You start close to home, at the tanks of Strangford Lough's own — dogfish, rays and the shy creatures that live in the great sea lough just outside the doors. Then the colours arrive: the tropical Ocean zone and its coral reefs, home to well over a hundred species, a curved glass tank where moray eels and rays drift past, and a shark cruising through the blue.
The moment children remember is the walk-through tunnel. You step down into the Ocean Tank and the water closes over your head, fish sliding by on every side — and if you're lucky, a seal glides across the glass above you, turning in the light. Round the corner is the open touch tank, where staff help small hands meet a starfish or a crab, and the reptiles of the rainforest wait in their own warm room.
Outside, the reason so many people love this place: the seal sanctuary. Exploris rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured seal pups, nurses them back to strength and returns them to the wild — hundreds sent home over the years. Add the Asian short-clawed otters splashing in their pool and you've a full, happy day, whatever the sky is doing. It sits at the far tip of the lovely Ards Peninsula, and it's a brilliant plan rain or shine.
Plan your visit
Open every day — and cheaper booked ahead
Exploris is open daily, 10am to 5pm, with last admission at 3:45pm — and it's open right through Christmas and New Year too. Tickets start from £12, family tickets from £32, and under-2s go free. You can just turn up, but there's an online discount if you book at least a day ahead, and booking online also guarantees your entry on the busiest days. If you like it calm, the first hour (10–11am) runs as a quiet session.
Kraken Bar & GrillAccessible toilets & changingWheelchair hireBaby changing & highchairsFree Wi-Fi throughout
Good to know:
Last admission is 3:45pm, so aim to arrive by early afternoon to give the tanks, the tunnel and the seals their proper time. Prices and any daily talk or feed times are best confirmed on the day.
Before you set off
What to bring
📷A camera or phoneThe tunnel with a seal overhead is the shot everyone wants — and photography's welcome inside.
🧥A coat for the seal yardThe aquarium is warm and dry indoors, but the seals and otters are outside — worth a layer.
🚗Plans for the peninsulaYou're at the tip of the Ards Peninsula — pair it with a drive or the Portaferry–Strangford ferry.
🎟️Your bookingBook online a day ahead for the discount and guaranteed entry when it's busy.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Tickets from £12 (with a concession rate of £12); family tickets from £32. Under-2s go free. There's an online discount if you book at least a day ahead — worth confirming the current rates on the day.
Hours
Open daily 10am–5pm, last admission 3:45pm. The first hour (10–11am) runs as a quiet session. Open over Christmas and New Year.
What you'll see
Strangford Lough tanks, a tropical reef zone of 100+ species, a curved tank with moray eels and rays, a shark, the walk-through Ocean Tank tunnel, an open touch tank, reptiles of the rainforest, the seal sanctuary and Asian short-clawed otters.
Best for
All ages, and especially good for younger children — the touch tank and the tunnel are the highlights. Under-16s need to be with an adult.
Food
The Kraken Bar & Grill is open from 11am (last hot food around 4pm), with a children's menu and highchairs. There's a gift shop too.
Parking
Free car parking on site, with dedicated accessible spaces and room for coaches.
Toilets
Accessible toilets with adult changing facilities, plus baby changing.
Accessibility
Largely step-free and buggy-friendly, with wheelchair hire available and Wi-Fi throughout.
How long
Allow two to three hours to do the tanks, the tunnel, the touch tank and the seals properly.
Questions
Before you go
Is it a good rainy-day plan?
It's one of the best. The whole aquarium is indoors and warm, so a grey or wet day is the perfect day for it — then when the weather's fine, pair it with a drive down the Ards Peninsula or a hop on the Portaferry–Strangford ferry.
Do I need to book?
You can just turn up, but booking online at least a day ahead gets you the discount and guarantees entry on busy days. Under-2s are free and processed at the desk.
Can the kids touch the animals?
Yes — there's an open touch tank where staff help small hands meet a starfish or a crab. It's a favourite, and gentle enough for the youngest visitors.
Tell me about the seals.
Exploris runs a seal sanctuary that rescues and rehabilitates sick and injured seal pups, then releases them back to the wild once they're strong — hundreds have gone home over the years. The seals and otters live in the outdoor enclosures.
How long should we allow?
Two to three hours does it comfortably — the tanks, the walk-through tunnel, the touch tank, the reptiles and the seals outside. Last admission is 3:45pm.
Is there food?
The Kraken Bar & Grill serves from 11am (last hot food around 4pm), with a children's menu and highchairs, plus a gift shop by the exit.
Getting there
The Rope Walk, Castle Street, Portaferry, County Down, BT22 1NZ — at the far tip of the Ards Peninsula on the shore of Strangford Lough, with free parking on site.
Exploris first opened in Portaferry in the late 1980s, built to show off the life of Strangford Lough — the great sea lough it stands beside, itself a marine nature reserve full of seals, sharks and seabirds. It reopened in 2016 after a major refurbishment, and it remains the only public aquarium in Northern Ireland.
Alongside the tanks, the seal sanctuary is what people carry home. Sick and injured seal pups are rescued, nursed back to health and released to the wild — a rescue-and-return story running quietly year after year, and a reminder that a day looking at the sea can also be a day helping it.