Visiting Vancouver Aquarium & Stanley Park

In Today’s Kim’s Adventure we’re at the Vancouver Aquarium located inside Stanely Park. The Vancouver Aquarium was opened on June 15, 1956, and was Canada’s first and largest aquarium. In addition to being a major tourist attraction, it was also a center for marine research and conservation. For many years the popular orca show drew in tons of visitors but was later canceled in 2001.

Due to financial hardships from the covid lockdowns, ownership had been transferred to the Herschend Family Entertainment. General admission can range from $39.95 – $51.95 or $75 for an annual membership.

The first section we went to is the tropics gallery. Some of this gallery’s highlights include colorful tropical fishes, jellyfish and sharks. The next section we explored was the Graham Amazon Gallery. This gallery highlights some of the Amazon’s amazing biodiversity.

The Pacific Canada Pavilion spans two levels and features the fascinating marine life along Vancouver’s front door. Right next to Pacific Cananda was the Treasures of the BC Coast Exhibit. British Columbia boasts a great diversity of coastal habitats that host a large variety of marine species uniquely adapted to their homes.

At the theater the Aquarium was featuring a new show called the BBC Earth’s Shark: A 4D Experience. The show explores the complex nature of these majestic creatures’ survival instincts. And don’t forget to go to the wet labs before leaving, the kids get a hands-on experience with some sea creatures.

If your family is getting a bit Hangry you can step outside to the Upstream Bar & Grill. They have Sandwiches, Salads, Platters and an assortment of beverages. Right next to the restaurant was Steller’s Bay where we watched the sea lions.

One of the main attractions at Vancouver Aquarium are the Sea Otters. All the sea otters living at the Vancouver Aquarium were rescued as orphaned pups. Right around the corner is the Penguin Point. Standing about 12 inches high, African penguins can eat up to 20% of their body weight in just one sitting and are one of 18 penguin species worldwide.

At the Lower level of the Aquarium, they have the Frog’s Forever Exhibit. The final area we visited was Nature’s Ninja. Discover some of the animal kingdom’s most clever defense mechanisms up close and personal. My favorite animal here was the sloth. The rest of the animals were so hard to spot, it was like playing Where’s Waldo.

The Program Schedule said there would be a special presentation at this location, so we sat down to wait for the show to begin. Layla, one of the animal care staff brought out a blue tongued skink. Apparently, the skink protects itself by displaying that blue tongue. It signals to the predator that they’re no good to eat. After the presentation they formed a line so the kids could pet the skink.

Before leaving we went to the courtyard cafe to see what kind of snacks they had for sale. So, we exited through the gift shop and just browsed around to see all the fun items they had in stock.

We had some extra time, so we decided to explore the rest of Stanely Park. The 1000-acre Stanley Park was Vancouvers first park and was named after Lord Stanely a British Politician. Most of the land is densely forested and provides many attractions to the Vancouver residents. There are trails, beaches, lakes and a children’s play area. So, we took the park drive which is a street that makes a loop around the outer parameter.

Some other notable attractions are the sea wall. Historic stops lie along the entire length of the 10 km sea wall such as the Copenhagen mermaid, the totem poles at Brockton Point and Siwash Rock. You can also check out the rose gardens near the Stanley Park Pavilion. Take a 15-minute ride on a miniature Train that goes through tunnels and trestle bridges.

Address:  845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2, Canada
Website: https://www.vanaqua.org/