Aquarium, Seattle

And just about a 1/4 mile ~ 3 streets down on Pier 59 is the Aquarium.
Two levels of otters, sharks, fish hatchery etc.

A good touristy thing to do and kids will dig it.

Another good place also to duck in if it sprinkles on you.

Right in the middle of a bunch of shops and places to eat as well, so it's a good "midday" stop for lunch.

Tickets are $12, between $5 and $8 for kids.

The Seattle Aquarium isn't as big as the ones in Chicago or San Francisco, nor does it have large mammals such as dolphins or orcas, but it is a decent place to spend a couple hours.

The aquarium is on a pier along the Seattle waterfront. It offers good views of Seattle and the Puget sound.

The aquarium is a decent place for kids. There are several places where you can touch sea creatures such as starfish and even sea cucumbers. There are also some areas for kids to try on scuba gear and another play area.

One of the highlights is a large underwater area where you can look around and up to see sharks, eels, flounder, and other fish swimming around.

Outdoors there are seals and otters with occasional shows (you have to stand to watch though).

The picture shows one interesting exhibit in the aquarium. There is a circular glass tank that contains jellyfish swimming in a circle.

Admission is currently (Jan 2005) $12 for adults, $8 for kids, $5 for young kids, and under 2 free. For about 1/3rd more, you can also see an IMAX film on the premises.

Saving money:
- The Entertainment book often has a 2-for-1 coupon.
- Sometimes the coupon books at the airport have coupons or other visitor centers have coupons.
- If you are going to visit many Seattle attractions, check out this site for savings: http://citypass.com/city/seattle.html

I would rate this aquarium as one of the best I've ever been to, even better than Monterey Bay! There are so many wonderful exhibits, so many beautiful pieces of sea-inspired art, I can't choose what I liked the most. There is even a salmon ladder to show visitors the vigorous journey salmon take upstream. It is great for kids and visitors of all ages. As an added bonus, this place was included in the City Pass, so we saved money on admission. We went during the morning, just before the crowds, so we had the place to ourselves.

The Seattle Aquarium is excellent. I used to be a kindergarten teacher and every year we would take our classes to visit this amazing center. I have been to several aquariums along the northwest and would say this one deffinitely ranks high on the list.

Right down from the Argosy Cruise ticketing booth is the aquarium. It was a good experience over-all (but i come form Singapore where our zoo and under-water world are top notch).

There is the obligatory 'feeling pool', where you get to touch all the squishy creatures like sea-stars, sea cucumbers(?) and other weirdo looking things. The water in those pools are really really cold so be sure to have someone on hand to wipe off the water (on their clothes) and stuff 'em under their armpits to warm those hands up in a jiffy!

The jelly-fish, seadragon and scorpion fish exhibits are my favourites. It was really fun too, trying to chase 'em fish around the tank (with the camera-no flash of course) just to get a good shot. I had a blast! I actually deduced the fish were doing it on purpose.

Ooo ooo, the underwater dome is a great area, though a little foreboding looking- 400'000 gallons of water surrounding you. You'll see heaps of larger fish like sturgeons, sharks and what-not. You'll also find salmon hatchling tanks, otters and seals... These are in a partially-open area so try to go on the day when it isn't raining... I wasn't so lucky.

My first visit to an aquarium, as Nic wanted to see the Sea Otters. A great place to start the day after the mandatory coffee. Bought the Seattle City pass, to include five other Seattle attractions.
The fish tanks were beautiful, but the Sea Otters stole the show.

Entrance $8.50
Open: Memorial Day - Labour Day 10am to 7pm. Rest of Year 10am to 5pm

Also the Imax Omnidome is worth a vist. We saw "The Eruption of Mount St Helen: Then and Now", good for a history of the mountain area.
$7.00 for one film but see a second film the same day for $2.00.

After seeing the fish mongers in Pike Market you owe it to yourself (and the fish) to hike down the hill and visit the aquarium. Here you'll be able to see the very same creatures alive and well in a naturalistic exhibit. You'll also be able to get aquainted with the various animals -- invertebrate, avian and mammalian -- you'll see when you go out to the coast.

As always, you'll enjoy the aquarium most if you've done some homework. Before coming to Seattle you should definitely read a book on the natural history of Puget Sound. The deep, cold waters of the sound, combined with our temperate rainforest climate create a unique environment worthy of study and protection. Seattle's long history of fishing and environmentalism make us the perfect place for an aquarium along the lines of the great Monterey Bay Aquarium with an entirely local focus. Unfortunately, we don't yet have an angel like the Packard family to make this dream a reality. So come to the aquarium with only moderate expectations: the interpretation of exhibits is not the best. But the animals are still there for you to get aquainted with.

Admission is $11.

One of my favorite characteristics of this town is the accessability of the waterfront to the downtown. Only a couple of blocks from the business and historic center of Seattle, the waterfront offers an aquarium, several fine eating establishments and various water shuttles and ferries.

Let's begin with hours and prices. I warn you, the entrance fee for the aquarium is very pricey, but worth it. Adult 13 and up cost $11.00, Youth 6-12 are $7.00, Child 3-5 are $5.00 and Child 2 and under are free. The aquarium is open from 10-5 every day of the year, reduced hours on holidays are 10-3 I think. Ok, the Aquarium is home to a variety of native species such as salmon, sea and river otters, beavers, seals, snakes, squirells, frogs, puffins and other native birds, and a number of interesting fish and starfish.

Includes more than 380 species of birds, fish, invertebrates and marine mammals. Interesting features are the 400,000 gallon underwater dome (shown), pacific coral reef, tide pool exhibit, sea otters, water shed and salmon stream.
Open: Daily 10-5
Memorial Day to Labor Day: 10-7
Admission: $9.00 adults
Children: 6-14 $8.00, 3-5 $4.25
Auto Club (AAA) discounts
IMAX theatre next door