This site uses cookies. View our Cookie Policy to learn more about how and why.

Regular hours: 9:30 am – 6 pm
Last entry at 5 pm

Equity & Inclusion

A white wave shape.

OUR SALISH VALUES

Sustainability

Adopting and promoting, internally and externally, practices that improve ocean health.

Awe Inspiring

Creating captivating experience for all audiences.

Learning and Improving

Fostering, evaluating and applying knowledge and discovery.

Inclusive Community

Recognizing that diversity is critical to achieve our mission.

Scientific Integrity

Ensuring our credibility with evidence-based practices.

Honoring Place

Using our location and history as a lens for larger understanding.

DIVERSIFYING THE CONSERVATION MOVEMENT

For too long, the people most impacted by environmental harm have been marginalized when crafting solutions, unable to lend their expertise and ensure their needs are met.

The Seattle Aquarium is aiming to change this with a new fellowship program specifically for people from marginalized communities. Fellows will be paid a living wage as they develop new programming to engage groups and organizations who have historically not been well-served by the Aquarium.

This fellowship program will further our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment while building cohorts of future leaders from diverse communities who can support one another, first at Seattle Aquarium and ultimately at aquariums and conservation organizations across the globe.

HONORING PLACE

We are honored to be responsible guests on the traditional and contemporary territories of the Coast Salish people, who have stewarded these lands and waters since time immemorial. The Seattle Aquarium is committed to developing a strong foundation for long-lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships with Tribal Nations, urban Native peoples and, as our mission grows, the Indigenous peoples of the Indo-Pacific and their local diaspora. We strive for reciprocal, respectful relationships rooted in the sovereignty of our Indigenous hosts. We too give thanks to the ocean and all our ocean relatives we have the honor to care and advocate for, be in relationship with, and be educators with for the future wellbeing of our shared Earth.

Accessibility

Our mission—Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment—includes all people, regardless of ability. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to experience the wonders of Earth’s one ocean. We are committed to providing an accessible and inclusive experience for our visitors, volunteers and staff.

We are proud to offer a variety of accessibility features and services. Find them on our Accessibility page. More features to come.

If you’d like to join our team, you may find accessibility-related information and support by visiting our Careers page.

THE SEATTLE AQUARIUM'S COMMITMENT TO ANTI-RACISM

The Seattle Aquarium respects and celebrates the vitality and strength of the ethnic and cultural diversity that thrives in our neighborhood and surrounding communities. We recognize that we can only achieve our mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment by including the skills and varied perspectives of our entire community. To include the entire community, we must be a welcoming and inclusive organization making the conscious decision to identify and challenge racism daily. This requires ongoing self-awareness and self-reflection as we move through our daily operations and plan for the future. 

As an organization striving to be anti-racist, we are making ourselves more aware of how racism has affected the lived experience of Black and Indigenous people and People of Color and in what ways we are playing a role in those experiences. We know that racism is systemic and has been deeply ingrained in society throughout history. We understand that too many people knowingly and unknowingly participate in racism and perpetuate white-dominant norms. Using our sphere of influence, the Seattle Aquarium is actively opposing racism within our industry and communities of conservation by committing to the following: 

  • Facilitate mandatory in-house diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) workshops for all our staff.
  • Address internalized racial and implicit biases.
  • Commit to be a learning community that identifies, implements and adapts best practices on how to create a welcoming and inclusive space for Black, Indigenous and People of Color staff, volunteers and guests.
  • Actively continue to evaluate and implement more inclusive hiring practices, as well as retention and promotion strategies, with the goal of our workforce representing the diverse community in which we are located.
  • Operate an institutionalized, sustainable DEI Council with the authority to guide and support the Aquarium in the application of time and resources to create an inclusive culture.

These commitments, while not an exclusive list, represent the Aquarium’s commitment to continued diversity, equity and inclusion learning and practices. The Aquarium is currently creating a DEI strategic plan that will guide our next steps as we continue to evaluate our organization through an anti-racist and inclusive lens.

Your gift supports our commitment to equity and inclusion

[custom_side_nav]
Now open!

Ocean Pavilion

Get your tickets today to experience our new Ocean Pavilion expansion!

Website maintenance

Please note: Our ticketing and membership systems will be offline for approximately two hours starting at 10pm Pacific on Wednesday, July 10. During the maintenance window, online ticketing and membership will not be available.

Thank you for understanding.

Support the Seattle Aquarium

Two sea otters at the Seattle Aquarium floating on the water in their habitat, holding onto each other demonstrating a rafting behavior.

With your help, the Seattle Aquarium builds connections with our community to inspire conservation and curiosity for marine life. When you make an end-of-year gift by December 31, you'll be joining us in protecting our shared marine environment—now and for generations to come. Thank you!

An adult sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium looking upwards with its front paws resting on its front.

Giving Tuesday

Make a tax-deductible donation to the non-profit Seattle Aquarium

Your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 thanks to a very generous anonymous donor!

Sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium laying on its back, raising its head and front paws.

Cyber weekend

Get 15% OFF all memberships!