I had no idea that there was this much color in the ocean. Wandering from one Aquarium tank to the next I stared in disbelief at the beautiful tropical colors and forms of the maritime animals and plants. How can such a color explosion live underneath the grey-blue waters of the Salish Sea? It was like being in a colorful art exhibition.
The outside of the building is unassuming as it’s the ground level of a hotel/condo. I thought the aquarium was on the ground level… but discovered that after entering the submarine elevator hatch visitors descend to the ocean floor a few leagues under the sea.
The Salish Ocean Centre does a fantastic job of bringing the sea and all the fascinating and diverse sea creatures right to visitors. The aquarium is Canada’s only one that is dedicated to the marine life-rich Salish Sea. Visitors will find over 3,500 animals at the aquarium of over 150 species from the Salish Sea.
The area of the Salish Sea is 110,000 square kilometers from mountaintop to ocean. The Salish Sea covers the Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, and the waters off of Vancouver, BC. The area spans from Olympia, Washington in the south to the Campbell River, British Columbia in the north, and west to Neah Bay. It also includes the large cities of Seattle and Vancouver.
The marine ecosystem is home to many charismatic species. These include endangered southern resident killer whales. Their population has dropped to just 75 individuals, as well as the Chinook salmon they depend on for survival.
Underwater Beauty
Explore the underwater beauty of the Salish Sea - one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world! The exhibit shows many species of jellyfish, plankton, and algae (ocean drifters) to help visitors understand the foundations of the ocean food web in the Salish Sea.
Species in this exhibit include Sea nettles and Moon Jellys. There’s a good diversity of tank sizes, but my favorite was the floor-to-ceiling tanks.
Gallery of the Salish Sea
This exhibit is home to hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants from the Salish Sea, including Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel, Rock greenling, Painted greenling, Pacific Herring, Chinook Salmon, King Crab.
The Salish Sea Center is located in the Sidney Pier Building on the waterfront in the Vancouver Island town of Sidney, Canada, in the Greater Victoria region
9811 Seaport Pl, Sidney, BC
Open daily from 10 am to 4:00 pm - closed on Wednesdays
Travel Times by car:
- 25 minutes north of Victoria on Highway 17
- 10 minutes from the BC Ferry Terminal at Swartz Bay
- 5 minutes from the Victoria International Airport
- 25 minutes from the Washington State Ferry Terminal in Sidney
Parking: Sidney has many free public parking lots in addition to free on-street parking. Sidney is surrounded by the ocean, but it’s rare to see what lives deep within it. Thanks to the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea we can look at the incredible creatures that live below the surface.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
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