Marine Discovery Centre

Discover the world of the lobster, and the wonders of our oceans. In our aquarium you can see the life of our native seas up close, and if you look carefully you'll spot some of our lobsters tucked into their favourite hiding places.

Restoring the balance of the sea

Behind the scenes, the Whitby Lobster Hatchery is hard at work. The Hatchery is a marine conservation charity that hatches and raises thousands of baby lobsters through the first six weeks of their lives — the most vulnerable time in a young lobster's life, when fewer than 1% survive in the open sea.

The Whitby Marine Discovery Centre is the visitor side of that work: a community interest company that runs the aquarium and welcomes you in. It's a separate organisation from the charity, but the two share a home, a team and a mission — and every ticket you buy helps fund the Hatchery's conservation work.

Many of our lobsters are released at just two months old, after raising thousands of lobsters through the first six week of their life. This is the most vulnerable time for young lobsters and typically just 0.01 percent survive in the open sea. However, you'll all meet lobsters of every age in our tanks, from six months to more than 40 years.

Come see the sea

In our tanks you can marvel at the variety of marine life the UK has to offer. Each tank recreates one of the specific environments found in UK waters, so you'll see well-known native species — such as cod, lobster, crabs and starfish — up close like you've never seen before.

We're Whitby's only aquarium, with over 30 species of native marine life spread across five tanks, giving you the chance to get closer to some of the amazing marine wildlife around our coast.

Hands-on ecologists

Our knowledgeable and committed team love to talk about our lobsters and share their stories — many of which they know by name.

That expertise is no accident. The some of the same people who show you around the aquarium also work next door in the Hatchery, carefully raising each new generation of lobsters by hand. So when they talk about life beneath the waves, it comes from real, hands-in-the-tank experience — they're marine conservationists as much as they are guides.

We're great for all the family, so get your tickets and prepare to discover our fascinating seas. And by visiting the Whitby Marine Discovery Centre, you're directly supporting the Whitby Lobster Hatchery — the charity, run by North Sea Conservation, that's working for the future of our oceans.