As a young fella, in the 80s, I used to visit it when it was known as Marineland, and even visited under the Oceanworld guise. In April 2024 I visited Sydney, and took the Manly ferry, for the first time in about 10 years, I was disappointed to see it closed. Just goes to show we can't have nice things in Sydney anymore. Though it's long gone, it was a shame to see the death of Manly Fun Pier in the late 80s, turning it into just another 'Timezone' which itself was eventually removed.
It was after a 1/2 hour bus ride to the station, then 2 red rattlers to Circular Quay, and on to the South Steyne over to Manly; way back when the Little Penguins were still called Fairy Penguins! What a grand day out for a kid from the 'burbs!
The Darling Harbour aquarium was direct competition and more accessible but Manly was the original. They did operate as competitors for years. Darling Harbour won . Sad as Manly pier had so much history.
Lots of memories. I grew up in Manly and visited Oceanworld many times. Later my sister and I brought my young niece and nephew along to it. Years later I took my stepson several times and years after that sis and I took my niece's young daughter too. Kids all loved it, I was very sad when it closed some years back now.
Went there as a child and I took my son over 20yrs later so it has a space in my memory that are still very clear and it's so sad that it's closed....my son loved the touch pool were you could handle snails, slugs and those spiny things...wow even that was 20yrs ago...Dam you for reminder how old I am 😂....pretty much everything you have covered over time in Syd NSW that have once been now gone I have memories off and been too...Australia Wonderland, Old Sydney Town, El Cabello Blanco, Lunar park many other places....
I remember taking my daughters to Manly Sea Life Sanctuary, it was a great adventure for all of us. I also remember going to Manly Fun Pier as a child, one of my great memories, its a shame it's gone or going.
I used to work for Merlin Entertainments who were the last owners. My team of IT professionals supported this and many other attractions throughout Australia and the region. The Manly site looks a lot different these days! Thanks for showing us!
G'day to you! Well this brings back memories of a miss spent Youth in Sydney, when there a few times, sad to see the Places of your Past close down though, like Old Sydney Town! Perth West Aust.
My family visited Manly in 2017 my nephews swam with the nurse sharks it was the best aquarium I’ve been to. The sea life there was amazing . While my nephews and a couple of other kids,tried to descend into the tank, a HUGE manta ray would obnoxiously get in their way . According to the workers, that manta ray had that reputation 😅 I wasn’t aware that fish had personalities 😝 I’m glad i went, but I’m sad it’s gone 😢
I remember visiting on a school excursion when I was young, always wanted to go back as an adult, but never got around to it. I had no idea it was closed. Such a shame to see it go.
My father did some scuba diving in the big tank back in the early 80’s. I remember telling my kindergarten class for show & tell. My teacher called me a liar so the next day I took the photos of him and his team diving in the big round tank with the sharks and turtles etc. it was called Manly Marineland back then. “84 was my kindergarten year.
Hi Phil, Wow!! I went to that place quite a number of times back in the 1960s and 1970s. Very strange seeing it all closed. As a child, I thought I was looking directly into Sydney Harbour and was left with the impression that Sydney Harbour was absolutely jammed packed with sea life. From memory, I think there was also a game arcade nearby. I wonder if that has gone as well. So you know. what happened to all the sea life there after it all closed?
There’s something so sad about seeing places once filled with joy and wonder so baron and empty..reading the wiki apparently not being reopened or purchased again but being demolished
I took my kids there when it was about to close down. We bought a cute seahorse soft toy that has little baby seahorses attached to it and my kids still have it. I think it makes sense for an aquarium to be on the beach. I'm surprised no-one has built something else there yet.
Feels sad 😢that this become abandoned. I went there a few times before, I enjoy it. Small but nice to have. Just the feeling to be near water, or underwater to see fishes.
Didn't even know that Marineland (it's old name) had closed down, been away from the northern beaches for about 20 years. Had a work Christmas party there once about '98/99 when i worked for Jaeger Fine Papers at Brooky, coincidently that building is now the Whitworth Marine (junk mail from the start of your clip) warehouse.
