The City of Esbjerg has granted DKK 18 million for renovation of the sealarium at the museum. The sealarium was established in 1976, so having been in service for 36 years, an updating was necessary.
The renovation commenced on 17 September 2012, when the sealarium was emptied. The seals were moved to temporary accommodation established in the basement of the former Skalling Laboratory, where a pool has been built so they can continue to enjoy their daily bath.
Two of the seals – Nelly and Leif – will continue their lives in St. Andrew’s Aquarium in Scotland, the same place where Togo was sent in July 2011. Oline will go to Copenhagen zoo, and we’ll hopefully gain a couple of new residents before the new sealarium opens in May 2013.
The renovation will be carried out in the period September 2012 to early June 2013, when the doors to a more interesting and inviting sealarium area will be opened. Apart from a new sealarium, there will also be a fantastic display on the seals in the Wadden Sea with both film and photos.
There will be no daily feeding of seals for the public during the renovation work, but this doesn’t mean that nothing will be happening at the museum. Our guides will feed and talk about the fish in the museum’s big saltwater aquarium at 11.00 a.m. on all weekdays, and at 2.30 p.m. there will be a guided tour to a place at the museum.
