I toured the Pacific Seas Aquarium on Tuesday, May 7th, and I was impressed. There are two superlative tanks that stand out from the rest. Baja Bay is a 280,000-gallon exhibit that is the first thing visitors see when they walk into the building, and although it is very plain, the opportunity to see several Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks, a couple of Green Sea Turtles, and Spotted Eagle Rays is not to be sniffed at. The exhibit is seen again from the opposite side, with a curved piece of acrylic that arches over the heads of visitors. The second stand-out tank is called Northwest Waters and this one was my personal favourite. It's a floor-to-ceiling tank with many rockfish species and fish that are located in Puget Sound, right off the coast of Point Defiance Park.
The rest of the aquarium consists of a long Tidal Surge tank that is located outside the entrance, a Japanese Spider Crab exhibit, a Schooling Fish tank with Pacific Herring, 5 jellyfish exhibits, a Giant Pacific Octopus tank, a spacious Coastal Kelp Forest tank, a handful of smaller, standard-sized 'jewel tanks' and a trio of touch tanks in a kid-friendly zone. Including everything, the Pacific Seas Aquarium holds a total of 18 exhibits which was definitely less than I was expecting. For example, the average Sea Life Aquarium has around double that total, including a terrific walk-through shark tank tunnel. An interesting fact is that Point Defiance Zoo actually has a second aquarium, which opened in 1989 and is called the South Pacific Aquarium, and it contains a shark tank and a few other smaller exhibits.
So...how does this new addition compare to other zoos with aquariums around the U.S.? The Pacific Seas Aquarium has two fantastic tanks and 18 exhibits in total, with a very plain exterior and the interior walls are for the most part barren and devoid of immersive features. One nice aspect is that the walkways are extremely wide, with a sign on the door welcoming strollers into the facility...a worthwhile item to consider when one sits back and sees an endless stream of families entering the aquarium.
The best aquarium to be found inside an American zoo is easily the Scott Aquarium at Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo. There can be found 1.3 million gallons of water, a great penguin exhibit, a 70-foot walk-through tunnel in the shark tank and a total of approximately 30 exhibits. Everything Omaha does is world-class and that is why it's one of the planet's truly great zoos. Pittsburgh Zoo also has a very good aquarium, as does Toledo Zoo with approximately 37 exhibits to be found there. I think that of the dozen or so American zoos with aquariums, then one could argue that counting BOTH of the aquarium buildings at Point Defiance Zoo then that facility is perhaps #2 behind Omaha in terms of overall quality. One thing is for certain, the Pacific Seas Aquarium has been a revelation for the zoo, with an all-time attendance record being shattered last year.
