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Giant Lanterns at Edinburgh Zoo: A Nautical Journey Across the Seven Seas!

  • Writer: Wee Walking Tours
    Wee Walking Tours
  • 2 hours ago
  • 3 min read

Are you ready to go on a nautical voyage worthy of a Jules Verne adventure? This week, we travel the seven seas as we set out on a journey to the Giant Lanterns at Edinburgh Zoo. So, button up that pea coat, tighten your scarf, and adjust your sailor’s cap, because we are heading into ports unknown!

 

Colourful illuminated lanterns and sea creatures at Edinburgh Zoo's "Giant Lanterns" event. Sign details dates and website. Festive vibe.

We're now at that time of the year when it is dark and gloomy and the evening arrives earlier than we would like. So, it was a delight to have the Giant Lanterns experience brighten up our evening this past Sunday. Regular readers of this blog know that we have been long-time members and supporters of Edinburgh Zoo, and it was a no-brainer when we heard that this beloved event was making a comeback for the first time since 2019.

 


Now, we don’t want to spoil the fun by revealing too much, but we will share some highlights. As we set about on our adventure, it was as if we had stepped into a Jules Verne story. In fact, the entire experience was reminiscent of some of his books. Therefore, we were inspired to use his iconic stories to help guide this journey.

 

Our exploration starts off with a trip to ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’. Let’s head onboard the Nautilus submarine and see if Captain Nemo is ready to help us explore what lies beneath the murky surface.


 

Well, the water might be dark, but, fortunately, the magical marine life is filled with vibrant colours and light.

 


We knew we would be exploring depths unknown but had no idea we would encounter Atlantis! Now that we think about it, we should have been prepared for this because we recall some discussion in ‘The Mysterious Island’ about the legendary city, and it appears that we have come across its underwater ruins which are inhabited by mysterious mermaids.

 

 

Our voyage with Captain Nemo has almost ended, but as we start to surface, we see danger lurking up ahead! Do you see that giant squid attacking that ship?! Some people call it a kraken, but we don’t care what name it goes by, we just need to head in the opposite direction for our own safety.

 

Glowing octopus and ship lantern display at night amid blue waves, surrounded by hanging lights, creating a vivid and whimsical scene.

 

Looking about, it seems that the Nautilus has transported us to frozen lands like in Verne’s tale, ‘An Antarctic Mystery’. We give our thanks to Captain Nemo as he arranges for us to be taken to the icy shore.


People walk through a tunnel of white snowflake lights on a path, surrounded by autumn leaves, creating a festive atmosphere.

These penguins sure are adorable.


 

We have also spotted a mama polar bear and her cubs. Wow, they sure are a long way from their Arctic home! Then again, anything is possible in stories.


Illuminated polar bear and cubs lanterns on icy blue geometric base against dark background, creating a serene night display.

The majestic orcas are mesmerising to watch as they glide through the water.


Illuminated orca lanterns leap over glowing blue waves at night, in front of a dark building and trees. Vibrant, lively display.

At this point, we are starting to wonder how we will make our way home. Yet, we think we see something up ahead that might be able to help us- a ship! We just hope it’s not Ker Karraje’s vessel, the Ebba. Ker is the notorious and ruthless pirate from Verne’s ‘Facing the Flag’. Although, his ingenious use of using a submarine to pull the Ebba could help us get home faster. Perhaps we should take our chances.

 

Illuminated ship with colourful fish, coral, and seaweed decorations. Bright blue, red, and green lights create a vibrant underwater effect.

Being at sea with pirates has been a bit intense, but we have tried to distract ourselves with the amazing marine life we’ve seen along the way.


 

Are my eyes deceiving me or is that a light flashing in the distance? Wait! It’s lighthouse- land ho!


Illuminated red and white lighthouse surrounded by glowing birds on a rocky landscape at night. Blue lighting highlights the rocks.

 

As we make our way to shore, we are greeted by puffins, gulls, and a happy seal- all calling out in a cacophony of ‘hellos’. What a relief! We have made it back to Scotland.


Illuminated bird and seal sculptures on blue-lit rocks at night. Birds perched and flying with serene expressions in a natural setting.

 

This sure has been an incredible voyage, and we highly recommend that you go see it in person if you are in Edinburgh anytime from now until the 22nd of February. There is so much more to experience as we have just covered the highlights of our trip. So, be sure to visit the Edinburgh Zoo’s website for more information on how you can book your ‘journey’ across the seven seas.

 

Now that we have undertaken this Jules Verne-inspired voyage, we’re excited to read ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ to our boys, Walter and Arthur, as soon as we get home. Be sure to follow their adventures on our social media channels- Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Bluesky. You never know, perhaps our next exploration will be on a steamship.😉 

 

Until next time- Explore & Discover!



On a purple background is a photo of our Golden Retriever explorer, Walter, standing in front of Ross Fountain and Edinburgh Castle. The photo is framed in a gold circle. The text asks people to consider buying us a cup of coffee on our Ko-fi account if they enjoy the place we bring them to around Scotland and would like to help keep the stories coming.

 

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