Sea Monsters roars into YAM with fun for all the family

Final preparations are underway for the opening of Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators, which is set to delight visitors to Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) from this Friday. 

Staff from the City of Coffs Harbour and the Australian National Maritime Museum were busy setting up the exhibition into YAM’s exhibition spaces this week, with a 13m Elasmosaur and a 9m Prognathdon now in place and ready to ignite imaginations of all ages. 

To mark the opening, the community is invited to join a host of family activities taking place at Yarrila Place this Saturday. Activities are free, while entry to the exhibition itself is ticketed, with prices starting at $7.50 for children. 

“It’s nearly showtime for Sea Monsters at YAM and, having previewed it today, I truly cannot wait to see it being enjoyed by the community,” said City of Coffs Harbour Mayor, Cr Paul Amos. 

“I invite everyone to come to Yarrila Place this Saturday for a community event to celebrate the opening.” 

Attendees at Saturday’s Sea Monsters Family Fun Day will have the chance to interact with giant, life-like sea monsters as part of roving performances by master puppeteers Erth, take part in a Sea Monsters Story Time with Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary in the Harry Bailey Memorial Library, and even make their own Sea Monster in the YAM workshop, all free of charge. 

Cr Amos said exhibitions like Sea Monsters demonstrate how YAM is making cultural drawcards more accessible to the region’s communities and visitors. 

“Pre-ticket sales for Sea Monsters indicate we’re bringing visitors from as far afield as Sydney and Queensland, while school groups are lining up too. There are community benefits from experiencing shows like this on home soil, and our region benefits through the associated visitation,” Cr Amos said. 

Sea Monsters is a journey deep into the past, where the ocean’s depths were ruled by mighty predators. It is an interactive and immersive experience that combines real fossils from millions of years ago and giant replicas. A unique blend of science, history, and entertainment, Sea Monsters is not for the faint-hearted but will ignite the imagination of all ages. 

Sea Monsters: Prehistoric Ocean Predators is a ticketed event, opening to the public at YAM on Friday 23 February and running through to 26 May. For more information on tickets, and scheduling details, please visit the YAM website www.yarrilaartsandmuseum.com.au 

• Sea Monsters is produced by the Australian National Maritime Museum in partnership with Queensland Museum, Queensland Government.  

School groups can contact YAM’s programs team at culturaldevelopment@chcc.nsw.gov.au 

Sea Monsters Family Fun Day – Saturday 24 February 

The Sea Monsters Family Fun Day on Saturday will include one-off activities such as:  

• Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium roving performances: a blend of exquisite, interactive puppetry and irreverent humour featuring giant monsters from the deep. There will be three roving performances between 10.30am and 1pm.  
• Sea Monsters Story Time: Bring the kids along to hear Sea Monster-themed stories. Sessions are at 11am and 12pm in the Story Space, Ground Floor, of Harry Bailey Memorial Library.  
• Monster Mash!: Make and name your own Sea Monster in the YAM Workshop, from 10am to 2pm. 

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