Silvergate Media has shared details of new and expanded fan experiences that are fuelling interest in its popular animated children’s TV property Octonauts in the UK market.

To engage the show’s loyal fan base, the media company has recently launched a new initiative with long-standing partner Swimming Teachers Association (STA) that sees them team up with Virgin Active as their headline partner to roll out an Octonauts swimming programme for children.

Now available at all 26 Virgin Active Family Clubs in the UK and 138 additional leisure clubs, the scheme encourages young swimmers to build self-confidence and strength in the water with Captain Barnacles and friends.

Participants work towards achieving different character branded swim badges for a variety of skills and the Octonauts swimming programme compliments the Octonauts Award scheme that the STA launched last year.  Over 15,000 awards have already been given.

Silvergate Media has also renewed its hugely successful global partnership with Sea Life on Octonauts until 2019. This partnership brings the show’s core themes of science, conservation and teamwork to life for fans throughout Sea Life attractions across the UK which offer branded events, meet and greets and activity sessions.

This year, UK Sea Life centres launched the Octonauts Octo-Glow Explorers event where kids could take part in a range of interactive activities to discover how creatures of the deep use light to hide from predators, attract their prey and talk to each other.

The Sea Life Centre in Birmingham is also home to an immersive 4D cinema experience, that gives visitors the opportunity to be immersed in a journey down the Amazon river with the Octonauts.

Lisa Macdonald VP, Consumer Products and TV Sales EMEA at Silvergate Media explains “The high level of brand awareness and fan loyalty that we have for Octonauts in the UK enables us to form the fantastic partnerships that we have to date. It’s hugely important that we keep the brand fresh for its dedicated fan-base and we’re therefore delighted to be seeing young fans enjoying real life water adventures with Octonauts across the UK.”

Besides these developments, Octonauts continues to form part of CBeebies’ wider offering. CBeebies Land is home to an Octonauts rollercoaster ride while CBeebies Land Hotel introduced its first Octonauts branded rooms earlier this year giving young fans the opportunity to experience the show’s underwater world.

Meanwhile, the Octonauts UK licensing programme continues to flourish in partnership with a swathe of top-class licensees. Master global toy partner Fisher Price anchors the line-up and introduces a new range to support each new season of content.

Publishing is also a key category for the brand and Immediate Media’s standalone monthly magazine is a top four preschool title for boys while Igloo Books launched a new range of activity and story titles earlier this year.