Underwater Observatory supporting Busselton for 20 years

The Underwater Observatory beneath Busselton Jetty celebrated 20 years on Thursday.

One of only six natural aquariums in the world, the observatory was first proposed in 1999 by Allie Scott, then president of the Busselton Jetty Environment and Conservation Association.

On a visit to New Zealand Mr Scott had visited an underwater observatory and was inspired.

The concept turned into a project and the Busselton Underwater Observatory was opened on December 14, 2003.

The attraction was an immediate success, with more than 60,000 tickets sold in the first six months.

Over the last 20 years it is estimated that almost 3,000,000 people have visited the observatory.

The attraction has become so popular that in November this year some visitors were turned away, as all tours were sold out.

Busselton Jetty Inc CEO Lisa Shreeve was surprised by the volumes of tourists at this time.

“It is very unusual for us to be so busy during winter and our shoulder seasons. We normally only see these numbers in the school holidays or Easter.” she said.

The Busselton Jetty had a record number of visitors in November with 21 per cent more paid tickets sold than the previous record.

Ms Shreeve said the popularity of the observatory was driven by the public’s love of the ocean.

During guided tours delivered by the jetty’s marine science team, visitors can see up to 300 marine species at 8m underwater.

Ms Shreeve said financially the observatory had been a 20-year success story.

“As far as we know, no other government owned tourist attraction in the world has tourists essentially covering its sustainability,” she said.

Ms Shreeve said without the observatory there would be an extra $800,000 per year in rates to cover jetty maintenance.

She said the observatory was expected to have a lifespan of around 60 years.

“Our vision for the future, is for the Australian Underwater Discovery Centre to become a reality,” Ms Shreeve said.