What's making waves at the Seattle Aquarium these days? Aside from the playful seals and otters, there are lots of exciting changes in the air at this family-friendly Seattle attraction.
Earlier this year, the venue's new northern fur seal Chewbacca arrived. Chewbacca (or "Chewy," for short) joined the lineup in February and spent his first weeks in quarantine, as he became acclimated to his new home in the Northern Fur Seal exhibit.
Spring brings marine mammal mania back to Seattle. Every weekend in April, special events celebrate some of the biggest and brightest stars of the sea. For example, April 18 though 20 features "the fabulous, furry and sometimes funny sea otters," and April 25 though 27 focuses on the "sleek swimming northern fur seals."
Curious visitors flock to the turquoise tanks. — Photo courtesy of Seattle Aquarium
Additionally, the aquarium recently welcomed a new exhibit Sound Choices, a collaboration with NOAA Fisheries that "explores how our values and decisions, both as individuals and as a society, shape the future of Puget Sound."
“Sound Choices could not be a more appropriate exhibit for the aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of our marine environment,” said Seattle Aquarium President and CEO, Robert W. Davidson. “The choices we make every day have an impact on the world immediately around us. Our choices can make that world better.”
The 70-plus-foot-long exhibit replaces the Sound to Mountains panels on the east wall, north of the Elliot Bay Window.
May days at Seattle Aquarium entail the following:
- May 1: Celebrate spring at the aquarium with flower ice toys for the marine mammals.
- May 11: Celebrate moms of all types, animal and human.
- May 16: Endangered Species Day
- May 23-26: Family Science Weekend
A spring concert series fills the space with music on select weekends during May, too.
Sea creatures of all sizes steal the show. — Photo courtesy of Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium exists as the ninth largest aquarium in the U.S. by attendance. It's among the top five paid visitor attractions in the Puget Sound region.
Its animated animal collection has been divided into six major exhibits: Window on Washington Waters, Life on the Edge, Pacific Coral Reef, Birds & Shores, Underwater Dome and Marine Mammals. The renovation of the harbor seal exhibit is the first step of a 20-year strategic plan that will ultimately double the venue's physical size, making it the centerpiece of the city's revitalized waterfront.
The aquarium’s admission gate opens from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and exhibits close at 6 p.m. Admission fees are as follows: $21.95 per adult and $14.95 per youth (ages four to 12). Children three and younger are admitted for free.
