THE Oceanarium Bournemouth finally reopened its doors to the public on Monday, July 6 following 15 weeks of closure.

During this time of temporary closure, staff were working hard behind the scenes to ensure the premises are safe to welcome back visitors without compromising the experience.

A few changes have been made to allow social distancing; however all the Oceanarium’s collection of aquatic animals can still be viewed and enjoyed including Penguins. Sharks and Turtles.

UK Director, James Eels said: "Our team has worked very hard to ensure we could reopen in a safe and secure manor. I am extremely happy that we were able to open our doors again and welcome back our visitors and members. The day was a great success with positive feedback from the visitors joining us on opening day.

"Visitors can enjoy a touch free visit without losing any of the experience and as such we believe our aquarium is one of the safest indoor attractions to visit in these unique times."

To guarantee entry, visitors are advised to purchase tickets online, along with booking a dedicated arrival time slot.

Visitors can join the queue if tickets haven't been booked, but they may not be able to enter if there is no availability.

If visitors are unable to enter, they will be asked to return at a later time.

Visitors will also need to follow the new one-way route in place, adhere to the social distancing markers at all times, and make use of the hand sanitizing stations provided.

Visitors bringing pushchairs will need to keep them on their person as the push chair park is currently closed.

All cleaning regimes have been significantly enhanced and toilets are open but with limited capacity and are manned by attendants. Unfortunately, the kids play area remains closed, and all animal experiences have been suspended for the time being.

The Offshore Café has re-opened with a limited capacity and offering eat in and takeaway.

Full details of all the Oceanarium reopening measures can be found at: https://www.oceanarium.co.uk/covid19-information-for-visitors