Was extreemly sad seeing the aquarium in that state. I visited it a few times it was a great place with lots of cool exibits, thankfully the marine life that couldnt be set free was mainly relocated over to darling harbour aquarium when they closed the place down. My favorite visit to this aquarium was one day tripping ballz on lsd with a few friends we caught a ferry across the harbour then went to the aquarium was an amazing experience walking through the tunnel while having minor hallucinations feeling like being on the ocean floor 😂
Went there fair few times when we were in school because it was a walk away from the aquarium 🥹😊 Remember it all so well.. it’s completely demolished now😢
Man this is seriously cool. I never got to go to this back in the day but man it's quite cool to explore it in a state like this. Been to sea life sydney tons of times though.
i remember it most as Ocean World name era yep. The area where it had the Penguins viewing area, before it used to be a different layout and instead had like 2-3 Sea Lions they had as rescues, they would get them to come out, talk about them, get them fish, tell FACTS about them. A show on them. The TUNNEL bit down below used to have that automated walkway where people could just ride it and that's how you would swim with the sharks is you would get to see exotic fish and sharks swimming overhead in those massive display like ring set up they had going. The rest of the little tanks always had the same stuff I think. Also outside and ACROSS from there, there used to be a Turtle Pool like a big concrete sea turtle enclosure with an OPEN roof so people could look in at the Turtles swimming around(not sure if you know about that one or not) Also I'm going to bet you probably came down to Manly on the Ferry and all that(it's easiest way to cut across the harbor rather then dealing with busses and everything LOL) I say all this as someone who's lived on or nearby the area for a while and seen Manly and other places change a good bit(I even remember where there USED to be some game arcades in 1-2 places in Manly in like the 90s)
I was there just before it closed in 2018. It wasn’t announced in any media as the real reason it closed down as the whole area of manly cove has got concrete cancer and is unsafe. The NSW government doesn’t want to spend the money on the improvements. It’s now a crap fight with council too.
This is so sad, this aquarium used to be one of the best around! I was fortunate enough to work there before the darling harbour aquarium bought it. I still have my name badge.
Awesome to see the boat we used to feed the fish in the main aquarium still floating at 36:13. And yes the aquarium is open to the ocean. I remember releasing sharks out of the aquarium through a gate that came out under the jetty and watching them swim away as people were swimming in the beach.
Shame ive been trying to get in recently like in the past couple of months and it has been completely boarded. I had to climb up one of the palm trees to get on the roof of the building and even the top level of windows were all shut.
They’ve removed the roof and the top level is gone. The second level is nothing but rubble and a staircase. As for the tunnel level. I am not sure what has become of it because it’s under the cove. The tunnels water is drained out anyways.
I actually have footage of the acquarium before it closed on my UA-cam channel and back then I had no idea it would be closing. How did you get access into it? Wouldn't it be closed off? Did they leave any animals behind? A penguin perhaps?
@@murraykitson1436 It's dated July 2017 and only shows the penguin enclosure which is what I went there to see so it's not the rest of the aquarium ( had to search for it myself on my UA-cam channel) .I probably have footage of that somewhere on a device that probably crashed so I can't retrieve it but managed to upload the penguin enclosure video at least
Mate do a mish over to wa and do the ruins of Atlantis dolphin park up in 2 rocks there's heaps left there from the 80's when my Nana took me and also do the abandoned power station at cy O'Connor beach in st Fremantle while ya there
1 nite in 1970s my friend and i used to sneak in there at nite and Fish got many nice schnappr , a few sharks,and rays. When they found us we j7st disappeared, and from then on we usd to get under the shark tank at the other end of the beach beside the ferry wharf ,there was a outlet so we would wait until the sharks went by at eye level we would drop a l8ne in behind them, 1 time i pull a stingray up to the outlet but were to big to get out the hole. We heard screaming as the rays woud go rite off with a hook in them, was hilarious
Yeah I was about to mention that too, Phil on his Sydney Trains Vlog channel talks so polite like a goody two shoes but on this channel he's swearing like a drunken sailor 😭
As a young fella, in the 80s, I used to visit it when it was known as Marineland, and even visited under the Oceanworld guise. In April 2024 I visited Sydney, and took the Manly ferry, for the first time in about 10 years, I was disappointed to see it closed. Just goes to show we can't have nice things in Sydney anymore. Though it's long gone, it was a shame to see the death of Manly Fun Pier in the late 80s, turning it into just another 'Timezone' which itself was eventually removed.
