Sea Life Sunshine Coast, Marine life center in Mooloolaba, Australia
Sea Life Sunshine Coast is a marine mammal park, oceanarium and wildlife sanctuary in Mooloolaba. Its centrepiece is an 80-metre ocean tunnel holding 2,500,000 litres, now a carpeted walkway without the former travelator, passing three habitats: coral reef, cave and open ocean. Residents include grey nurse, tawny nurse, grey reef, whitetip reef, blacktip reef and leopard sharks, ornate wobbegongs, rays, giant groupers, potato cods, snappers and trevallies.
The facility opened in 1989 as UnderWater World and was rebranded as Sea Life Centre following major renovations in 2013. This transformation updated the infrastructure and expanded animal care capabilities.
The park's name changed from UnderWater World to Sea Life Sunshine Coast after Merlin Entertainments bought it and spent $6.5 million on a refurbishment, relaunching in December 2013. The site is an institutional member of the Zoo and Aquarium Association. A brown whipray has lived in the oceanarium since the aquarium opened in 1989.
The Ocean Tunnel is an 80-metre walkway through a 2,500,000-litre oceanarium; the moving walkway was removed, so visitors walk at their own pace past coral reef, cave and open ocean habitats. The tunnel closed for an upgrade in November 2011. Seal shows run in the Seal Stadium, alongside talks at Stingray Reef, the Touch Pool and jellyfish tours.
Seal Island holds six named residents: long-nosed fur seals Birubi, Moana, Saturday and Sly, Subantarctic fur seal Nelson and Australian sea lion Teiko. The park also runs a rehabilitation centre for turtles, seals and other marine animals.
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