Mull Aquarium

29/05/2025

I just want to say thankyou to all of our amazing staff, volunteers, fishermen and of course all of you lovely visitors that have supported us over the years ❤️ it's been a fantastic journey for us. Thank-you ❤️

🦀MULL AQUARIUM UPDATE

It is with a heavy heart that Tobermory Harbour Association (THA) announces its decision not to proceed with the reopening of Mull Aquarium. This was a deeply difficult decision, but after spending the past 17 months working diligently to deliver a new bespoke building, the THA board have now reached the conclusion that it is unaffordable in the current climate.

We understand how disappointing this news is, so be assured we didn’t go into this move with the intention not to deliver. The process has been challenging; planning permission took longer than expected, with an objection from SEPA to overcome. However, we did move forward this year, with Topographical and Environmental assessments being carried out on site, and the building warrant submitted for approval. Nevertheless, with a final costing exercise carried out by the Quantity Surveyor, the build was coming in at an estimated £1.04 million and, even with drastic cuts to the specification, the build is not feasible with current funding constraints. The current grant funding landscape is highly competitive, and with operational costs rising, our ability to raise the necessary funds is not possible at this time. As a result, THA has decided that it needs to consolidate and focus on our core mission of looking after the Harbour and maintaining its current assets.

We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the staff and volunteers who have contributed to Mull Aquarium over the years. Your knowledge and enthusiasm were what made the aquarium so special. We would also like to thank all our visitors, local families, schools, fishermen, divers and funders, for their support.

THA remains committed to its environmental goals, and we will now be exploring other ways to monitor & protect our amazing local marine life, that align with our mission and vision.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Any further questions can be directed to [email protected]

21/05/2025

The Drift Bottle. This is an amazing story that starts way back in March, when Aquarium manager, Grace, and her 4 year old found 'treasure' at the Flat rock, Glengorm, on the Isle of Mull. The treasure was actually a Canadian beer bottle with a message inside, it turned out this bottle had been dropped into the sea 13 (!) years ago.
"This bottle was part of a group of 21 bottles launched together into the Labrador Sea from the Canadian Coast Guard ship the CCGS Louis S St-Laurent during the summer of 2012. The ship was on its way north into the Arctic for oceanographic research and this was a fun addition to the program. This bottle in particular was launched by the helicopter pilot." Sarah Zimmermann - Oceanographer, Science,
Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Only 5 of the 21 bottle launched have been found, the sites they were found are marked on the map, along with their most likely routes across the Atlantic.

Below is the official record of the launch with the recovery information:

Bottle 2012-LSSL-021
Launched 23-Jul-2012 60 23.5 North 58 30.5 West
Found 16-Mar-2025 56 38.48 North 6 10.95 West
Afloat (at most) 13 years
Most direct path:
2727 nm (5051 km) at an average speed of 0.02 knt (1.1 km/day, 1.3 cm/s)
With a big extra loop:
10,402 nm (19,265 km) at an average speed of 0.09 knt (4.2 km/day)

The other bottles dropped in this group, travelled approx. 0.23 knt (10 km/day).

15/05/2025

Such a beautiful boat, and a fantastic opportunity for people to look aboard. I'll be heading down this afternoon for a look 👍

🇫🇷 Welcome to Tobermory 'FS Etoile' who are staying with us for the next 4 days.

She was built in 1932 for the École navale as a training vessel and still used for this purpose today.

Anybody wishing to have a look around this beautiful Skooner are welcome aboard during these hours only

10am - 12pm / 2pm - 5pm

As always, please take note of the Harbour signage whilst on the pontoons.

We wish all aboard an enjoyable stay!

30/04/2025

I am probably a bit late to this trend, but I still had fun! I kind of want one of these dolls for real now 😅

29/04/2025

It was great to see the town so busy today! 👑

23/04/2025

Would you hold a starfish this big? These Spiny Starfish can grow to around 70cm across and can look quite daunting when covered in spines, but unless you're an unsuspecting sea snail, they are quite harmless. ⭐️

19/04/2025

Two years ago today! We cant wait to start seeing Jellies in Tobermory Bay again :D
🐣🥚

17/04/2025

Did you know Jellyfish have been on planet Earth for at least 500 million years! The jellyfish in the video are Moon Jellyfish, a common visitor to our waters in the warmer months 🪼

15/04/2025

Mull Aquarium needs YOU! 🫵 Got a free moment this holiday, pick up a pencil and show us what you would like to see in the new aquarium. Do you want a Jellyfish zone, a fish shaped colouring table, a boat climbing frame? Let us know, we would love to see you drawings and ideas!
🥚🐣

14/04/2025

You know the season has officially started when Proffessor plankton is back! 🥰 Day one and he's already caught some fantastic planton!
🐣🥚

13/04/2025

We saw a fantastic Barrel Jelly in Tobermory Harbour yesterday, so thought we should re-share our Jellyfish ID Guide 🪼💙 Have you spotted any Jellies yet this year?
🥚🐣

12/04/2025

Would you hold an animal with 8 legs?
This is a Long-Legged Spider Crab, their body only grows to about 1cm across. They like to camoflage themselves by attaching seaweed to their legs and shell, giving them a fluffy appearence.
🐣🥚