So glad you got to do this seeing as it has now been demolished
yes very sad, i wanted to go
It was after a 1/2 hour bus ride to the station, then 2 red rattlers to Circular Quay, and on to the South Steyne over to Manly; way back when the Little Penguins were still called Fairy Penguins! What a grand day out for a kid from the 'burbs!
The Darling Harbour aquarium was direct competition and more accessible but Manly was the original. They did operate as competitors for years. Darling Harbour won .
Sad as Manly pier had so much history.
Lots of memories. I grew up in Manly and visited Oceanworld many times. Later my sister and I brought my young niece and nephew along to it. Years later I took my stepson several times and years after that sis and I took my niece's young daughter too. Kids all loved it, I was very sad when it closed some years back now.
Went there as a child and I took my son over 20yrs later so it has a space in my memory that are still very clear and it's so sad that it's closed....my son loved the touch pool were you could handle snails, slugs and those spiny things...wow even that was 20yrs ago...Dam you for reminder how old I am 😂....pretty much everything you have covered over time in Syd NSW that have once been now gone I have memories off and been too...Australia Wonderland, Old Sydney Town, El Cabello Blanco, Lunar park many other places....
I remember taking my daughters to Manly Sea Life Sanctuary, it was a great adventure for all of us. I also remember going to Manly Fun Pier as a child, one of my great memories, its a shame it's gone or going.
I used to work for Merlin Entertainments who were the last owners. My team of IT professionals supported this and many other attractions throughout Australia and the region. The Manly site looks a lot different these days! Thanks for showing us!
G'day to you! Well this brings back memories of a miss spent Youth in Sydney, when there a few times, sad to see the Places of your Past close down though, like Old Sydney Town! Perth West Aust.
Loved that place back in the day.
My family visited Manly in 2017 my nephews swam with the nurse sharks it was the best aquarium I’ve been to. The sea life there was amazing . While my nephews and a couple of other kids,tried to descend into the tank, a HUGE manta ray would obnoxiously get in their way . According to the workers, that manta ray had that reputation 😅 I wasn’t aware that fish had personalities 😝 I’m glad i went, but I’m sad it’s gone 😢
I remember visiting on a school excursion when I was young, always wanted to go back as an adult, but never got around to it. I had no idea it was closed. Such a shame to see it go.
My father did some scuba diving in the big tank back in the early 80’s. I remember telling my kindergarten class for show & tell. My teacher called me a liar so the next day I took the photos of him and his team diving in the big round tank with the sharks and turtles etc. it was called Manly Marineland back then.
“84 was my kindergarten year.
Hi Phil, Wow!! I went to that place quite a number of times back in the 1960s and 1970s. Very strange seeing it all closed. As a child, I thought I was looking directly into Sydney Harbour and was left with the impression that Sydney Harbour was absolutely jammed packed with sea life. From memory, I think there was also a game arcade nearby. I wonder if that has gone as well. So you know. what happened to all the sea life there after it all closed?
interesting. I remember visiting that games arcade with a school friend way back in the 1960s.
