Königswinter (dpa/lnw) - The Sea Life Aquarium in Königswinter closes at the end of the year. The company has now officially informed the city of this, it said on Thursday in a statement from the city. At the request of the operating company, the long-term lease will be terminated. It is therefore not yet clear whether and how the building on the Rhine promenade will continue to be used.
The site was closed on December 31 for economic reasons, said Martin Lind, head of the Sea Life aquariums in Königswinter and Oberhausen, when asked. The building, which is more than 17 years old, would have required large investments. Added to this is the increase in costs due to inflation, rising wages and rising energy costs.
"One of our priorities now is to find a suitable new home for our animals, with the help of our global Sea Life network," said Lind. On the other hand, new tasks within the group of companies would be sought for the employees if possible.
The Sea Life brand belongs to the Merlin Entertainments group, a British operator of leisure facilities. In addition to the location in Königswinter, there are seven other Sea Life aquariums in Germany.
