Housing more than fifty spectacular displays and over 1,000 assorted sea creatures it takes visitors on a magical journey from the coastline and sandy shallows to the ocean depths.

A highlight for every visitor is undoubtedly the mighty ocean tank, teeming with tropical sharks, gigantic groupers and colourful reef fish. From the amazing vantage of a walkthrough underwater tunnel it is easy to imagine it is you…rather than the fish…that is on display!

New for 2009: Scary Monsters. This amazing new attraction brings together some of the scariest-looking creatures of the deep; beasts from the icy depths that resemble giant insects, slimy and slithering things, bug-eyed beasties and animals that look like they’ve escaped from Sci-Fi monster movies or ancient myth and legend.

Another special exhibition recreates part of the Amazon rainforest, complete with humid mists and dense jungle foliage. Piranhas feature, as you might expect, and so do a variety of poison dart frogs.

A waist-high Victorian Pier display tank is another firm favourite, filled with native sharks, flatfish and rays. The latter nose the surface as if just as intrigued by the visitors…as the visitors are intrigued by them!
Regular talks and feeding demonstrations provide as deeper insight into the mysteries of marine world. Children can enjoy the free soft play area while adults can relax in the sea view café.

Ian Holloway’s Blackpool are the team that sneaked into the play-off picture at the death. Late momentum counts for a great deal and the Tangerines were able to eliminate Nottingham Forest- generally considered to be the third-best team in the division- in the semi-finals.

Like Forest, Cardiff City have always been near the top after just missing out on the play-offs last season. Dave Jones’ side were able to prevail over Leicester City in the semi-finals which meant the final will be contested by two clubs who have never been in the Premiership.Cardiff haven’t been in the top flight since way back in 1962; Blackpool had their last tilt at the big boys in 1970/71 but finished rock bottom, winning just four league games.Though Blackpool have a more recent history of top division football it is the Welsh club who have been considered the team more ready for the Premier League. Blackpool are one of the smallest clubs in the Championship in terms of resources and Ian Holloway has got them this far on a relative shoestring.While the Tangerines have stayed within modest means, Cardiff desperately need the financial boost that reaching the Premier League would provide. The Bluebirds have faced winding-up orders in the High Court on several occasions this season.

Over the 46-game Championship marathon, Cardiff accumulated six more points than Blackpool. Jones’s team were better on the road but Blackpool scored goals for fun at Bloomfield Road.

Cardiff had two double figure scorers (Whittingham and Chopra) to Blackpool’s one (Adam). They also had two players (Whittingham and Bothroyd) on double figures for assists. Adam again was Blackpool’s top man in this area on eight.

Jones has the bigger names to call on but Holloway can point to a formidable team ethos with Charlie Adam proving to be an absolute steal from Rangers for only £500,000.

Blackpool have less to lose from this game as the seaside club were never expected to get this far. If they triumph, it would be an even greater feat than Burnley’s promotion a year ago.

But Cardiff have more players who have experienced big games at a higher level, including six who played in the 2008 FA Cup Final. This should make the difference and see the Welsh club become the 41st side to appear in the Premier League.

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