WORK is underway on preparing Clacton Pier for a roarsome new dinosaur attraction.
An in-house team has been busy stripping out the 40-year-old seaquarium which is making way for an exciting bespoke dinosaur-themed area to be introduced in the Spring.
Jurassic Pier, as it is being branded, will involve a walk-through experience leading into a full special effects 4D cinema.
A start is to be made on some of the new build this week and will carry on alongside the annual maintenance programme of the site.
Pier director Billy Ball said that it is a busy time for the team at the landmark.
“Work started on clearing out and dismantling the seaquarium as soon as it closed last month,” he said.
“We have surrendered the licence and the sea life has all been rehomed to various sites, including public aquariums.
“The Jurassic project is well under way now and will continue throughout the winter.
"We are expecting the animatronic dinosaurs to be shipped in the New Year and the motion theatre is due to arrive at the end of January.
“At the same time, we are carrying out our regular maintenance, annual ride inspections and other important activities.
“The aim is still to have Jurassic Pier up and operational with an opening date in Spring 2023.”
The attraction will include motion seats, 3-D glasses, water-squirters, wind and lighting to make it a fully immersive experience.
The cinema is being provided by Simworx of Dudley in the West Midlands, one of the world's top suppliers of motion simulation technology.
The cinema element will be flexible and will allow various content to be shown, including Halloween content in October or a Christmas package in December.
The decision to close the seaquarium was announced in October due to new higher standards and rising costs.
Bosses at the pier previously said it meant either making a significant investment to upgrade the attraction, which was introduced in the 1980s, or shut it down and come up with something different for the space.
The pier said all the sea life has been rehomed in line with all the correct procedures.
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