We recently hosted the first members-only family sleepover in front of the new I&J Ocean Exhibit. And jiggling jellyfish, were the members excited!

They arrived early, bringing their sleeping bags, mattresses and other goodies ready to camp out in front of the fish.

Members could sleep right in front of the main viewing window and have their supper while watching Yoshi the loggerhead turtle, among the other sea creatures, swimming in the display.

They could also walk through the Aquarium, enjoying the exhibits at their leisure.

The programme for the evening included a talk on jellies by Krish Lewis, our “jelly guy”. Did you know that a swarm of jellyfish is called a smack? And that jellies have no eyes, ears, or hearts? The most dangerous jelly is the box jelly found in Australia, and we’re so glad that it lives far away from us!

The kids enjoyed the puppet show and then made their own jelly mobile from recycled materials.

Very soon the smell of hot, freshly made popcorn and delicious hot chocolate wafted through the air and everyone rushed to get theirs, before settling down for the movie Zootropolis.

After such a busy evening we all thought the kids would fall asleep very quickly, but they were mesmerized by the fish swimming overhead. Who wouldn’t want to stay up watching the shimmering shoal of sardines?

Breakfast in bed was served the next morning – scrumptious yoghurt parfait, fresh fruit skewers, croissants, sweet and savoury muffins, a selections of cold meats and cheeses as well as freshly squeezed orange juice and hot coffee.

In their own words

Here’s what some of our members had to say about the event

Thank you to all our members for their support! Our next members’ event is the exclusive behind the scenes tour on Saturday 27 August. Become a member so you too can book for these exclusive opportunities to explore, engage and experience at the Two Oceans Aquarium.