Deep-Sea Leisure has turned around trading to announce a pre-tax profit for the six months ending 30 April 2004, compared with a loss in the same period in 2003.

The company, which operates two aquariums in the UK, revealed pre-tax profits of £261,000 compared with a loss of £22,800 the previous year.

Turnover for the half year period was up 17.1 per cent to £2.86m from £2.45m and visitor numbers across the two sites, Deep Sea World and Blue Planet, were up 16 per cent, from 229,363 to 265,812.

Angel Barrachina, chair, said that the summer season had started more slowly than expected however, but that the board was ‘cautiously optimistic’ for the full year.