The aquarium in Napier has been a big feature of the city for decades. Photo / Warren Buckland
The aquarium in Napier has been a big feature of the city for decades. Photo / Warren Buckland
The National Aquarium of New Zealand has been criticised for not replacing main attractions like sharks and piranhas with new sea animals as the facility in Napier faces an uncertain future.
The aquarium released its last two sharks from captivity back into the ocean last month following recurring injuries tothe sharks as well as the death of three other sharks. There are no plans to reintroduce sharks to the Napier City Council-owned aquarium.
National Aquarium of New Zealand general manager Rachel Haydon said the aquarium’s current focus was to “maximise current exhibits” rather than introduce new sea animals.
“Consultation and decisions need to be made in order to strategically prioritise spend on new features or major exhibits of new species,” she said.
“The team is currently focused on creating exciting campaigns for visitors that maximise current exhibits and explore themes across conservation, sustainability, the incredible biology of the living world and the sheer wonder of nature.”
The aquarium's last remaining sharks have been released. Photo / Kirsten Simcox
Haydon said the council was investigating options for the future of the aquarium and the focus at present was maintaining the facility.
“These options could include a refurbishment of the current facility, using the building for something else, or eventual closure of the facility.
“As discussions progress on options, we will consult with the community about the facility’s future and feed this into the upcoming Long Term Plan [next being updated by the council in 2024].”
Wellington’s Prem Khanal visited the aquarium this week with his family, including his 2-year-old son, and said while his son enjoyed the visit, he would have liked to see more sea animals.
“We were looking forward to seeing the sharks,” he said.
“I was trying to see if it was hiding somewhere. Last time [we visited] we could see them and that was why I was looking around.”
The aquarium's roof is shaped like a stingray. Photo / Warren Buckland
He said he did not realise until afterwards that they had removed them and said a sign should be made clearer.
However, he said they would likely return in the future, but hoped more sealife would be added.
A Napier resident, who did not want to be named, claimed the aquarium was beginning to lose its appeal for visitors with the sharks, piranhas and even an alligator named Cheryl taken away in recent years. The facility has also lost an octopus which was named Inky.
He said the aquarium had formerly enjoyed a strong reputation and “was the thing that you took your visitors to see”.
He said even those who had visited Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium in Auckland were impressed.
“But now Kelly Tarlton’s would have it all over them.”
The future of the aquarium has been murky since an ambitious $77 million upgrade and expansion project fell over in 2021.
Terry the turtle is perhaps the most well-known animal at the aquarium. He has lived there since the 1970s. Photo / Lynda Forrest
That expansion project, labelled Project Shapeshifter, was heavily reliant on securing roughly half the funding from central government which did not eventuate.
Earlier this year, Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise told RNZ the council would like to get a share of a new $54 million government fund, the Innovation Programme for Tourism Recovery, which could go toward upgrading the aquarium in the future.
A list of successful projects is yet to be announced from that fund for applicants who have applied and put forward a business case.
Meanwhile, from July 1, prices will increase slightly for entry into the aquarium, although a new discount will also apply for Hawke’s Bay residents.
The entry fee for adults is increasing from $25 to $27 (Hawke’s Bay residents will pay $25.50), children increase from $12.50 to $14 (Hawke’s Bay children will pay $12.50), family passes increase from $67 to $75 (Hawke’s Bay families pay $70), annual one adult/one child pass increase from $105 to $110 (Hawke’s Bay residents pay $105), and children under 3 remain free.
The cause of the recent deaths of three sharks at the aquarium was inconclusive but may have been associated with generator power at the aquarium being disrupted during Cyclone Gabrielle. No other animals died during that time.
In 2019, about 20 piranhas were euthanised at the aquarium because the facility did not meet new, tougher regulations introduced around the containment of certain species.
The aquarium received its re-accreditation last October from the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia, which assesses animal welfare at the aquarium every three years.
The aquarium on Marine Parade was opened at its current location in 1976 and underwent an $8 million upgrade in 2002, when it was officially given the name National Aquarium of New Zealand.
A business case from the failed Project Shapeshifter, dating back to 2019, outlined the aquarium’s need for another significant upgrade and stated “the animals are at risk of ill effects from inappropriate exhibit design” and the facility was “no longer fit for purpose”.
Terry the turtle is perhaps the most well-known animal at the aquarium and visitors have taken to Tripadvisor over the years to call for an increase to the hawksbill turtle’s enclosure.
However, the aquarium says he is safe, healthy and well looked after in his current setting.
