We recently introduced you to three amazing Seattle Aquarium volunteers who show their connection to the marine environment with meaningful tattoos. The story was so nice that we’re doing it twice—we’re back with three more fascinating folks who graciously agreed to share the stories behind their ink.
Without further ado, please meet Chelsea, Chris and Taylor! And if you haven’t already checked out earlier installments of this ongoing series, we invite you to explore part 1, part 2 and part 3.
“I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time, doing the best I can with what I have. That applies to being at the Aquarium, being in my work and being in the sea. It's like a Venn diagram of those.”
I got my seal of approval last year. He’s positioned so that when I give a thumbs up, he gives one too.
I’m an open-water swimmer—unassisted, which means no wetsuit, flippers or paddles. Just a swimsuit. I train at Alki Beach and seals swim along with me all the time. I always introduce myself and let them know I’m here to respect their space, not cross any boundaries between wild animals and something I want to hug.
I did my first marathon swim in 2021, in Sitka, Alaska. There’s a doctor at that event and she was amazed because it had taken me almost four hours but I wasn’t cold at the end. She said, ‘How are you not freezing? I think you might be a seal person.’ She started calling me Chelseal and it kinda stuck.
It’s been such a beautiful journey to build a relationship with the Salish Sea. I was born on the south coast of South Korea, adopted by white people and raised in Minnesota—just about as far from the ocean as you could be. But I always felt like it was calling me back. The first time I went in, I thought, ‘Ohh, this is what home feels like.’
I work for a nonprofit doing policy and systems change advocacy around affordable housing, community spaces and equitable access to public transportation. One thing that I talk about with people at the Aquarium, my conservation message, is the ability to coexist.
If you look at the animals in The Reef at the Ocean Pavilion, everybody’s able to coexist because they’re all getting their needs met. And when I talk about that with visitors, I bring in my work life and say, ‘Imagine if we did that for people.’ I hope that I’m planting a seed with that.
—Chelsea “Chelseal” Lee (she/her)
Tattoo by Berger, @wizardcitytattoo
“I realized that you don't have to work in this field to still be at the Aquarium and be a valued member of the community.”
I’ve lived in Seattle, close to the water, my whole life. When I was a kid, we’d go to a cabin that my grandpa built on the Oregon coast every summer. That’s where I learned about tide pooling, one of my favorite pastimes.
Going into college, I wanted to be a marine biologist. I started taking chemistry but it just doesn’t work for me. Then I learned about the pastry program at Seattle Central. I’d always been a fan of baking, so I went for it. Now I work at a bakery and I’ve been volunteering at the Aquarium for over a year.
I mainly volunteer at the touch pools. I love all the animals. It’s like tide pooling, but indoors and a bit more static. Working with kids is the best, especially the occasional 6-year-old who knows more than I do. It’s fun to talk with them as their parent tries to follow along while we’re both having a great time.
The people on my shift are always looking for nudibranchs, and it’s amazing when we find them together. It’s also cool for guests to see that there are animals here that surprise us—that it’s a living environment and we’re not controlling every single thing.
The lobster was my first unplanned tattoo. I went to L.A. to get a sandhill crane from an artist down there but she had to cancel. I was really bummed and went to Aquarium of the Pacific to make myself feel better. The lobsters made a big impression on me.
Later that day, an artist popped up on my feed who had done a spiny lobster* before. He was nearby and could get me in right away. It went from not working out to me having this great tattoo inspired by the lobsters at Aquarium of the Pacific. Lucky.
—Chris Fitch (he/him)
Tattoo by Noah Fox, Boartooth Tattoo, Culver City, CA, @noahfoxtattoo
*Editor’s note: Curious about what a Pacific spiny lobster looks like in real life? Visit our Ocean Pavilion!
“I stopped eating king and Chinook salmon when I learned about the low population of the southern resident orcas. I’ll still eat other kinds but not those. I want to save them for our residents.”
I’ve always been a huge animal person. I love orcas—just love how pretty they are. My grandma has a vacation home on Whidbey Island and every time there’s an orca sighting, she texts to tell me. It’s always the day after I leave. But I was actually here at the Aquarium for an orca sighting in Elliott Bay last spring. It was my first time seeing them in the wild after living in Seattle for 33 years.
I’ve been volunteering here for seven years and I’m still learning new things about some of the animals. I’m trying to do all the habitats, but I mostly like to be near the touch pools.
I love interacting with the guests. My favorite part is telling them about the sea cucumbers because they’re the vacuum cleaners of the ocean floor and they poop out clean sand, which kids love learning. I say, ‘Thank the sea cucumbers because this is their ecosystem and they’re doing us all a favor.’
I also assist with the volunteer program, doing interviews with potential new volunteers. I look for people with great energy. We talk about why they want to volunteer—some want to share their knowledge, others want to give back to the community, some just want to do something fun. We have a very unique ecosystem here and it’s cool when people want to get involved, help other people learn about it.
I graduated from UW two years ago, in environmental studies. I’ve been working part-time in the Gift Shop since then and I’m hoping to find a full-time job at the Aquarium. I’d love to do an outreach education program or be a marine interpreter supervisor here someday.
—Taylor Welch (she/her)
Tattoo by @dannychantattooseattle
We thank Chelsea, Chris and Taylor for sharing their stories with us—and all the volunteers who generously give their time in support of our conservation mission.
Seattle Aquarium volunteers share their knowledge and enthusiasm with our guests, help prepare meals of sustainable seafood for the animals in our care, dive in our habitats, meet members of the public on local shorelines and much more. Interested in learning about the program and potentially becoming a volunteer yourself? Check out our website!
