Tarlton's

Auckland's famous underwater attraction, Kelly Tarlton's, has undergone its $5.5 million upgrade and relaunches on Saturday as Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium.

The revamped tourist attraction has around 30 exhibits and more than 80 different species.

At the heart of the redevelopment is a new walk-through penguin encounter, allowing visitors to get closer than ever before to the Antarctic creatures, in the world's largest penguin colony display.

Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium general manager, James Thomas, says the revamp will mean a more enriching experience for visitors, and features state-of-the-art enclosures. "We're excited to offer our guests a truly face-to-face experience with these majestic Antarctic penguins."

Further developments include Kelly Tarlton's famous shark tunnel - it was the first in the world and has had a Maori Pasifika theme added to it. As well as New Zealand's largest collection of sharks, it now also contains shipwreck artefacts.

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The aquarium has eight new themed zones, including New Zealand's first live jellyfish display, the world's only display of Spiny Sea Dragons and the world's biggest species of stingray - one ray alone weighs more than 240kg and has had 65 pups in its 27 years at Kelly Tarlton's.

The multi-million dollar investment for the redevelopment comes from Sea Lifes's parent company Merlin Entertainments, making Kelly Tarlton's part of the world's largest aquarium operator (41 aquariums across four continents).

"Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium's primary focus remains educating visitors about the importance of conserving New Zealand's sea life, protecting animals and their habitats," says Mr Thomas. "The investment by Merlin Entertainments to make Kelly Tarlton's new again after 27 years of operation, shows Merlin's commitment to creating educational and inspiring experiences for visitors, all whilst maintaining the important heritage of Kelly Tarlton's."

Auckland Mayor Len Brown visited the new penguin enclosure on Wednesday afternoon to feed the animals.

"Kelly Tarlton's is an Auckland icon and I'm extremely pleased to be involved in the re-launch," says Mayor Brown. "I know this investment will allow a whole new generation of Aucklanders to enjoy our marine life and learn about conserving it for the future."

Kelly Tarlton, the man behind the original aquarium, was a marine archaeologist and diver. The aquarium's system of displays was built in unused sewage storage tanks and first opened in 1985, the same year as Mr Tarlton's death.

Displays

The all new Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium experience includes:

1. Scott's Hut

2. Antarctic Ice Adventure: all new walk-through with white out, underwater viewing and penguin ice caves

3. Scott Base

4. NIWA Southern Oceans

5. Rockpools

6. Stingray Bay

7. Shark Tunnel

8. Ocean Discovery

9. Fish Gallery

10. Seahorse Kingdom

Plus there will also be a new interactive quiz trail.

See the website here.