30:54 HAHA i'm the exact same. Really fascinating explore and funny commentary. Great video
I was there the day before it closed. I needed to go one more time . Great childhood memories . Yes the sharks were in there lol
There’s something so sad about seeing places once filled with joy and wonder so baron and empty..reading the wiki apparently not being reopened or purchased again but being demolished
I took my kids there when it was about to close down. We bought a cute seahorse soft toy that has little baby seahorses attached to it and my kids still have it. I think it makes sense for an aquarium to be on the beach. I'm surprised no-one has built something else there yet.
you legend. such a great spot, always preferred it to sydney aquarium.
I was lucky enough to dive with the sharks back in the mid 80's, good times!
Feels sad 😢that this become abandoned. I went there a few times before, I enjoy it. Small but nice to have. Just the feeling to be near water, or underwater to see fishes.
We have been treated to a very different facet of Phil's personality to that shown in the Royal Oak video . Quite entertaining . 😜👍
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Didn't even know that Marineland (it's old name) had closed down, been away from the northern beaches for about 20 years.
Had a work Christmas party there once about '98/99 when i worked for Jaeger Fine Papers at Brooky, coincidently that building is now the Whitworth Marine (junk mail from the start of your clip) warehouse.
Was extreemly sad seeing the aquarium in that state. I visited it a few times it was a great place with lots of cool exibits, thankfully the marine life that couldnt be set free was mainly relocated over to darling harbour aquarium when they closed the place down.
My favorite visit to this aquarium was one day tripping ballz on lsd with a few friends we caught a ferry across the harbour then went to the aquarium was an amazing experience walking through the tunnel while having minor hallucinations feeling like being on the ocean floor 😂
Went there fair few times when we were in school because it was a walk away from the aquarium 🥹😊 Remember it all so well.. it’s completely demolished now😢
Wild that there’s still power, hope you carry a voltage indicator pen and are super careful around wires
I never knew it had closed, it was a great spot for us bush bunnies to visit
Man this is seriously cool.
I never got to go to this back in the day but man it's quite cool to explore it in a state like this.
Been to sea life sydney tons of times though.
Really sad is close down farewell sea life manly miss u a lot
I remember going here with my family when I was about 11
I’m sure I went there years ago with my dad and step mum, and now I live in Sydney.
Have always wanted to explore abandoned places.
Wow, I did go there once in the late 80's and took photos but did not even realise it had closed to be honest. So sad to see it like this.
I used to there in the 1980s when it used to be Marineland.
Amazing❤
How's you get in? were you given permission?
Yeh he got permission from Bunnings to buy a bolt cutter
i remember it most as Ocean World name era yep.
The area where it had the Penguins viewing area, before it used to be a different layout and instead had like 2-3 Sea Lions they had as rescues, they would get them to come out, talk about them, get them fish, tell FACTS about them.
A show on them.
The TUNNEL bit down below used to have that automated walkway where people could just ride it and that's how you would swim with the sharks is you would get to see exotic fish and sharks swimming overhead in those massive display like ring set up they had going.
The rest of the little tanks always had the same stuff I think.
Also outside and ACROSS from there, there used to be a Turtle Pool like a big concrete sea turtle enclosure with an OPEN roof so people could look in at the Turtles swimming around(not sure if you know about that one or not)
Also I'm going to bet you probably came down to Manly on the Ferry and all that(it's easiest way to cut across the harbor rather then dealing with busses and everything LOL)
I say all this as someone who's lived on or nearby the area for a while and seen Manly and other places change a good bit(I even remember where there USED to be some game arcades in 1-2 places in Manly in like the 90s)
I was there just before it closed in 2018. It wasn’t announced in any media as the real reason it closed down as the whole area of manly cove has got concrete cancer and is unsafe. The NSW government doesn’t want to spend the money on the improvements. It’s now a crap fight with council too.
We had friends who got married there - underwater. They were keen divers.
Sometime in the 1970s. It was in the papers.
This is so sad, this aquarium used to be one of the best around! I was fortunate enough to work there before the darling harbour aquarium bought it. I still have my name badge.
I remember preparing fish food on that bent at around 16 minutes. Also the upstairs used to be for the seals.
