Vancouver Aquarium

Located within Stanley Park, the Vancouver Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in North America, houses more than 8,000 marine species. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Canada, and has recently become more so after the birth of an as yet unnamed baby Beluga whale.

To say the Vancouver Aquarium has fish from all over the world wouldn’t do it justice. Not only does the aquarium have fish, and the aforementioned Beluga whales, but also dolphins, sea otters, seals, penguins, narwhals, orcas, sea lions, and many other sea animals. All of these animals can’t be in one place, however, so the aquarium is broken into many different galleries. These include:

• Arctic Canada, which includes the Beluga whales tank;
• Tropic Zone, which displays tropical fish, including sharks and sea turtles;
• Wild Coast, an outdoor habitat that includes four Pacific White-sided Dolphins, harbor seals, Steller’s Sea Lions, and sea otters;
• Amazon Rainforest, which has a high number of large fresh water fish, snakes, caimans, sloths and other creatures from the Amazon;
• Pacific Canada Pavilion, the central indoor exhibit comprising a 260,000 liter tank and exhibiting marine life from the Strait of Georgia;
• Frogs Forever, an exhibit focused on the plight of the world’s frog population;
• Treasures of the BC Coast, a series of separate exhibits that simulates various environments with sea life found on the BC coast;
• Canaccord Exploration Gallery, which contains multiple classrooms for school groups, including a theatre and wet lab

Overall, the aquarium covers approximately (100,000 ft²) and has a total of 2.5 million gallons of water in 166 aquatic displays.

Children and adults of all ages love aquariums, and one as large as the Vancouver Aquarium deserves extra time. If you’re from out of town, there are plenty of hotels that will fit your needs, no matter what they are, such as: There are so many other attractions, including statues and monuments that one can’t take visit them all in one day. That’s why finding a hotel that’s close would be the smartest move a vacationer could make. There are plenty of hotels near Stanley Park, including: Hotel Rosellen Suites at Stanley Park, the Westin Bayshore, the Sylvia Hotel, the Lord Stanley Suites, the Oceanside Hotel, the Coast Plaza Hotel & Suites, the Empire Landmark Hotel And Conference Center, the Riviera Hotel Vancouver, and the Greenbrier Hotel.

Enjoy your hotel, and enjoy your time at the Vancouver Aquarium.