Unspecified/General

On the Pier 59 waterfront in downtown Seattle just below Pike Place Market, the Seattle Aquarium is one of the largest aquariums in the Pacific Northwest and one of the most heavily visited aquariums on the West Coast. The aquarium opened in May 1977 in a converted World War I-era pier originally built in 1917 to handle freight for the Alaska steamship trade, with the conversion preserving much of the original timber pier structure while inserting modern climate-controlled exhibits throughout. The aquarium's collection focuses on the marine life of the Puget Sound and the surrounding Pacific Northwest, with extensive exhibits covering the spectacularly diverse cold-water ecosystem of the region. The flagship 400,000-gallon Underwater Dome, a half-spherical viewing dome surrounded by water on all sides, showcases Puget Sound salmon, halibut, ling cod, rockfish, the celebrated giant Pacific octopus and several species of small shark. The Life of a Drift exhibit covers the deep-water plankton communities of the central Pacific, while the Marine Mammals exhibit houses the aquarium's long-resident sea otter family, a small colony of harbour seals and the popular Northern fur seal complex. The Birds of the Salish Sea exhibit, the largest indoor aviary on the West Coast dedicated to seabirds, houses several puffins, common murres and the celebrated rhinoceros auklet. The Touch Pool, one of the largest such exhibits on the West Coast, allows visitors to gently meet several species of sea stars, sea anemones, hermit crabs and the iconic Pacific sea urchin under the close supervision of attendant staff. The aquarium's mission extends well beyond exhibits. The institution operates the region's most active marine conservation programme, with extensive research and monitoring efforts focused on the recovery of the endangered southern resident killer whale population, the restoration of native shellfish to Puget Sound and the rehabilitation of injured marine mammals. In 2024 the aquarium opened the new Ocean Pavilion, a 50,000-square-foot expansion immediately south of the original aquarium that adds an enormous tropical reef exhibit and substantial new shark, ray and coral habitats.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: 1483 Alaskan Way, Pier 59, Seattle, WA, United States

Telephone: 206-386-4300

Website: seattleaquarium.org

Opening Date: 20/05/1977