Weekend road trip: Enjoy a window into local marine life at Seattle Aquarium - MLT News

Weekend road trip: Enjoy a window into local marine life at Seattle Aquarium - MLT News

Weekend road trip: Enjoy a window into local marine life at Seattle Aquarium - MLT News

Posted: 06 Jan 2020 09:08 PM PST

A diver swims inside the 120,000-gallon Window on Washington Waters tank at the Seattle Aquarium during a presentation by aquarium staff. (Photos by Doug Petrowski)

The Seattle Aquarium, located on Pier 56 of the iconic Seattle waterfront, has been a popular destination for locals and tourists to the area since its opening in 1977. In 2007 the aquarium completed a $41 million renovation and is hoping to soon put into motion a $113 million expansion that could be open to the public as soon as 2023.

Is the Seattle Aquarium worthy of a visit today in its current configuration? Judging from the number of enthusiastic visitors on a recent Sunday afternoon, the answer is undoubtedly yes.

The aquarium consists of six major exhibits: Window on Washington Waters, Life of the Edge, Tropical Pacific, the Underwater Dome, Birds & Shores and Marine Mammals; the first four are located inside while the latter two are outside but under cover (still, bring a jacket on chilly days).

The Window on Washington Waters 120,000-gallon exhibit is an impressive eye-opener to begin one's trek through the attraction. Be sure to catch the Diver Show as a scuba diver enters the tank and interacts with aquarium visitors three times a day (four on weekends), answering questions through a special speaker system and pointing out specific fish in the exhibit.

: The Life on the Edge exhibit at the Seattle Aquarium includes tide pools meant for reaching into and touching the marine life.

The Life on the Edge exhibit gives visitors the opportunity to see marine life of the region up close, including jellyfish in a unique ring tank and a pair of local octopuses. There are also tidal pool exhibits that invite visitors to touch the sea stars, hermit crabs, sea urchins and sea cucumbers found in such habitat.

The Tropic Pacific exhibit houses a large collection of fresh water fish and sea creatures, including the trumpetfish.

The Tropic Pacific exhibit sends visitors deep into the life of a Pacific Ocean coral reef. The 25,000-gallon community tank contains a wide array of warm-water fish — puffers, tangs, triggerfish and more — while smaller displays give a more intimate look into the world around a reef. (Don't miss the seahorses!)

The Underwater Dome gives visitors a unique look at the gigantic 400,000-gallon tank at the Seattle Aquarium.

The Underwater Dome is one of the highlights of the attraction; visitors get a 360-degree experience beneath a 400,000-gallon tank, the largest at the Seattle Aquarium. Inside the tank are a large collection of Puget Sound marine life, including salmon, lingcod, sturgeon, rockfish and dogfish sharks.

Seals, otters and birds can be observed in the upper level of the aquarium's outdoor exhibits. The harbor seals and sea otters are quite popular; aquarium staff host three daily talks to teach visitors more about these frisky mammals.

A sea otter frolics in the Marine Mammals exhibit of the Seattle Aquarium.

While the Seattle Aquarium presents much for visitors to see and do, walking through the entire attraction can be done in just a couple of hours, giving visitors a chance to check out the gift shop or upper-floor cafe. And with no parking onsite, travelers can use the extra time to hunt for parking on the ever-changing Seattle waterfront.

A Tufted Puffin enjoys the waters of the Birds & Shores exhibit.

Seattle Aquarium

Address: located on Pier 56 on the Seattle waterfront; 1483 Alaskan Way

Hours: 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. (last entry into the aquarium is at 5 p.m.)

Admission: $34.95 for adults age 13 and older; $24.95 for youth ages 4 to 12 (Washington state residents get a $5 discount from admission prices, seniors age 65 and older, persons with disabilities, active military and tickets purchased online get a $2 discount); children ages 3 and younger are free

— By Doug Petrowski

Young seal dies in front of horrified children after getting its head trapped in a drain - Daily Mail

Posted: 02 Jan 2020 03:02 AM PST

A young seal at a Chinese aquarium has died in front of horrified parents and children after its head got sucked into a drain.

