Island Bay Marine Education Center

The Island Bay Marine Education Centre, on the waterfront of Island Bay, is a great place to go beneath the waves when it’s wet outside. Home to an ever-revolving selection of sea creatures like seahorses, terrapins, octopuses and invertebrates in the ‘touch gently’ pool, it’s a real education about the kind of sealife living in the waters of Wellington. The centre is only open Sundays – and even then, not all day – so make sure you check they’re open before you make the trip out. (HOT TIP: They also have a great Facebook presence.)

The Island Bay Marine Education Center is only open on Sundays, but it’s worth the trip for an eye-opening look at what lies beneath the waves off Wellington. It’s a small space but the contents of its tanks are ever-changing, and the friendly volunteers – ranging in age from grandparents to grandchildren – are all happy to share their knowledge.

On Sunday afternoons the Island Bay Marine Education Center is open to the public and, despite the fact many born-and-bred Wellingtonians have never made the effort to stop by, it’s well worth a half-hour of your weekend. There’s a motley and ever-changing assortment of sealife, including a big beautiful octopus called Bernard and a stack of red-eared terrapins, and it’s staffed by friendly volunteers, who are always keen to tell you a bit more about what you see in the tank in front of you.