Families from all over had weekend of fun as Macduff Marine Aquarium marked its 25th year with a “brilliant” gala.
The Silver Splash attracted hundreds of people through the doors.
Worries about bad weather and Covid-fears were put to one side as staff, organisations and visitors at the Aberdeenshire aquarium got to meet fishy friends face to face.
‘We are delighted with the response’
Claire Matthews, aquarium manager, was delighted with the response to the event, and the organisations that supported it.
Mrs Matthews who has worked at the attraction since it opened, said: “We weren’t sure what the weather was going to do and as this was our first event in three, maybe four years, we really didn’t know what it would be like.
“In some ways not knowing what to expect has made it brilliant. A lot of other groups made it along and there were locals and visitors who came along to enjoy it all.”
Pressed to give her highlight of the weekend, Mrs Matthews said: “There were so many.
“The Splash Some Art mural is really special. It has been quietly coming together. It is a seawall with a wave design. It is a brilliant addition to the aquarium.
‘The best thing was seeing people loving the weekend’
“But it was also wonderful to see so many of our brilliant organisations. Seeing them here was genuinely delightful and especially when they were giving up their own time.
“Or maybe the best thing was actually seeing people who were loving it.”
Among the many fun lined up was talks with wildlife photographer and cameraman Doug Allan.
Mr Allan, who has worked on films such as The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, gave illustrated lectures over the course of the weekend, as well as book signings at the event.
Mr Allan is a patron of the Friends of Macduff Marine Aquarium group.
Magic tricks from the deep
Mrs Matthews said she was also pleased to get back into her diving gear for the first time in two years, to do an underwater show for visitors.
She said: “We did a couple of dive shows for people. I even did one with a magician where we did a card trick and he got it right. It was magic.”
As for the fish, she said: “They just looked out on everyone. Everyone was doing feeds again, and I am sure that they loved that.”
Mrs Matthews said her highest praise went to her staff whose passion, knowledge, creativity and commitment has kept everyone who loves the aquarium going over the pandemic.
She said: “This weekend has meant so much to us all – but it is the staff who deserve the highest praise for everything they do – that is what makes the aquarium so special to so many people.”
