Manly Sea Life Sanctuary closes its doors after 55 years

A beloved Sydney tourist destination has had its final day in operation after more than half a century of delighting visitors.

Manly Sea Life Sanctuary opened as “Marineland” in 1963, marking a new era for tourism in the Harbour City.

Over the years, the attraction underwent renovations and changes to its name - previous monikers included Underwater World and Oceanworld - but retained its appeal across generations.

On March 27 last year Manly Sea Life Sanctuary announced its closure due to costly repair work and renovations, prompting a large operation to move the 2000 marine animals who called the attraction home.

"I wouldn't say it's daunting - it's certainly a big task - but me and my team are definitely up for it,” Manly Sea Life Sanctuary Life Sciences Manager Rob Townsend told 9NEWS of transferring the animals.

Each one of the marine animals will be moved to Sea Life’s affiliated aquarium in Sydney and overseas.

What will become of the prime water-front real estate the Sanctuary is located on remains unknown.

Owned by Roads and Maritime Service, current zoning regulations in place at Manly Cove rule out the possibility of residential development.

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