South West - Devon
LIVING COASTS
Torquay Harbourside,
Beacon Quay, Torquay, Devon
TQ1 2BG
t: 01803 202470
e: info@livingcoasts.org.uk
w: www.livingcoasts.org.uk
Torquay’s coastal zoo and aquarium is an oasis of wildlife calm in the middle of the town’s bustling harbour area. Beneath the vast net canopy you’ll find scores of birds such as puffins, waders and sea ducks, plus mammals including fur seals and otters. Below decks you can discover a host of fantastic fish, from stingrays to seahorses, octopus to four-eyed fish, as well as a mangrove forest and hi-tech games.
The stars of Living Coasts are undoubtedly the scores of free-ranging penguins. These characterful, quirky, comical birds are fascinating and compelling. You can walk with them, talk with them and arrange to feed them. You can even – if you have the right qualifications – swim with them!
The site is easy to get around with prams and wheelchairs and there’s a full daily programme of animal feeds and informative keeper talks. Plenty of Living Coasts is undercover, with indoor arts and crafts and play areas for toddlers and some huge underwater viewing windows, so it’s a good choice on grey days. Living Coasts is an education and conservation charity, so your fun day out is also a donation towards good works.
The shop stocks souvenirs, cuddly toys and Fair Trade products, while the café boasts a fabulous position overlooking the panoramic sweep of the Bay. Try coffee and cake on the terrace or lunch looking out for wild dolphins.
