Vancouver Aquarium

New! The Ocean Wise Marine Life Identification for Divers Course starts on Feb 1. This 10 week virtual course is designed for SCUBA divers to hone their marine life identification skills, but is of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about the creatures off our coast and marine biology. More information: https://fb.me/e/28iHdEIGh

The Ocean Wise Marine Life Identification for Divers Course starts on Feb 1. This 10 week virtual course is designed for SCUBA divers to hone their marine life identification skills, but is of interest to anyone who wants to learn more about the creatures off our coast and marine biology. More information: https://ocean.org/marine-life-identification-for-divers/

Attention home learners! We're excited to announce our newest Virtual AquaSchool program for primary grades, 'Ecosystems Intertwined'! Join us for a 4-week home learner series where we'll explore what animals need, what makes a home, and our sense of place along with the roles, rights and responsibilities we have to the ecosystems we're a part of. This program is best suited for learners in grades 1 to 3. Programs start on Wednesday, February 3rd. Learn more and register now at https://vanaqua.org/education/virtual-aquaschool Questions? Please contact [email protected]

We want to thank everyone who supported the Vancouver Aquarium's online toy drive. Together we donated 170 of these gorgeous plastic-free Marine Mammal Rescue seals to the Downtown Eastside Women's Center Association for kids for Christmas. The Vancouver Aquarium and Ocean Wise have been doing this toy drive for the past 10 years. This year's donation is lower than in past years (we would normally average 800-1000 toys donated). Still, our staff were passionate about ensuring we continued with this great initiative even though the Aquarium is closed and we are doing online shopping only.

For those who missed it, YOU CAN STILL PURCHASE A TICKET TO WATCH THE VANCOUVER AQUARIUM'S VIRTUAL HOLIDAY SHOW! Click the link below and help Scuba Claus find the missing key to Santa's toy cupboard! https://fb.me/e/2ni8WyS6D

An iconic Vancouver holiday tradition returns in a new, virtual format! The Vancouver Aquarium welcomes back kids of all ages for a special virtual holiday show featuring Scuba Claus himself, as well as many of the Vancouver Aquarium’s most beloved animals. Learn more: https://www.facebook.com/events/2462348144074531

The Vancouver Aquarium welcomes back Scuba Claus, and kids of all ages, for a virtual holiday show premiering on Sunday, December 20th at 11 am!

Attention home learners! Join us for our 4-week fall Home Learner Virtual AquaSchool series, 'Biodiversity in your Backyard', where we’ll explore connections between biodiversity and stewardship of our backyard ecosystems. Learn to identify whales and map their locations, delve into the world of plastics in our ocean, go on a virtual beach walk through our unique aquatic classroom, and more! Programs start on November 23rd! Learn more and register now at https://vanaqua.org/education/virtual-aquaschool Questions? Please contact [email protected]

Delicious news from the Ocean Wise Seafood program. National Chowder Chowdown Festival announced for February 2021!

To our cherished #VanAqua family, friends and community. Today we shared the news that the Vancouver Aquarium will be temporarily pausing public programming after September 7, 2020. While closed Ocean Wise will focus on transformation. This was a difficult decision and the result of an incredibly challenging year. But it is the right decision to ensure we can come back better than ever, someday soon. Although our summer reopening was a huge success in terms of operating i...n a COVID-safe way, and proving a great visitor experience, the not-for-profit Vancouver Aquarium was not able to cover costs. This temporary pause, although not what we would ever have hoped for, is a critical moment in our history. It will allow us to focus our resources on providing uninterrupted care to the animals who call our Aquarium home. It will also allow us to focus on a strategic planning process addressing how to reinvent the Aquarium so that we can continue to be a beloved destination, while also addressing the most critical issues facing our ocean, including climate change, pollution and overfishing. We want to extend our most heartfelt thank you for your overwhelming support these past months. Your donations helped us through an incredibly challenging period. Your encouragement raised us up. Now, it is our responsibility to you, and our oceans, to ensure so we can remain leaders in ocean conservation, research, education and animal care, well into the future. So this isn’t goodbye, but simply ‘sea’ you later (better than ever before). With love, your Vancouver Aquarium family. To learn more visit Vanaqua.org/transformation

Joey had his first "meep and greet" playdate with Tazlina today. Taz is a young rescued female sea otter who has called Vancouver Aquarium home since last year. She was rescued from Alaska’s Anchor Point as a newborn in April of 2019. Taz is very energetic and and enjoys high energy play. This was her first time meeting a sea otter pup and she was very interested in grooming Joey and playing with toys. #JoeyTheOtter

Our newest Vancouver Whitecaps FC #vanaqua face masks have arrived! Introducing the nicest ugly face mask on the market. Ugly sweater season is upon us Do the socially responsible thing and get a mask to match Oh yeah, and help #SaveVancouverAquarium in the process. Buy online: https://fal.cn/3bpqQ #VWFC #ItTakesAVillage #ThankYou

Happy #WorldJellyfishDay! These ocean beauties have no brains, no bones, no fins and are 96% water. There are many different species ranging in size from 2 millimetres to more than 36 metres in length!

