The Parks Aspro Group, Rain Forest and Vancouver Aquarium are all vying for management of Europe’s largest aquarium, L’Oceanogràfic.

Based in Valencia, Spain, L’Oceanogràfic’s parent company – The City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia (COSATU) – announced in July it was looking to outsource management of the complex consisting of L'Agora, a multi-functional space with capacity for 6,075 people, and L'Oceanographic, which first opened in 2003.

According to the July tender, COSATU will retain the management of the Museum of Sciences Prince Felipe, Hemisfèric and public areas, while a private company will handle L’Oceanogràfic, and management of L’Agora.

The Parks Aspro Group, which operates 60 leisure parks and centres across Europe, is offering a “joint leisure” bid for the complex, with plans to raise vendor occupancy and increase traffic from both local visitors and international tourists.

L’Agora, according to Aspro, is “quite limited” as the venue is not large enough to hold big events. The proposal would see outside space utilised to increase venue size, while Hemisfèric – featuring an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and laserium – would gain “very innovative technology” aimed at young people.

Rain Forest – the company that manages Valencia’s Bioparc zoo – has said it will invest €56m (US$63.2m, £40.6m) over a period of 15 years into both sites, including a €16.6m (US$18.5m, £12m) investment for the aquarium which would see the dolphinarium transformed and Arctic area expanded. The offer would also see an investment of €7.3m (US$8.1m, £5.3m) into L’Agora, with a permanent exhibition related to the marine world installed at the site. In addition, The Science Museum and Hemisfèric would get €7.5m (US$8.3m, £5.4m) and €600,000 (US$667,000, £435,000) would go to shops and restaurants. According to Rain Forest, €24m (US$26.7m, £17.4m), would be spent over the 15-year period promoting the complex.

Vancouver Aquarium’s bid would see the Canadian company take control of the aquarium – which is five times bigger than its existing complex – and management of L’Agora. Operating as a conglomerate known as Avanqua with water treatment company Omnium Ibérico and Ket Gestión, the aquarium would take over management of L’Oceanogràfic, which boasts more than 45,000 aquatic animals from 500 species, including dolphins, belugas, walruses, sea lions and seals.

Vancouver Aquarium CEO, John Nightingale, said that should Aquavana’s bid succeed, the animals' living conditions would be greatly improved and the dolphin show would be much less entertainment focused, rather steering towards education on rescue and rehabilitation.

“We can change that, and we will change that,” said Nightingale. “I don’t know if you would get rid of [the dolphin shows] – dolphins are one way of engaging people. [But] is what they do good for the dolphins? Is it productive in our goals of engaging people, raising awareness?”

In addition to its plans for L’Oceanogràfic, Vancouver Aquarium is also planning to roll out its sustainable seafood programme, known as Ocean Wise, to Valencia and eventually throughout Spain.

The United Parks Group, which currently manages the property on behalf of COSATU, has said it will not be applying for the tender, stating the project carries a “high financial and economic risk”. The winner of the tender is expected to be announced next month, with the change in management taking place in Q3.

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