Exploris to make a splash and re-open next month

Exploris to make a splash and re-open next month

6 July 2016

EXPLORIS is finally reopening as a state-of-the-art new tourist facility in August — almost three years since a funding crisis threatened its closure.

The aquarium was due to re-open under its new operator earlier this summer, and although it will have missed most of the peak summer season period, the confirmed date of August 15 is still welcome news for Portaferry.

Northern Ireland’s only aquarium was saved earlier this year after Ards and North Down Borough Council approved a £1.5m rescue package for the Portaferry attraction.

It had been shut in late 2014 as the council attempted to secure funding from Stormont to refurbish the facility.

In September 2013, the previous Ards Borough Council voted to give it two months to find funding or face being sold off. A number of councillors argued that at £600,000 a year to run, the aquarium was too expensive for ratepayers to retain. 

The decision sparked an outcry among supporters of Exploris, who protested at council buildings. It also sparked a global ‘Save Exploris’ campaign on social media.

The new operator Crumlin Road Gaol Ltd (CRG) is also responsible for the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, which has become one of Northern Ireland’s top visitor attractions. It will operate the aquarium and seal sanctuary on behalf of the council. 

In its announcement this week, Exploris promised a “fun new experience”.

The aquarium is expected to maintain its strong focus on Strangford Lough and will also include many new features such as tropical fish, a shark tank and reptile area.

Tickets starting at £7 for children over the age of three are now on sale via the Exploris website.

Local councillor Joe Boyle described the reopening of Exploris as “fantastic news”.

“I have met on several occasions with the new operators who are equally excited about their new challenge,” he said. “The company (CRG) are responsible for the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast, which has become one of Northern Ireland’s top visitor attractions and has enjoyed outstanding success as one of the top three visitor attractions.

“It is therefore exciting that not only will the facility be completely transformed but that ‘Exploris will once again become the magnet that will attract, on a sustained basis, many thousands of visitors and tourists to Portaferry and the wider Ards Peninsula — something that will have a positive outcome for everyone.”

The announcement of Exploris’s new owners in February coincided with a number of much-needed boosts to Portaferry’s fortunes, with the Portaferry Hotel reopening and the finishing touches being put to a major arts and heritage centre, Portico.