Awesome to see the boat we used to feed the fish in the main aquarium still floating at 36:13. And yes the aquarium is open to the ocean. I remember releasing sharks out of the aquarium through a gate that came out under the jetty and watching them swim away as people were swimming in the beach.
Lived in sydney all my life all 43 yrs and never been here. Heard very lil off it.
I remember going there as a kid. Looks like everything that I enjoyed as a kid, is now almost gone.
Didn't know this place shut let alone went from Oceanworld to Sydney Sea Life. Is the waterslide place gone too?
Back in the 70s you could lean into the big tank and Pat the sharks
How sad.
Went there all the time in the 70s.😢
Never been there, but remember the Water Rats episode where a dead body was found hidden and floating along that underwater tube thingy.
Hi Great great video man but I have a question is Sydney Olympic Park Abandoned or not. Will there be more Apartments and hotels there.
My last visit here was in 2005 & i got in for free. Just that i knew one one lad who had worked there as he useto co own the now named Shoalhaven zoo
😂😂😂😂 ur too funny and I'm getting the Jaws vibe here
Shame ive been trying to get in recently like in the past couple of months and it has been completely boarded. I had to climb up one of the palm trees to get on the roof of the building and even the top level of windows were all shut.
Sea Life Sydney Aquarius is now located at Darling Harbour.
Does it smell in there? Or the stink wore out year's ago?
It smells like heavy thick mold mixed with ocean water. Its a bad smell.
@@Cloud_808 I bet it would be. But hasn't it been demolished now? Such a waste.
@@ivansuzuki46 yes it’s in the middle of being demolished. But I had gone there for a while here and there since I’m a local of the general vicinity
They’ve removed the roof and the top level is gone. The second level is nothing but rubble and a staircase. As for the tunnel level. I am not sure what has become of it because it’s under the cove. The tunnels water is drained out anyways.
Omg those little fish
Their website is still up & running.
Location given out willy nilly? Um, google tells you exactly where it is.
It’s gone anyway
I actually have footage of the acquarium before it closed on my UA-cam channel and back then I had no idea it would be closing.
How did you get access into it? Wouldn't it be closed off?
Did they leave any animals behind? A penguin perhaps?
@@murraykitson1436 It's dated July 2017 and only shows the penguin enclosure which is what I went there to see so it's not the rest of the aquarium ( had to search for it myself on my UA-cam channel) .I probably have footage of that somewhere on a device that probably crashed so I can't retrieve it but managed to upload the penguin enclosure video at least
Feels like the last of us part II
Dont trash this place lads
A bit late now 💀
Mate do a mish over to wa and do the ruins of Atlantis dolphin park up in 2 rocks there's heaps left there from the 80's when my Nana took me and also do the abandoned power station at cy O'Connor beach in st Fremantle while ya there
I’d love to visit the spots in WA! Definitely on my bucket list :)
Anyone getting Last of Us Part 2 vibes?
1 nite in 1970s my friend and i used to sneak in there at nite and Fish got many nice schnappr , a few sharks,and rays. When they found us we j7st disappeared, and from then on we usd to get under the shark tank at the other end of the beach beside the ferry wharf ,there was a outlet so we would wait until the sharks went by at eye level we would drop a l8ne in behind them, 1 time i pull a stingray up to the outlet but were to big to get out the hole. We heard screaming as the rays woud go rite off with a hook in them, was hilarious
mate...wtf!!!?
@@MGFaudio we did it a couple of times in 1973
There's bums in there, be careful
It’s literally half demolished now 😂
That was a while back and I never ran into them 🤷♀️
Do you really have to swear seriously, I'm watching this in front of my little kids you know that have some respect😮😮
Yeah I was about to mention that too, Phil on his Sydney Trains Vlog channel talks so polite like a goody two shoes but on this channel he's swearing like a drunken sailor 😭
delusional self absorbed take
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_Sea_Life_Sanctuary#:~:text=It%20closed%20on%2028%20January,around%20early%2Dmid%20July%202024.