To mark the return of our Days Out column, Rachel Lacy visited Hull's new £45 million attraction, The Deep

DESCRIBED as the world's first Submarium, The Deep is a blockbusting Millennium project which cost a mind-boggling £45.5 million to build and has attracted huge media interest and crowds since it opened recently.

Certainly it had more than enough visitors on the day we arrived, judging by the reaction of the parking attendant: he told us it would be a two-hour wait before we could even park our car.

We went for something to eat and arrived back shortly after 2pm, driving straight in to the small car park, which, unlike the large one, is free. By then, there were no queues to get in to the building.

The Submarium, which is built to look like a ship, traces the history of the oceans from the big bang to the present and into the future.

It is intended to develop a greater knowledge of the oceans and their secrets in a fun and entertaining way, creating a deeper understanding of the need to protect the seas for future generations.

Visitors walk along a time-line represented by markers on a silver hand rail, getting static shocks as they run their hands along. The rail threads back and forth, steadily downwards, with accompanying interactive exhibits (most of which work) and a jellyfish display (most of which are still alive).

There is an amazing, eerily-lit ten-metre high wall that looks like a cross section of a rock face, filled with fossils both flat and jutting out. This is an eye-catching feature, very impressive when you stand 20 feet below the skeleton of a giant turtle emerging from the cliff.

The exhibition of piscine life focusses on coral reefs, with the deepest tank in Europe occupied by seven species of sharks and thousands of other fish. Round the side of the tank, at various levels, there are windows with children and adults peering through, mainly waiting for a glimpse for one of the big fishes, such as a Brown Banded Bamboo Shark, an Ornate Wobbegong or a Zebra Shark.

It was a shame for the children that the close-up pool which will allow intimate inspection of some species was still empty when we went.

The very bottom of The Deep brought us to Deep Blue One, a futuristic research station on the ocean floor, bristling with interactive experiments and computer simulators. The chance to become the pilot of a submarine or plan the research station's energy needs is hard to resist for most adults, never mind the kids.

All-in-all, The Deep is an enjoyable day out. While for the adults this new attraction doesn't quite live up to the media frenzy, the children loved it.

Fact file:

Times: 10am-6pm (last admission 5pm). Closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Visits may be restricted to two hours when busy.

Admission: Introductory price: adults £6 (season ticket £18), children (16 and under) £4 (under threes free), family of five (two adults and three children) £18 (season ticket £60), concessions £12. For advance tickets 01482 381091.

Address: The Deep, Hull HU1 4DP.

Directions: At the mouth of the river Hull, on road to ferry terminal - it's easier just to follow the brown tourist signs, or check the instructions on the website.

Telephone: 01482 381000.

Fax: 01482 381010.

Email: info@thedeep.co.uk

Website: www.thedeep.co.uk

Disabled access: Wheelchair and pushchair access to all public areas. Basic signing available on request. Guide dogs allowed.

Updated: 16:10 Friday, April 19, 2002