We know it's stressful out there right now. Take a break and watch our relaxing jelly cam: https://youtu.be/niIAOFYIsRs

Congratulations to veterinarians Dr. Karisa Tang and Dr. Justin Rosenberg on successfully passing their board exams and becoming recognized specialists as Diplomates of the American College of Zoological Medicine. Both Dr. Tang and Dr. Rosenberg are alumni of our Vancouver Aquarium Veterinary Fellowship program. This is a huge achievement and we are incredibly proud of these two and so happy that our facility could play a role in making this happen. #vanaquafamily

Happy Halloween! Rescued sea otters Katmai, Kunik, Taz and Mak had an exciting Halloween themed enrichment session fish-or-treating for colourful ice treats filled with clams and squid. Ice treats are very enriching for otters, and chewing on them also helps to clean their teeth. Every day our incredible animal care team continues to find new and interesting ways to keep the animals happy and healthy. We may be closed, but animal care never stops. #JoeyTheOtter #pupdate

Happy Halloween! Joey the rescued sea otter pup and Big Brother Mak had an exciting Halloween themed enrichment session fish-or-treating for colourful ice treats filled with clams and squid. Ice treats are very enriching for otters, and chewing on them also helps to clean their teeth. Every day our incredible animal care team continues to find new and interesting ways to keep the animals happy and healthy. We may be closed, but animal care never stops. #JoeyTheOtter #pupdate

Happy Halloween! Joey the rescued sea otter had an exciting Halloween themed enrichment session with ice treats and pumpkins. Ice treats are very enriching for otters, and chewing on them also helps to clean their teeth. Every day our incredible animal care team continues to find new and interesting ways to keep the animals happy and healthy. We may be closed, but animal care never stops. #JoeyTheOtter #pupdate

We are LOVING this otter costume featuring one of our sea otter face masks! Do you have an ocean-themed costume? We'd love to see - share your photos in the comments! https://fal.cn/3bh6P

Little Joey made a new friend! He was recently introduced to Mak, a 4 year old rescued otter who has called the Aquarium home since 2016. The two got along swimmingly, and have been having play dates daily. #JoeyTheOtter

For World Kindness Day think of baby sea otter Joey https://fal.cn/3bfeD

Today is our 7 year dart-versary! As someone who cares deeply about the conservation and welfare of marine mammals, it may sound strange to hear that on October 24, 2013, our head veterinarian Dr. Martin Haulena aimed the crosshairs of a gun at a sea lion and pulled the trigger. But it’s not what you might be thinking, the gun was loaded with tranquilizing darts, and Dr. Haulena’s mission was to save helpless marine mammals painfully entangled in deadly marine plastic. After ...the tranquilizer kicked in the sea lion was successfully cut free from the plastic and given a second chance at life. To date, in collaboration with DFO, our Marine Mammal Rescue Centre team has successfully disentangled 26 sea lions and 2 harbour seals. Marine #PlasticPollution has increased tenfold since 1980, affecting over 800 animal species. Ocean Wise is fighting hard to put an end to plastics in the ocean, and save animals entangled in it. Each rescue is very challenging and expensive, and as a non-profit organization we are dependent on the generosity of our donors. Every donation, no matter what size, will help support animal rescues. https://fal.cn/3b8PX Thank you for being the heroes that our animals need at this critical time.

A huge thank you to everyone around the world who has supported us by purchasing a Joey face mask! https://fal.cn/3aYEL

It's Veterinary Technician Week! Veterinary technicians are an indispensable part of any veterinary medical team, but nowhere more than at the Vancouver Aquarium. We’re incredibly lucky to have a dedicated team of exceptional vet techs. They care selflessly for the animals at the Aquarium and at our Marine Mammal Rescue Centre so we can provide the cutting-edge, world-class veterinary care we’re so proud of. We may be temporarily closed but animal care never stops.

CTV coverage of Joey and his new Vancouver Whitecaps FC face mask! Watch now: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/new-face-masks-feature-rescued-baby-o Do you have yours yet? https://vanaquashop.org/vancouver-aquarium-whitecaps-non-m/

It was a big day for little Joey yesterday! After months of rehabilitation under the care of our Marine Mammal Rescue Centre staff, he was introduced to one of the other Aquarium otters for the first time. Kunik (4 year old female otter) was picked to buddy up with little Joey and the two have been getting along swimmingly ever since. You can watch the two of them live on Joey TV: https://www.vanaqua.org/babyotter ... and don't forget to pick up your Vancouver Whitecaps FC x Vancouver Aquarium limited edition Joey face mask! https://vanaquashop.org/vancouver-aquarium-whitecaps-non-me