An urban explorer has filmed inside the UK’s first ever SeaLife centre – which has been abandoned for six years.<br /><br />Daniel Sims, 35, known on YouTube as BeardedReality, travelled to Scotland and heard about Barcaldine SeaLife centre on the shores of Loch Creran in Oban.<br /><br />The sanctuary was the first SeaLife centre in the country, opening its doors in 1979 – but closed its doors in October 2018 after visitor numbers plummeted.<br /><br />Now, the site lies abandoned – with tanks and enclosures still in place, and cleaning chemicals and animal food left to gather dust.<br /><br />“I research abandoned places, and I came across an article about the SeaLife Centre shutting down a few years back – and I wanted to see if it was still there,” said Daniel.<br /><br />“The weather up there was absolutely crazy – it was completely flooding. We couldn’t really find the exact spot because it was so overgrown.<br /><br />“Originally, we found the gift shop, and then we started seeing the other buildings around the sides – and realised that everything had just been left.<br /><br />“There were cleaning chemicals and hazardous materials that shouldn’t have been left. There was food for the animals left, which was really weird.”<br /><br />The centre was known for its otter sanctuary, which opened in 2002, and made headlines in 2011 after having a ‘royal wedding’ ceremony for otters Isla and Lewis.<br /><br />Oban’s SeaLife centre also boasted a seal rescue and rehabilitation facility, offering guests the opportunity to learn more about the native creatures.<br /><br />“We spotted the otter area – there was a sign we could measure ourselves against to see what size otter we would be,” said Daniel.<br /><br />“We mainly spent time in the seal section – we were there for about an hour and forty minutes.<br /><br />“We saw quite a few signs of vandalism – one side of one of the tanks had been smashed. <br /><br />"That must have taken some effort, because the glass in aquariums is really thick. <br /><br />"I’ve no idea how they managed that.<br /><br />“On the other side, all the tanks were untouched which we thought was strange. <br /><br />“There was a big circular tank which still had water in it – the water must have been there for six years now without draining away.<br /><br />“The whole thing is really interesting – and the fact that it’s in such good condition is surprising!”<br /><br />A statement on the Scottish Sea Life Sanctuary website said: "Sadly visitor numbers to the attraction have been in decline and after comprehensively reviewing every possible option, there isn't a viable way to sustain the significant investment that is required in order to keep the sanctuary open.<br /><br />"Therefore we have come to the sad conclusion to close the sanctuary on the 31st October 2018.<br /><br />"This was an enormously tough decision which has been reached with a heavy heart and with the utmost consideration."
