Vancouver, British columbia
This must-sea attraction shore deserves the seal of approval
The Vancouver Aquarium will provide salmon-chanted education
FLIPPERED FRIENDS: The dolphins are a popular attraction at the aquarium. Click here to view photo gallery. —photo by Tanya Laing
How can you visit the Vancouver Aquarium and not come away with a dozen bad fish puns? I submit that it’s impossible and I won't even try, so the carping is useless. But I’ll keep them to a minimum.
Currently, the eyes of the world are turning to Vancouver in preparation for the Olympic Games, but while the focus may be on sporting events, permanent attractions such as the Vancouver Aquarium are getting ready for the incoming tide.
The aquarium is located in lush Stanley Park, one of the most spectacular urban parks in the world. As soon as you enter the main building, the sounds and smells of the ocean remind you that you are on the edge of the deep blue sea, with all of its mysteries and miracles.
The first stop was the new 4D theatre. Most of us are familiar with 3D movies; the fourth dimension in this case is touch. While watching a beautifully filmed documentary on shallow seas and the creatures that live within them, viewers can literally feel the splash of a frolicking dolphin or feel the thrum of an electric eel. Sound is a huge part of the experience—I was surrounded by a passel of teenaged girls that were having a whale of a good time. They were infectious; I found myself chuckling every time they were surprised by a new bump or blow during the show.
Underwater delights
From there, I checked out the different exhibits. I’ve been snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef, so I’ve seen some very colourful, amazing underwater sights. And while it’s true that the reefs that are just off the coast of B.C. don’t have the same multi-coloured brilliance, they are every bit as varied and fascinating. The aquarium features Treasures of the BC Coast, an exhibit with sea life from the different reefs and shoals that extend from Vancouver up to the top of Vancouver Island.
The jellyfish display is hypnotic, with the undulating jellies turning, bumping and pulsing to a prehistoric rhythm. I’ve seen jellies washed up on shore before as well as watched them from above when out in a rowboat, but watching them in their watery world, luminous and translucent, made them seem otherworldly and peaceful in an unexpected way.
The Amazon Rain Forest exhibit with its huge, underwater world of the flooded Amazon is fascinating. In one display, you’ll find the Arapaima, a type of fish that rises to the water’s surface every 10-20 minutes for a gulp of air, an evolutionary response to the river’s changing oxygen levels every year.
Frogs forever
The Frogs Forever? exhibit is both gorgeous and illuminating. It’s well known that frogs and other amphibians are environmental barometers for the effects that pollution and climate change can have on nature. The display is enlightening and uncomfortable—no one likes to consider the end of a species and there are many of the animals on display that are in great peril in the wild. However, the aquarium does offer hope and tips to creating a smaller impact on the delicate ecology we encounter every day.
The highlight of the aquarium are the sea mammals: Pacific white-sided dolphins, sea lions and seals, sea otters and the belugas. There are several dolphin shows daily that educate the public while showing off the spectacular athleticism of the animals. Feeding time with the otters is both charming and interesting—I found out, for example, that a sea otter has more fur in the an area the size of my thumb than a human has hair on the entirety of his or her body. But I more enjoyed watching the trainers interact with the animals during scheduled and unscheduled checkups. The trainers check on the health of the animals daily, and the dolphins and seals go through exercises that allow a full physical going-over as well as training. These moments seem more intimate than the shows for the public. The trainers call the animals by name, praising them and touching them with great love and affection. And they respond in kind.
Memorable moments
One of the most lovely moments was watching a trainer visiting the belugas, which have two young calves swimming alongside their mothers. The trainer was alone, sitting by the belugas’ pool and wasn’t there to offer food or check their health. From my vantage point, it looked like he just wanted to be near the belugas, and they wanted to be near him. The youngsters would swim to him, pushing their faces out of the water so he could rub along the insides of their jaws. They showed their flukes to him and he would grab them like he was shaking hands. He would hold his hand above the water and they would roil out of the water to meet it, much like my black lab will pet himself if I hold my hand out over his head. Everyone has a job to do, but I got the sense that for the people who work with the sea mammals, it’s a true labour of love.
The aquarium offers visitors the same chance to get up and personal with many of the creatures with its animal encounters program. You can feed and in some cases touch the sea otter, sea lions, sea turtles belugas or dolphins. These programs fill up quickly, so it’s good to book early. For that experience, you won't mind shelling out a few clams.
