South Pacific
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SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
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SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium

See all things to do
See all things to do
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
4
#32 of 205 things to do in Auckland Central
Nature & Wildlife AreasAquariums
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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About
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium is New Zealand’s most famous aquarium! It is home to New Zealand's only sub-Antarctic penguins and offers a myriad of opportunities to get up close and personal with incredible marine life from the Pacific and Southern oceans. For a truly incredible experience, take the plunge on an Animal Adventure jump into the shark Cage and go snorkeling with massive sharks or jump on the ice and get up close and personal with the King and Gentoo penguins!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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See what travellers are saying
  • Jacqueline S
    41 contributions
    Pull your socks up
    I suggest you take a packed lunch with you. The cafe here is not fit for purpose, I think you guys are missing a trick, you have a captive audience and they all have to literally walk through the cafe to get to the exit. We visited the cafe at1pm and there was nothing left other than the last1/2 wrap. There was a queue and only one guy serving so even the ice,olly that we picked out of the freezer was all melting!
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with friends
    Written 11 December 2022
  • Meilatan
    23 contributions
    Worth a visit with kids, but for young kids the highlight is the playground
    Website and signs say to book online but people were buying at the door. No price difference to buy online compared to at the door, despite what it says on line. The aquarium itself was reasonably good, but not a great amount of colourful fish. My 3 years highlight was the playground at the cafe - halfway through.
    Loren O
    Kia ora Meilatan. Thank you for leaving us a review about your visit. We're sorry to hear that you didn't get to see many colourful fish in the aquarium. Most of our fish come from our local Hauraki Gulf Marine Park and we have these on display to show and educate all our guests. With our online booking system, this guarantees you entry into our aquarium just in case it gets really busy. If you buy your tickets in advance online during the week days, there generally is a discounted rate (this is excluding public/school holidays and weekends). We hope to SEA you again soon! Nga Mihi SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's :)
    Written 26 December 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited December 2022
    Travelled with family
    Written 21 December 2022
  • Clayjdar
    116 contributions
    Over priced
    Was told No cash only card payments. Disappointed as a overseas tourist as wanted to avoid more fees. Man at front desk was very condescending and made the visit start with a bad experience. Think we were in and out in ten minutes. Whilst conservation cost money i can’t see how you can charge the prices. It’s an effort to get there so in our opinion was not worth the effort to get there and pay. Spend you’re time and money elsewhere
    Loren O
    Kia ora Clayjdar. Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review about your visit with us. We are sorry that you were disappointed with your visit with us. Kelly Tarlton’s, similar to Auckland Zoo, has high running costs due to our care of the animals, which is the cornerstone of our operation. Auckland Zoo is a council-owned, not for profit entity, with significant grants which subsidise their ticket prices. Kelly Tarlton’s is a private organisation, and our sole source of income comes from admissions, which dictates our pricing levels. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we removed all cash handling from our site to ensure that we were not allowing any germs or the virus to spread to any of our guests and staff. We do apologise for inconvenience that this may have caused for you. Ngā mihi SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's :)
    Written 18 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 8 March 2023
  • slusignan
    Montreal, Canada107 contributions
    Wonderful; great displays; love the penguins.
    This is a great place to see live penguins and the walk-through aquarium is wonderful; full of large fish, stingrays, sharks. It was not crowded when we went so we could appreciate it better. We found it a bit pricey as it's not a very large Aquarium and would only take you less than an hour to tour.
    Loren O
    Kia ora. Thank you for leaving us a review about your visit with us. We are sorry to hear that you found us too expensive. As we are home to thousands of animals, our running costs are very high and we try our best to limit how much of this is passed onto our guests. Unlike other Auckland attractions, we do not receive any Government funding and so we rely on the proceeds from our ticket sales to cover the running costs. Due to the entire attraction being underground, we do not have the space to expand our aquarium much more. I hope you were able to enjoy all of the different zones we have inside the attraction, including the largest colony of sub-Antarctica penguins as well as New Zealand’s one and only Turtle Hospital! A great way to add time and value to your visit is to listen to one of our education talks that we do almost hourly throughout the day. We hope to SEA you again soon! Ngā mihi SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's :)
    Written 9 April 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2023
    Written 25 March 2023
  • Relax597254
    922 contributions
    A little expensive
    Visited on a weekday, no queue. The entrance is small but they made an effort to put conspicuous signages. Find it a little expensive at NZD45. Saw a good mix of animals from penguins, stingray, jellyfish.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 10 November 2023
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KiwiJonnelle
Northland Region, New Zealand62 contributions
Thank you! Such a neat place.
Nov. 2023 • Family
Hadn't been here in 13yrs and our 18yr old wanted to come back and I'm so glad we did, it's so beautiful! The sea creatures you have are amazing to look at and interact with, seems like all have wee personalities of their own! Our 18yr old and 7yr old really enjoyed their time with you guys! Thanks heaps!
Review of: SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's General Admission
Written 22 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Relax597254
922 contributions
A little expensive
Nov. 2023 • Solo
Visited on a weekday, no queue. The entrance is small but they made an effort to put conspicuous signages. Find it a little expensive at NZD45. Saw a good mix of animals from penguins, stingray, jellyfish.
Written 10 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
valueseeker604
british columbia139 contributions
Into a different world
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Once inside, we were immersed into a different world. We enjoyed the penguins and sea life tunnel very much. The penguins were walking around unlike in other aquariums where they just stood there. The sea life tunnel has a moving walkway allowing you to take photos and videos without worrying about walking forward or holding up people behind you. There is a wide variety of sea life to see including lobsters, octopus, sea horses, crabs, and eels. The kids that were there loved it very much. We thought we spent about 2 hours there. In fact, we spent a bit over an hour there. That's how immersed and lost in time we were .

