Dive Deeper returns: an evening at The Deep

If you have ever wanted to see The Deep after the school groups have gone home, this is the moment. The aquarium's Dive Deeper series returns this autumn with its expert-led talk evenings, and the final instalment of 2026, Conservation in Action, lands on Wednesday 11 November at 6.30pm. It is a deliberately adult, educational take on the place, and at £8 a ticket it is an easy one to say yes to.

The evening is built around three talks, each with a different angle on conservation. Lloyd Wilkinson, The Deep's senior aquarist and penguin keeper, opens with Preserving The Upwelling: Long Term Conservation at Punta San Juan, about his work at the Peruvian reserve that holds the largest colony of Humboldt penguins in the country, and the tricky balance of protecting wildlife while supporting the local communities that rely on sustainable guano harvesting. Fiona Wilson, director of Dumble Farm, follows with Dumble Farm Conservation - the story so far...!, the account of how a struggling dairy business was turned into a haven for declining species, complete with new wetlands and a role as a research resource. Then Dr Robert Bullock, The Deep's head of conservation, brings it home with How to Save the World 2 - Now it's Your Turn!, a crash course in biodiversity conservation using IUCN Red List principles, with a hands-on, audience-powered species assessment. Bullock is a marine researcher and conservation scientist specialising in telemetry and biologging for sharks and rays, a University of Hull alumnus and former research director at the Save Our Seas Foundation D'Arros Research Centre in the Seychelles.

A few practical things are worth knowing before you book. The evening is recommended for ages 14 and over, so it is not the one to bring young children to. Annual Pass tickets cannot be used for this event, and there are no refunds if you cancel within seven days of the night. There will be photography and filming on the evening, and attending counts as consent for those images to be used in future publicity. On the plus side, the bar will be open serving draft beers, wines, soft and hot drinks and snacks, so you can make an evening of it rather than just a talk. And if you fancy a souvenir, the Deepartment Store stocks eco-friendly and sustainable lines, from reusable water bottles and tote bags to adoption packs, notebooks, pens and the exclusive penguin band keyrings.

For context, this is not a new habit for the place. The Deep is an award-winning aquarium on Tower Street, a conservation and education charity and a member of BIAZA and WAZA, with almost 3,500 fish, turtles, a colony of gentoo penguins and the only pair of green sawfish in the UK. It is fully indoor and fully accessible for all ages, with an underwater viewing tunnel and a glass lift that takes you through the 10m Endless Oceans tank, and a new habitat, The Wreck, opened there in the summer of 2025. The Dive Deeper evenings are the more grown-up side of a place that usually caters to families, so if you have been before with kids and want to go back on your own terms, this is the session to pick.