St Andrews Aquarium unveils £1 million expansion plans

Bosses at St Andrews Aquarium have unveiled expansion plans worth more than £1 million.

The footprint of the attraction will more than double in size during the “most significant” work in its 25-year history.

The redevelopment will be carried out in phases with the seal pool – which was destroyed during a storm nearly a year ago – being rebuilt.

Improvements are already under way on the sea wall to protect the aquarium from future storms.

‘Several new and exciting animals’ for St Andrews Aquarium after expansion

John Mace, managing director, said: “The storm last October was devastating – the future of the aquarium was in question as we assessed the damage and costs of the repairs.

“As a family, we turned the disaster into an opportunity to completely change the space, and build a bigger and better area for our visitors.

“The full development project costs will exceed £1m in total, and we can’t wait to complete it.

“Our family of seals have found new homes in other zoos since the storm, which has given us an exciting opportunity to bring several new and exciting animals into our new space.

“The work to strengthen and expand the protective sea wall, while very expensive, is essential – and will protect St Andrews Aquarium from future tidal swells.”

Details of potential new inhabitants have yet to be revealed.

John added: “We’ve got big plans for the exhibits and type of animals that will go into the space but we’ll reveal that in due course.

“Our team is excited about the developments, which will bring new animals into our attraction, giving our visitors even more to see and learn about during their visits.”

The aquarium is continuing to open as normal during the work.