| Living
Coasts |
| 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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Photo
gallery |
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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! |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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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