Hull's The Deep aquarium attraction marks 20th anniversary

The Deep was designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell and opened to the public on 23 March 2002

As a major Yorkshire tourist attraction marks its 20th anniversary, its bosses have said they hope it will reach nine million visitors by the end of 2022.

Designed by Sir Terry Farrell, one of Britain's leading architects, The Deep aquarium in Hull first opened its doors on 23 March 2002.

It is home to 5,000 marine animals, including a colony of Gentoo penguins.

More than 8.5 million people have so far visited The Deep, which was built as part of Hull's regeneration plans.

Katy Duke, chief executive of the attraction, said the aquarium had helped "put Hull on the map".

She said staff were "extremely proud to have reached our 20th year".

The charity which ran the site aimed "to reach nine million [visitors] towards the end of 2022", Ms Duke added.

In 2017, The Deep welcomed a pair of female loggerhead sea turtles from Belgium

The Deep's deputy chief executive Neil Porteus said the landmark building was designed "to stand out a bit like the Sydney Opera House" and had achieved that objective.

Mr Porteus said: "When you see that in the picture, you know it's the Sydney Opera House, you know where it's from. We wanted a really iconic building that when people saw it, [they say] 'oh, it's that building from Hull'."

He added that when work on The Deep first started, he "knew it was going to be a success. I felt it".

Despite being closed for 10-and-a-half months due to the Covid pandemic, Mr Porteus said: "We've survived that and we're stronger than ever."

A number of events have been planned for 2022 to celebrate the attraction's anniversary, including themed exhibitions, talks, readings and book signings by local authors.