A Local Favourite: The Vancouver Aquarium

Since making the decision to move back home to Canada {and Vancouver in particular}, Miss G has talked regularly about how exciting it will be to be able to visit the Vancouver Aquarium again.  We were members before leaving for our second stint in Kuwait and visited regularly when she was wee, so it didn’t surprise me when she requested a trip to the aquarium in celebration of her fifth birthday.  

Since leaving Canada a couple of years ago, the aquarium has gone through a huge expansion / upgrade {including a new entrance, a new cafe, a new gift shop, and tons of extra exhibit space both indoors and out}, so I was just as excited to go and check it out.  As expected, the new and improved Vancouver Aquarium is absolutely lovely and its emphasis on ocean protection and conservation, education programs, marine animal research, rescue, and rehabilitation remains the same.

Since she’s been many times before, Miss G knew exactly what she wanted to see first – the dolphins, penguins, and belugas outdoors!  A perfect plan for such a lovely day.  First up we headed to the Wild Coast for the dolphin care show where we got to see Helen and meet Chester {the adorable false killer whale who was recently rescued}, and after a pit stop at Penguin Point, we were off to secure some good seats in Canada’s Arctic for the beluga show – a huge hit!

Afterwards, we made our way inside to Clownfish Cove, a gated children’s area aimed at encouraging little ones to learn through play.  Miss G thoroughly enjoyed playing veterinarian and nursing several stuffed ocean animals to health, as well as exploring the ‘underwater’ tunnels below the seaside dock.

We thoroughly enjoyed all of the areas we explored during our visit, but perhaps the favourite of the day was exploring the Sea Monsters Revealed exhibit downstairs.  I’d truly never seen anything like it and Miss G loved getting a close-up view of the insides and outsides of several huge sea creatures while her papa answered all of her questions.  {This exhibition ends on September 7th, so if you’d like a chance to check it out, don’t wait!}

{How interesting is this?!  A pregnant mama shark!}

After yesterday’s visit, there’s no doubt we’ll be purchasing another round of memberships.  While Miss G very well may be in school starting September {we haven’t quite decided which route we’ll go just yet}, the value in a Vancouver Aquarium membership is too good to pass up.  {Seriously.  A yearly family membership which is good for as many visits as you like for 2 adults and up to 4 children is only $185, and since Miss G and I normally visit during the week while it’s quieter and Brad is at work, a year-long membership for the two of us will come to $110 – the price we’d pay for just two visits.}   Not to mention that the aquarium is absolutely huge and there’s no way we could ever see everything in a single visit, so multiple visits are a necessity. ☺   Miss G’s already planning our next trip!

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