Merlin Entertainments’ first attraction in Portugal, Sea Life Porto welcomed 100,000 visitors in its first two months (to mid-August). So popular is the new aquarium that some weekends it even stayed open until midnight!
Situated on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, the marine exhibits are complemented by theming from TAA Industries. Sunken shipwrecks and a Neptune sculpture are two of the scenic highlights at this, TAA’s seventh commission from Merlin.
Rockwork and lifelike corals create an authentic underwater ambience. In the River Zone, a traditional “Rebelos“ boat used for the transport of port wine barrels was built out of wood in order to frame one of the fish tanks and create a passage to the Harbour Zone.
In creating some of the theming, TAA had to produce props that would withstand the pressure of 50,000 litres of water. Materials used throughout the aquarium included textiles, fibreglass, cement, steel and wood.
TAA boasts representatives in Portugal, Spain, Germany and Romania, where it carries out much of its production work.
