CONCORD, N.C. — With a splash, SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord dove into the world of augmented reality (AR), enabling visitors to “sea” the lives of the aquarium’s inhabitants in immersive new ways. The project is the world’s first to offer AR tour content on smart glasses in an aquarium setting.

SEA LIFE’s owner, Merlin Entertainments, has partnered again with Richmond, Virginia-based ARtGlass, the global leader in AR touring software, to make new waves in the tourism world, as the companies did when premiering the first use of wearable AR in a wax museum, Madame Tussauds.

The AR adventure is enjoyed on site when visitors don cutting-edge transparent smart glasses, through which they can see, layered over their real-world views of sea animals, immersive digital magic that entertains and educates. For families with children under six, a second AR experience is available on tablets, so visitors of all ages can participate.

Guests are greeted by a beluga whale, “swim” with schools of clownfish, play a sea turtle rescue game, learn a dance called the stingray shuffle, and much more. The tour enhances, not replaces, the usual visitor experience – guests may take the glasses on and off at their own pace to enjoy the augmented and traditional display tanks.

Wearable AR is now the leading edge in touring technology for cultural attractions, as visitors can view experiences hands-free and heads-up with 3D and 360-degree visuals and surround audio that makes the user feel part of the action. Studies show that the immersive and interactive wearable tech provides intellectually and emotionally stimulating tours, which is helping sites differentiate their visitor experience in the competition for tourists hungry for something new.

The AR tour also expands the current SEA LIFE experience by showcasing sea creatures too large or rare to inhabit the facility and promotes conservation efforts by showcasing Merlin’s global efforts to protect endangered species.

“Our love for the ocean and its creatures goes beyond the exhibits,” said Erin McCarthy, General Manager of SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord. “This tour inspires everyone to help keep our oceans clean and healthy for our underwater friends.”

Beasley, a rescued sea turtle, and the aquarium’s latest star, makes his first appearance in AR. The experience also reveals hidden secrets about the other ‘FIN’tastic personalities in 117,000-gallon aquarium.

Millions of visitors have enjoyed AR experiences at nearing 100 iconic sites around the world, from the homes of America’s Founding Fathers to the ruins of Italy’s ancient Pompeii. The SEA LIFE project is the first of its kind in North Carolina, and the world’s first to tackle the complexity of augmenting the ever-fluid environment of a huge aquarium for all visitors. “We believe in AR for a purpose,” said Greg Werkheiser, ARtGlass Cofounder and CEO, “and we are delighted to help combine this compelling storytelling with a powerful call for conservation.”

ARtGlass’ AR experience-design software TourBuilder works across smart glasses models; at SEA LIFE the experience is deployed on Moverio smart glasses from ARtGlass’ frequent partner Epson. “We congratulate the visionaries at Merlin and SEA LIFE Charlotte-Concord for the boldness of this project, and are thrilled to be part of another ARtGlass adventure,” said Remi Del Mar, senior product manager of Digital Experiences, AR and Commercial Display Solutions, Epson America, Inc.

The AR experience is available to the public beginning August 19, 2022 as part of the SEA LIFE Premium Ticket available for advance online purchase at https://www.visitsealife.com/charlotte-concord/ or onsite at the ticket counter at 8111 Concord Mills Boulevard, Concord, North Carolina.

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