Bear Grylls has been accused of ‘greedily exploiting animals’ after unveiling his new ‘dive experience’ where paying customers can swim with sharks, pufferfish and rays.

The multi-million pound Bear Grylls Adventure Park in Birmingham is due to open in the autumn and Merlin Entertainments revealed how visitors will be able snorkel or scuba dive amongst the fish.

The details sparked an online petition by animal rights activist Emily Lawrence which attracted nearly 1,800 signatures within hours of being posted on Change.org.

Bear Grylls Adventure in Birmingham is opening in the autumn (Picture: BGA)

Emily Lawrence said: ‘In the 21st century there is absolutely no excuse to exploit animals in this way.


‘When the world is waking up to the cruelty and greed of swimming with whales and dolphins in captivity why are we now encouraging the swimming with any captive marine animal?



‘We should be encouraging our children to explore the world and value its wildlife not see it as a way to make a profit.

‘The experience of seeing wildlife in the wild should be our priority.’

An artist’s impression of the Bear Grylls Dive attraction in Birmingham (Picture: BGA)

She added: ‘This is not conservation. It sends the completely wrong message to our children and adults alike. We ask you Bear Grylls to stop this.’

Petition signatory Julie Kingsun Dale added: ‘He is only in it for money and to feed his already over inflated ego. Let nature take its natural ways!’

And Donna Thompson added: ‘Why is it that when we seem to be making progress with stopping animal abuse, someone like this stupid man comes along and sets us back a century.’

In the giant aquarium, which will include a giant ship wreck, there will be Black Tip Reef Sharks, Starry Pufferfish, Cownose Rays, Queen Angelfish and Lipstick Tang, as well as blue lined snappers, Guinea Fowl Puffers and Doctorfish.

Divers will be able to swim through a giant megalodon jaw, stunning coral and into a maze of flooded compartments in a simulated ship wreck underwater.

Manager James Thomas with the giant megalodon jaw (Picture: BGA)

A Bear Grylls Adventure spokesman told Metro.co.uk: ‘Dive at the Bear Grylls Adventure presents a unique opportunity for guests to become truly immersed in an ocean environment, engaging, educating and inspiring them.

‘Taking our guests from ‘observation to experience’ will generate a heightened awareness of the animals and their environment, which will help in the long run to raise awareness of, and support for, conservation endeavours.

‘There will be a dedicated team of Aquarists at the fully licensed attraction to care for the creatures day to day. In addition, Merlin Entertainments also has a highly trained, experienced and professional team of aquarium marine biologists who all be on hand to ensure the well-being and care of the creatures and their environments at all times.

The Bear Grylls Adventure has several diiferent worlds (Picture: BGA)

They added: ‘By partnering with The Shark’s Trust, we will be enabling divers from all around the world to gather valuable information about sharks and provide tools to enable divers to identify and record the sharks and rays encounters on underwater explorations by the use of a specially designed app.

‘This provides new opportunities to connect shark conservation with responsible aquariums and attractions such as the Bear Grylls Adventure.’

Bear Grylls Adventure Park and its operator Merlin stressed its conservation credentials, adding that it would donate a percentage of each dive fee to the charity The Shark Trust.



Paul Cox, managing director of the Shark Trust said: ‘It’s great for us to team up with The Bear Grylls Adventure for this new project.

‘Getting involved in proactive solutions is what conservation is all about, and we’re absolutely committed at the Shark Trust in finding new ways to engage people with shark protection and preservation globally.”

‘We’ve a long history of working with responsible aquariums. They can have a really positive impact on the conservation of sharks through quality education and acting as a connection between their millions of visitors and the challenges faced by wild animals. We’re really excited by this new venture.’

Bear Grylls added: ‘I can’t wait for guests to be able to immerse themselves in this unique underwater world.

Bear Grylls Adventure is designed to push visitors to their physical and mental limits (Picture: BGA)

‘We are so proud to partner with the Shark Trust, to highlight the importance of shark conservation, to further education and to allow our visitors to really engage and understand these majestic creatures.’

This is not the first time Grylls has been criticised about animal cruelty, earlier this year he earned the wrath of David Attenborough,

The natural history broadcasting legend criticised The Island with Bear Grylls after contestants had to kill animals for food.

He told The Sun: ‘We’ve never killed an animal, Bear Grylls will have to answer for himself. But I wouldn’t willingly kill an animal just to get a shot.’

Metro.co.uk has contacted Bear Grylls Adventure concerning the accusations of animal exploitation.

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