Taronga Zoo

Great Southern Oceans will explore the edge of our world - where the land meets the sea, and take visitors into the world of the animals that live in the ocean. 

From the beach to the depths of the southern ocean, the journey through this exciting precinct will be one of fun and exploration where visitors will have many opportunities to come face to face with a range of coastal creatures - birds of the heath, tide pool creatures, penguins and a variety of seals!

Located at the lower end of the zoo, Taronga Zoo's new Great Southern Oceans will lie between the Asian Elephant Rainforest and Backyard to Bush precincts, and will cover the steep rocky slope leading to the shoreline and ferry terminal.

Incorporating the heritage feature of the former Aquarium entrance, the precinct is designed to take full advantage of the dramatic backdrop of Sydney Harbour.

An exciting feature of the development will be a new, larger capacity seal theatre where daily seal shows will highlight the habits and behaviours of these skilful marine mammals.

Throughout the day, at various locations, trainers and seals will be on hand to meet visitors, providing occasions for informal and personal experiences like patting a seal or even receiving a fishy kiss!

The internationally recognised Australian Marine Mammal Research Centre will be based in the precinct and a range of public programs have been developed to enable visitors to gain insights into the life of a marine biologist, research in the Antarctic and to discover more about the little known Leopard Seal.