Distressing footage shows other spotted seals, a protected species in the country, desperately tugging at their friend's flippers to save it before a member of staff tried to wrestle the animal free.

The ocean park said it was 'saddened' by the death of the aquatic mammal and was investigating the matter.

Footage taken by one visitor shows one of the seal's friends trying to pull the animal out of the drain pipe by tugging at its flipper
It then shows a worker pulling the seal in a bid to free it

Footage taken by one visitor shows one of the seal's friends trying to pull the animal out of the drain pipe by tugging at its flipper. It then shows a worker pulling the seal in a bid to free it

The young spotted seal died on Sunday in front of horrified children at an aquarium in China
The ocean park said it was 'saddened' by the death of the aquatic mammal and was investigating the matter

The young spotted seal died on Sunday in front of horrified children at an aquarium in China

The incident took place at noon on Sunday at Sun Asia Ocean World in the city of Dalian in north-eastern China's Liaoning Province, according to the park.

A video taken by one visitor and shared on short-video platform Douyin shows a seal appearing lifeless as its head was firmly jammed in a hole at the bottom of a large water tank.

Three other seals attempted to nudge the motionless animal free by swimming around its body. One of them was seen trying to pull the trapped seal by its flippers.

A male worker then entered the water and attempted to yank the seal out of the drain by repeatedly pulling it.

The clip then shows the worker checking the seal, believed to be dead, on shore.

According to one eyewitness, the animal carer failed to free the seal because the suction of the drain pipe was too strong.

The carer had to turn off the water pump before he dragged the mammal out of the pool, the eyewitness described in a post on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter.

'The seal's blood turned the tank red,' the web user lamented.

According to one eyewitness, the animal carer failed to free the seal because the suction of the drain pipe was too strong
He had to turn off the water pump before pulling the seal ashore

According to one eyewitness, the animal carer failed to free the seal because the suction of the drain pipe was too strong. He had to turn off the water pump before pulling the seal ashore

Sun Asia Ocean World said in a statement on Monday that the incident was an 'accident'.

It said that the young spotted seal had pulled open a protective board over the drain with its mouth and claws before being sucked in. 

The park added that its professional trainers had tried all they could to carry out emergency rescue, but in vain.

It said that it was 'saddened' by the death of the animal, which had been bred and raised by its team.

The park vowed to 'continue with its protection and conservation efforts towards marine animals' and investigate the matter.

Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China, particularly on the Liaodong Peninsula near the Yellow Sea. The species gets its name from its coat pattern.

They are a second-class protected animal species in China - along with heavily trafficked pangolins and Asian black bears. Hunting, farming or trading of spotted seals without permission is prohibited by China's Wildlife Protection Law.

Despite legal protection, spotted seals are one of the most hunted wild animals in China due to their waterproof skin and highly desirable genitalia - a traditional answer to 'Viagra'.

Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China. They are a second-class protected animal species in China (file photo)

Spotted seals live in the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and can be found along the north-eastern cost of China. They are a second-class protected animal species in China (file photo)

The death of the young seal has sparked outrage among the Chinese public, who accused the aquarium of avoiding its responsibility.

One person known as 'ready fei' criticised on Weibo: 'The fact that it could open the protective board means that was a safety hazard. Stop using excuses. [The park should] shut and rectify its problems.'

Another reader 'cheng meng xue zhang' paid their tribute to the dead seal on the same platform: 'R.I.P. May you be a free seal in your next life.'

China Cetacean Alliance, a coalition of international animal protection and conservation organisations, condemned the park for failing to look after its animals, let alone to protect them.

The group said on its official account on Weibo: 'If a venue that keeps animals in captivity cannot ensure their basic life safety, how can it carry out conservation or education?'

This is not the first time Sun Asia Ocean World has been blasted over its treatment of animals.

In June 2018, one animal trainer at the park was caught putting red lipstick on a beluga whale.

The aquarium issued a public apology and expressed its 'deep remorse' after a video of the incident had drawn it waves of criticism.

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