Seattle Aquarium facts for kids
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| Date opened | May 20, 1977 |
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| Location | Pier 59 Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 47°36′28″N 122°20′35″W / 47.6076966°N 122.3431277°W |
| Volume of largest tank | 400,000 US gal (1,500,000 L) |
| Annual visitors | 836,720 (2009) |
| Memberships | AZA |
The Seattle Aquarium is a fun place to visit in Seattle, Washington, USA. It sits right on Pier 59 by Elliott Bay. This amazing public aquarium first opened its doors in 1977. It's also officially recognized by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), which means it meets high standards for animal care and education.
A Look Back: The Aquarium's History
The Seattle Aquarium welcomed its first visitors on May 20, 1977. For many years, the City of Seattle's Parks and Recreation Department managed it. But on July 1, 2010, a special group called the Seattle Aquarium Society took over. This non-profit organization now runs the aquarium. Their goal is to teach people about the ocean and protect marine life.
Why is the Aquarium Important?
The aquarium does more than just show cool animals. It helps teach over 800,000 visitors every year about ocean life. This includes about 50,000 students! They learn how human actions affect the ocean. The aquarium also does important research to help marine animals. In 2007, the aquarium added new areas. These included a gift shop, a cafe, and two exciting exhibits: Window on Washington Waters and Crashing Waves.
Explore the Amazing Exhibits
The Seattle Aquarium has many different areas where you can see incredible sea creatures. Each exhibit helps you learn about different parts of the ocean and the animals that live there.
Window on Washington Waters
This huge tank holds 120,000 gallons of water! It's designed to look just like the coastal waters of Washington state. You can see native marine life here, such as salmon, rockfish, and sea anemones. Divers even swim in the tank several times a day. They wear special masks that let them talk to you while they're underwater!
Crashing Waves Exhibit
Imagine standing by the ocean as waves crash on the shore. This 40-foot wave tank shows you what that's like! It recreates the Washington coast, from the shallow intertidal zone to about five feet deep.
Life on the Edge
Opened in 2002, this exhibit lets you get up close with tide pool animals. It has two large pools where you can even touch some of the creatures! You'll see life from Washington's outer coast and the calmer inland sea around Seattle.
Life of a Drifter
In this exhibit, you can walk into a 12-foot-high glass "donut" and be surrounded by glowing moon jellies! There's also a display with the amazing North Pacific giant octopus. Plus, a 13-foot touch table lets you see other "drifters" like young rockfish, sea stars, and tiny plankton.
Pacific Coral Reef
Step into a colorful underwater world! This 25,000-gallon tank is home to a man-made coral reef. You'll see many different fish that live in and around these vibrant reef habitats.
Ocean Oddities
This exhibit showcases some of the ocean's most unique creatures. You might spot pinecone fish, cowfish, flying gurnards, potbellied seahorses, and short dragonfish. They all have special features that make them truly odd and wonderful!
Birds and Shores
This area has three parts, all about birds that live near the water.
- Northwest Shores shows birds in different coastal habitats of the Pacific Northwest.
- Alcids features diving birds like tufted puffins and common murres.
- There's also a special Shorebird exhibit.
Marine Mammals
Come meet some of the ocean's most playful and intelligent animals! This area has exhibits for harbor seals, Northern fur seals, sea otters, and river otters. You can also visit the Orca Family Activity Center. This center teaches you all about orcas, especially the ones that live in Puget Sound.
Puget Sound Fish
This exhibit has three parts and is filled with fish found right in Puget Sound. You can see creatures like grunt sculpins, Pacific spiny lumpsuckers, midshipman fish, canary rockfish, wolf eels, and decorated warbonnets.
The Underwater Dome
This is a truly special part of the aquarium! It's a mostly clear, spherical room that lets you feel like you're underwater. The dome is inside a huge 400,000-gallon tank. It opened with the aquarium in 1977. Here, you can see many species that live in Puget Sound, including salmon, Lingcod, sharks, sturgeon, skates, and rockfish.
Images for kids
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The Seattle Aquarium’s “Crashing Waves” exhibit.
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The salmon ladder at the aquarium.
