Situated on the shores of the Strangford Lough Marine Nature Reserve, Exploris began as the Northern Ireland Aquarium which opened in 1987 to enable the public to view and learn more about the diverse marine life that exists in the Irish Seas. It underwent significant expansion and reopened in 1994 as Exploris. A new, purpose-built Seal Sanctuary was added in 2000 and is now one of the most popular attractions at the site. Holding 250 tonnes of water, the Open Sea Tank is the largest tank at Exploris and can be viewed from the bridge that runs over it or from the cave beneath. Species in this tank include shark, conger eels as well as smaller fish such as cod, halibut and bass.