• Santa delivers delicious gifts to Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary residents as they indulge in a jolly old feed direct from the hands of Santa himself

Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary today welcomed Santa Claus himself who stopped over to hand-deliver gifts to the vibrant Australian marine life who call the Sanctuary home. 

Understandably, the Sanctuary marine animals had requested delicious morsels of fish, squid, prawns and mussels for Christmas, which Santa was seen hand-feeding direct to the dapper colony of Little Penguins, including Elvis, the Sanctuary’s largest penguin who loves to eat.

After sprinkling some Christmas cheer upon the Little Penguins, Santa donned scuba diving attire and dived into the enormous 4 million litre oceanarium to hand-feed the turtles, rays the size of queen-size mattresses and in a courageous effort, even the Sanctuary’s impressive collection of Grey Nurse Sharks.

“While Santa was at the Sanctuary, he had the opportunity to witness the ongoing conservation efforts that continue to be the primary focus of the Sanctuary as part of our breed, rescue and protect program,” said Kris Lim, General Manager, Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary.

“All throughout the Christmas period, our dedicated team will continue to provide world-class care to our marine animals, in particular to our rescued turtles who are currently in our rehabilitation facilities,” he said.

Guests will be able to experience animal conservation in action at Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary over the Christmas period – they can get hands-on and discover more about the local environment at the interactive rockpool, or learn about the heart and soul of the Sanctuary with our new Behind the Scenes tours.

 The more daring can take the plunge and enter Shark Harbour with Shark Dive Xtreme, or Kid’s Xtreme Sanctuary Snorkel! These amazing experiences are suitable for first time and experienced divers and snorkellers. To guarantee your experience, bookings are essential.

What: Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary, West Esplanade, Manly, NSW, 2095
Opening hours: 10.00am – 5.30pm daily
Cost: Adults: $24, Children (4-15 years inc.): $12, Student/Pensioner: $16, Under 4 years: FREE
For the best value, combine Manly SEA LIFE Sanctuary with a pick and mix of your other favourite Sydney attractions including WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo, Madame Tussauds Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye and SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium. The more you see, the more you save.