Enjoy the wonders of the deep down beside the sea at Weston-super-Mare

I f you want to find out more about life at the bottom of the sea, or just the River Severn, head to Weston-super-Mare's SeaQuariam.

Throughout the aquarium there are 25 displays where visitors can also discover the wonders of rainforest rivers.

A new attraction this year is called the Riverforest River Zone, which features stingrays, seahorses, sharks, caiman and lionfish. Displays manager, Hayley Upham said: "With any new additions to our family, we have to monitor their behaviour and eating habitats for a few weeks to ensure that they are happily settling into their new environment.

"We have also added some smaller fish to the piranha exhibit, in a way to try and dispel the myth surrounding piranhas.

"I have to be honest though; myself and the manager did have a few sleepless nights, worried that we would come in and find the piranhas twice their normal size.

"Thankfully they have all settled in together just fine.

"Our latest additions, the freshwater stingrays have proven to be a little fussy when it comes to their dinner time – turning their noses up at trout, mackerel, prawns, cockle and squid, finally settling on sand eels for their daily diet."

The SeaQuarium, originally called the Sea Life Centre, was opened in 1995 on the first seaside pier to be built in Great Britain for more than 85 years.

It also contains an underwater tunnel, providing visitors with a closer look into the depths of the ocean with the sharks and rays swimming inches away.

Live presentations occur at intervals throughout the day, as do feeding demonstrations.

For further information call 01934 613361 or visit www.seaquarium.co.uk