Southend’s Seaquarium to close permanently

At the end of the month, an aquarium that is expecting to have quadruple its energy bills by the end of 2024 will close permanently to visitors.

We like to think we've run it well, given a bit of education to children and helped push the conservation message. Since the 1930s, there has been a form of wildlife-based attraction on the pier which has included whales, dolphins, sea lions and penguins.

It was closed to visitors for much of the last year because of the pandemic, but conservation and maintenance work continued.

Seaquarium director Billy Ball said that the venue, which charges 3 entry, would have to meet stricter regulatory standards if it was to renew its licence with Tendring District Council.

If it was to remain, we would have to look to come up with more conservation activities and that was simply not viable, he said.

We are now in a very different world with emphasis on protecting the environment.

We decided that it was time to close that chapter in the pier's history and move forward, considering overheads and the rising cost of energy. The owners said that they were in discussions with other aquariums, including Sealife Adventure in Southend, to rehome all the sea life.