News from Tynemouth
"Sea Monsters at Aquarium"
Tynemouth's Blue Reef Aquarium will be taken over by sea monsters as part of a special October Half Term event which runs from Saturday, October 25th until Sunday, November 2nd.
Among the 'monsters' on display will be the planet's deadliest frogs, the world's biggest octopus species and the UK's ugliest fish.
In recent weeks the aquarium has also taken delivery of a giant lobster and a tiny mantis shrimp which uses its front claw to literally batter its opponents into submission. The claw's striking power is so strong it has been known to shatter safety glass.
To fit in with the spooky theme, Blue Reef has also recently been given a batfish and a shoal of ghost cardinal fish!
Other activities on offer to younger visitors throughout the week include sea monster face painting, beastly story telling, Design a Sea Monster and competitions.
Interactive displays and special sea monster themed talks will provide more information about famous tales of the deep and there will be exhibitions featuring monstrous myths and legends throughout history, infamous hoaxes, cases of mistaken identity and even modern reports of sea monsters.
Blue Reef's Anna Etchells said: "The idea of sea monsters has both fascinated and horrified humans since the dawn of time.
"This exhibition will be a mixture of real sea monsters - like the nautilus, a living fossil and the giant Pacific octopus as well as stories of sea monsters through the ages from biblical times, through to Greek and Roman mythology and medieval myths.
"Even today there are hundreds of reported sea monster sightings each year and, as the mysterious depths of the oceans are gradually explored, more and more amazing creatures previously unknown to science are being discovered.
"In fact some of these new discoveries are weirder than even the most incredible of sea monster stories!"