Online admission is cheaper. Admission included a number of free digital downloads of a photo taken upon entry with various backgrounds. A very nice keepsake and memory of our visit. At the exit you can also have the photos printed individually or into an album. Be prepared to pay a high price for this though. We went for the free download.
Review of: SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's General Admission
Written 3 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tekohiwi
Whitianga, New Zealand498 contributions
A must do
Oct. 2023 • Friends
Neither of us had been for over 10 years so we saw quite a few changes but all were great. It’s an awesome attraction for young and old and so well done. Plenty to see and the cafe was well stocked and well priced. Definitely needs to be on your list when visiting Auckland.
Written 3 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Christa C
4 contributions
Fun Family Day trip.
Oct. 2023 • Family
Fun place to visit as a day trip. Lots to see and easy to walk around. Very Family oriented. The location was clean and affordable. Ask for the student and senior citizens discounts
Review of: SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium Shark Cage Experience
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ed B
17 contributions
Unique aquarium unlike any other I've been to
Oct. 2023 • Couples
Highly recommend going here. It was unique compared to aquariums I've been to in the past - in a good way!

The information and recreation of Scott's Antarctic hut was fascinating. The penguins were incredible - it was so insightful to be so close to them to observe. We saw various male penguins stealing rocks for other penguin's nests to put in their own nest - just like in the nature documentaries on TV!

The tunnels in the shark zone were also brilliant - being able to stand on the conveyor belt and just watch the sharks, rays and fish swimming by was an incredible experience.
Written 9 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yasodha
Sydney, Australia4 contributions
Just ok
Oct. 2023 • Family
The penguins and the aquarium with sharks & giant stingrays are the highlight of this place. Nothing spectacular but it was ok.
Written 1 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marissa maber
1 contribution
My favourite part
Aug. 2023 • Family
One of my most favourite experiences was watching the penguins diving in and out I could stare at them all day plus the other sea animals as well was such a good experience I haven’t been there in ages was worth the drive would definitely go back again
Written 29 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DivineNicky
Wellington, New Zealand30 contributions
Lovely day outing
Jul. 2023 • Couples
I was pleasantly surprised by the layout and exhibitions. It is different from other aquariums in that the displays are locally focused. The penguin displays, arctic Scott’s cabin and
Undersea tunnel are special treats.
A must for children as they are specially catered for
Written 29 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helen K
Camden, Australia18 contributions
Fantastic a must do.
Jul. 2023 • Family
The penguins are amazing and it appeared they love entertaining visitors. The conveyor belt through the aquarium is a first class way to see marine life. Scotts replicated hut is also amazing giving one a feel of what living in the Antarctic would be like. I would make this a must see in Auckland. My second visit and would go again. The work in keeping up Kelly's dream is second to none
Review of: SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's General Admission
Written 12 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

Frequently Asked Questions about SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium
SEA LIFE Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium is open:
  • Thu - Mon 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
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