Education and entertainment go hand in hand at Canada's largest underwater tourist attraction.
Since opening its doors in 1956, Vancouver Aquarium has welcomed more than 35 million visitors. Home to over 50,000 specimens of marine life from around the world, there is no shortage of exciting things to see and do here.Driven by a desire to engage and educate visitors, the aquarium offers a constantly changing line-up of programmes and shows focused on the multitude of marine life in its care, from acrobatic dolphins to majestic belugas, charming African penguins to delightful but deadly jellyfish.For a fully immersive experience, do not miss out on the aquarium's spectacular 4-D programme. With larger-than-life images leaping from the screen, surround-sound effects placing you right in the middle of the action, and customised smells combining to give you a real sense of what it's like to swim with sea snakes, this experience is definitely not for the faint-hearted.For the more circumspect, there are plenty of opportunities for getting up-close and personal with gentler creatures. The Beluga Encounter offers a rare opportunity to go behind the scenes of the busy and varied life of a marine mammal trainer. Watch as the animals are exercised to keep them stimulated and healthy but also to reinforce the all-important bond of trust between trainer and trainee.And there is more than just marine life on offer at Vancouver Aquarium. South America’s tropical rainforest has been recreated to spectacular effect in the Graham Amazon Gallery. Here you'll find slithering snakes and slimy amphibians alongside Costa Rican butterflies and Blue-fronted Amazon parrots, reputedly the chattiest birds in the animal kingdom. Watch out for the rolling thunder and lightning of the tropical storms that descend from the heavens at regular intervals.Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park in central Vancouver and is well-served by public transport. It is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 365 days of the year. Tickets can be purchased from the official website or from self-service ticket kiosks available on site.
