Blog

Did you know that there is an amazing beach to explore at low tide in downtown Seattle, just a 20-minute walk from the Seattle Aquarium?  #3 in a series of guest blog posts by Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists Bobby Arispe and Jen Strongin.

Summer is here, which means you should keep your eyes peeled for a variety of whale species that have been visiting Puget Sound. There have been many sightings of gray whales, humpbacks and orcas throughout the Salish Sea, and we encourage you to come down the Aquarium to learn more about these amazing creatures!

Curator of Conservation Research Shawn Larson of the Seattle Aquarium traveled to the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve in China for a four-day conference in April about worldwide otter conservation. Come along as she describes her trip. 

How we manage our greenspaces is important to the overall health of our environment. It is because of this link that the Aquarium is proud to support the renewal of the King County Parks levy that will be appearing on your election ballot this August. 

Learn about nudibranchs and other marine life you can see on the beach! #2 in a series of guest blog posts by Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists Bobby Arispe and Jen Strongin.

June is Orca Action Month and conservation organizations across the region have been helping to raise awareness about the challenges facing our southern resident orcas. The challenges are many, but one of the biggest is the decline in Chinook salmon, the orcas’ primary food source.

The beach naturalists are back and rocking our new, ocean-blue-colored hats! We had so much fun exploring with all of you who came out to visit us the first week of this month as we kicked off our season. #1 in a series of guest blog posts by Seattle Aquarium beach naturalists Bobby Arispe and Jen Strongin.

Last week was Capitol Hill Ocean Week! Thousands of people gathered in DC to talk about solutions to pressing ocean challenges. The Seattle Aquarium participated for the first time, represented by Erin Meyer and Nora Nickum from our Conservation Programs and Partnerships department.

Last September, the Seattle Aquarium and Woodland Park Zoo co-hosted the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ annual conference. The Aquarium hosted the conference’s big kickoff social, the icebreaker—and, in a first for these events, it was carbon neutral!

As part of Orca Action Month, we are introducing a new series of infographics to help share the story of our southern resident orcas and the challenges they face. Last week we shared information showing how our local orcas are related through an interactive family tree and this week we will be focusing on where people can see our southern and northern resident pods in the wild.

We would like to extend a big heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in the Survive the Sound challenge. If you picked the Aquarium’s fish Pierre 59 we have some great news—you won! Pierre 59 was a strong swimmer and crossed the finish line ranked in first place! Pierre 59 was able to successfully migrate out of the Salish Sea, but the fact is not every fish made it. Migrating salmon face many obstacles as they travel through our local waters, and this challenge showed us that a small fraction of the fish who undertake the journey make it out to the open ocean.

Every year organizations across Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia unite to raise awareness on the challenges facing our beloved orcas. June kicks off Orca Action Month and we are excited that the Aquarium will be holding our own Orca Awareness Celebration as part of the festivities. The Aquarium and state lawmakers made orca recovery a top priority during this year’s legislative session and we continue to help raise awareness among our visitors and community about actions we can all take to help.