Learn from our experts
You'll find friendly and helpful staff and volunteers throughout the Aquarium who are happy to answer your questions and help you learn more about our many amazing animals and habitats. Just look for the folks in blue!
Daily presentations
Join Aquarium staff for presentations happening daily throughout the Aquarium!
Presentation times are subject to change
10am, 11:45am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 3pm
10:45 AM
11:30 AM
2:15 PM
3:45 PM
4:45 PM
Please note: The 10am Window on Washington Waters presentation has been canceled on Wednesday, December 6. We apologize for any inconvenience and hope you will join us at another presentation time.
Flight of the mantas
Who: Aquarium visitors (must be at least 42” tall)
Where: Pier 59, adjacent to the Pacific Coral Reef habitat.
When: 10–11:45am and 1–5:15pm daily; last session at 5:15pm. Schedule subject to change.
Cost: $7 per person for Aquarium members; $9 per person for non-members.
Tickets: Available from the Guest Services counter at the Aquarium’s main entrance and in the Family Activity Center
Be mesmerized by our new virtual reality experience! With state-of-the-art motion seats and VR dive goggles that provide a full 360° view, you’ll feel like you’re really below the surface, swimming alongside the threatened manta rays of Mozambique.
This immersive, six-minute experience, guided by Dr. Andrea Marshall, the first person in the world to complete a Ph.D. on manta rays, provides a beautiful—and rare—glimpse of these amazing animals. (Did you know that open-ocean shark and ray populations have declined by over 70% since 1970, due almost entirely to overfishing? You can help by voting for politicians who support robust fisheries management measures and marine protected areas. Learn more on our Act for the Ocean page.)
Check ticket availability when you arrive for your aquarium visit! Space for these virtual reality experiences is limited to four people per session, with sessions offered every 15 minutes. Seats and goggles are fully cleaned between sessions.
Catastrophe by the Sea
Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays
10:30am, 11am and 1:45pm
In the Ackerley Foundation Puget Sound Hall
Come join Catastrophe the cat’s misadventure through the intertidal flats: Sing along to the groovy tunes of the Barnacle Band, dance to the rhythmic harmonizing of Anemone and more during our fun, 20-minute puppet show!
Catastrophe by the Sea is based on the children’s book of the same name, which was written by Brenda Peterson and illustrated by Ed Young, and developed in partnership to support our work on empathy for wildlife.
Caring Cove
Children and their caregivers are invited to come play with and learn about some of our ocean’s wondrous inhabitants and how to care for them!
Discover Caring Cove, an open play space where kids can deepen their connections to marine animals and their habitats by play-acting a variety of animal care activities. Caring Cove features six different areas—many stocked with toy instruments based on the equipment used by our animal care staff—that encourage and support imaginative play for toddlers through children ages 8–10.
Be on the lookout for...
Animals
Get to know the amazing fish, invertebrates, birds and mammals that make their homes with us! As you explore the Aquarium, you may have the opportunity to see animal feedings or even animals being trained to voluntarily participate in their own health care. And our friendly staff and volunteers are always at the ready to answer questions and help you learn more.
Life on the Edge tide pools
Step up, lean over and reach in! Staff and volunteers are always nearby to identify the animals in the tide pools, answer questions and deepen your knowledge about Puget Sound. Even if you opt not to get your hands wet, you’ll still be enriched by the beautiful sights, smells and sounds of this habitat.
Scuba divers
Our scuba divers take to the water at different times throughout the day in our Window on Washington Waters habitat!
Wearing specialized masks, the divers are able to talk back and forth with Aquarium interpreters on the outside (or “dry side”) of the habitat and answer your questions. You'll have the chance to learn more about the various fish that you can find in our Washington waters during these unique encounters.
