THE owner of the Blue Planet aquarium, in Ellesmere Port, took the company private during a busy 2008.

Deep Sea Leisure (DSL) left the stock exchange’s Alternative Investment Market in May on the insistence of chief shareholders Net Ein.

The Luxembourg-based company already owned 98.35% of shares and purchased the minority remainder as part of the privatisation process.

A spokesman said it was “in the best interests of the company to seek a delisting”.

During the course of the year, DSL also purchased theme parks in Pembrokeshire and Hastings.

The attractions form part of a stable that includes the Blue Planet and Deep Sea World in Queensferry, Scotland.

In terms of company performance, visitors at the aquariums increased by 3.2% with a growth in average spend of 9.1%.

Chairman Angel Barrachina said that, in the year to October 31, 2008, profits also increased: “Profit before tax for the year grew by 47.8% to £1.9m. This strong performance has been driven by year-on-year increase in visitor numbers and a growth in average spend.

“Overhead costs grew by 11.9% due to increased spend on utilities and professional services, the latter related to the delisting of the company, in May, 2008.”

Turnover increased from £6.5m to £7.3m during the period.

Staff numbers amounted to 146, with wages and associated costs at £1.6m. The net book value of buildings includes £2.8m freehold properties and £5.6m leasehold properties.

Blue Planet opened last month for the 2009 season, and new attractions include Canadian otters as well as Nautiluses, ancient relatives of octopus and squid. Once common in all the world’s oceans, there are now only two known living species both confined to deep waters in the tropical Indo-Pacific.

BARRY TURNBULL