| Living Coasts |  |
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Paignton
Zoo is responsible for this splendid £7m leisure and education
attraction. The architects who have shown a substantial understanding
of nature and have put man and creature together are Kay Elliott Architects
of Torquay. |
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| This page will give you a flavour of Torquay's latest and we think, best attraction. Living Coasts allows the visitor to see above and below the waves where the sea meets the shore. There are waddling penguins, playful fur seals, colourful tufted puffins, sea ducks, terns, wading birds and much more. These are all housed in their own coastal environment surrounded by colourful plant life beneath a huge meshed canopy allowing the birds to fly freely. They're all at home in this amazing new environment. You must visit it! First opened in summer of 2002. |  |
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| Auks These are cliff nesting, colonial birds such as puffins, which feed under water using wing-propelled diving. They can be seen though underwater viewing areas and have an artificial cliff. The underwater view is the first thing the visitor sees but the above water view is just as interesting especially when the artificial waves comes in! |
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Waders Avocets, redshanks and ruff coexist amicably; These attractive birds are active and behaviourally interesting. An artificial beach, wave and tide machine together with grassy area makes a pleasant contrast to the rocky, auk exhibit. |
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| Penguins These are an important group of birds for 'Living Coasts' and holds large flocks of two species. The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is less active and are stand statue like. The Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) from the Antarctic make better use of deep water and are excellent for visitor viewing of birds underwater, as well as having completely different nesting behaviour from African penguins. |
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| Sea Ducks A number of eider (Somateria spp) and scoter (Melanitta spp) species, along with long-tailed ducks (Clangula hyemalis) are very attractive and will thrive in a cold, marine environment. Underwater viewing is also possible as most species feed on the seabed. |
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| Gulls and Terns The exhibit contains free-flying species of gulls and terns. The species are distinctively different from the herring gulls that already live in Torquay! We are sure they would like to get in however, as the birds seem so content below the netting. |
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The
exhibition has a strong educational theme and an exhibit of black rats
(Rattus rattus) is at the centre of Living Coasts.The damage that rats
have done to seabird colonies on islands throughout the world is substantial.
Additionally there is extensive space allocated as an educational play
area, allowing visitors to explore marine coastal conservation issues
in an entertaining and informative way. |
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| South
Amercan Fur Seals |
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The South American fur seals, will of course steal the show for most children and probably adults! Clearly enjoying the company and attentions of humans, these lovable creatures can be seen swimming swiftly below the surface, playing in the clear waters and enjoying the Torquay sunshine on the exposed rocks. They also hunt penguins; fortunately the penguins are kept in a separate area of Living Coasts!! | |||||
| Finally
the exhibition includes a lovely retail store selling goods appropriate
to the exhibit, and a superb café and restaurant
which offers high-quality food and a stunning panoramic view over Torbay.
The restaurant "Azure" will be open for al carte dining in
the evenings and for private bookings during the day. The cafe has a
wonderful ambience and the views over Torbay make you realise why Torquay
is known as the heart of the English Riviera. |
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