Downtown Vancouver Favourites: Vancouver Aquarium

I lived in Vancouver for nine years before moving to the East Coast. My husband was born and raised in Montreal but lived in Vancouver with me for almost four years during the early part of our marriage. I consider Vancouver as my home city in Canada and for my husband, it is his second home. Now, we have a new home in Ottawa.

Our son was born in Ottawa and frequently visits Montreal with us. However, Vancouver, for him, is something unfamiliar and far away.

When we took him there when he was a still a toddler, we made sure that we brought him to some of our favourite places. On some trips, it was just the three of us, and on some, with my family in Vancouver.

I am sure that our son will not remember everything, but there will be plenty of opportunities to go back and rediscover the city I that I have come to love (and greatly miss).

We visited the mountain resort in Whistler and falls in Squamish, hiked and crossed hanging bridges in Capilano and Lynn Valley in Vancouver’s North Shore, went on rides and walked along the lake in Chilliwack, and wandered around a park in Abbotsford.

In downtown Vancouver, we brought him to kid-friendly attractions, along with his second cousins, and we, the adults, got the chance to once again enjoy these places we had overlooked for years. We realized you can never be too old for these things.

Vancouver Aquarium

The Vancouver Aquarium is the largest in Canada. With over 65,000 aquatic (and even some non-aquatic) animals on display across 120 indoor and outdoor exhibits showcasing different habitats, from local Canadian waters to tropical coral reefs, to Amazon rainforests and beyond, this certainly appealed to three impressionable toddlers (my son and my cousin’s two daughters, aged 6, 5, and 4 at that time).

They had fun participating in the Steller sea lion training sessions and didn’t mind getting splashed. They watched the feeding of the adorable and playful sea otters as they chowed down on ice and snacked on seafood, while displaying their somersault antics. They were mesmerized by the other-worldly charm of a myriad of jellyfish as they floated and glowed. The translucent moon jellies and the Pacific nettles with their long tentacles inspired “oohs” and “ahs.”

They followed a professional diver as he plunged into the two-level massive tank at the Pacific Canada Pavilion to feed the fish and other marine animals that inhabit that Strait of Georgia – Coho salmon, Pacific sturgeons, Canary rockfish, octopus, and crabs. They cheered as the fish clustered around the diver to get their meals. At the Wet Lab, they experienced some close encounters with resilient sea cucumbers and prickly urchins through interactive play.

The most enjoyable and most meaningful activity, we thought, was the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre exhibit role play.

The Vancouver Aquarium provides sanctuary to rescued marine mammals, including seals, sea lions, and otters that have been deemed too distressed and/or non-releasable. The centre rehabilitates them for release back to local waters, unless their injuries are too severe, or they were orphaned too young to fend for themselves. It is the only facility of its kind in Canada and one of the largest rescue facilities in the world.

At the time of our visit, there was an activity centre where kids could engage in “rescue missions” by driving a stationary rescue boat, choosing an animal to “rescue,” and providing it with the care it needs by following the guidelines.

Our little boy picked a cute Harbour seal and named him Spotty. Harbour seals are nicknamed “Dalmatians of the sea” because of their distinctive black spots. He had to weigh him, diagnose its illness, give it food and medication, cuddle with him in a corner and read him a story, assist in its “rehabilitation,” and finally release it in the wild. Our nieces each took a sea lion and did the same thing.

The activity not only stimulated their nurturing instincts, but also inspired kindness, empathy, and compassion for our wildlife. It also helped them understand the importance of marine conservation and encouraged problem-solving and teamwork.

At the end of our visit, they each took home marine animal stuffies as a reminder that we have roles to play to protect our environment and our fellow creatures.

And speaking of animal protection, it is with mixed feelings that I reminisce about meeting the aquarium’s last two resident beluga whales. When we were there in the summer of 2016, the mother-and-daughter tandem of Aurora (30-years-old that time) and Qila (21-years-old that time) regaled us with their water antics. They had been residing at the aquarium for more than 20 years. Aurora was rescued in 1990 and Qila was the first beluga to be born in captivity in Canada in 1995.

Sadly, in November of that same year, both whales died within nine days of each other. An investigation determined that the devastating deaths were caused by an “unknown toxin” potentially introduced by food, water, or human interference, though the exact substance was not identified.

This sparked a public outcry followed by intense public debate and heavy criticism from animal welfare groups. The Vancouver Park Board unanimously voted to end the practice of holding cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) in captivity.

This was truly sad and it got me thinking. I grew up in the 70s and 80s, when visiting water parks and watching shows featuring marine mammals was a big family thing – at SeaWorld, Marineland, Ocean Park, and more. Performances often featured acrobatic leaps, trained behaviors, and educational commentary on species conservation. Shows often include opportunities for audience members to wave at or interact with animals.

But this industry is certainly evolving, and concerns have been raised about the values of entertainment versus conservation. The landscape is also shifting. The focus now is on education and familiarity with natural behaviours rather than merely enjoying tricks. And some locations have totally banned the use of captive marine mammals for entertainment and instead relocating them to sanctuaries.

I like where this is going. Yes, I had fond memories watching these shows as a young girl, and even as an adult. But I will gladly trade these off to end animal suffering. They deserve to be in their natural habitat – in the open ocean, where they can swim vast distances, enjoy their freedom, and be with their families. It is not fair for them to be subjected to isolation, cramped environments, and stress brought about by unnecessary human interaction…all for the sake of our entertainment and amusement.