Vancouver Aquarium

Vancouver's aquarium is in Stanley Park, just over Lion's Gate Bridge from downtown Vancouver. Lion's Gate reminds me of our Golden Gate Bridge, except a little shorter, and green. Stanley Park is lovely with a thick forest full of trails and views of the bay, downtown, North Van and the ever present mountains in the distance. It was very warm again today around 27-28 degrees. After The M&D went out with the Chrises last night, walking from one end of town to the other for the fireworks show at English Bay, The M. woke up a bit draggy today and found it very difficult chasing two toddlers around the very busy aquarium. Thank goodness we have fresh recruits hanging out with us, full of support. It's wonderful to be traveling with a village.
We passed a miniature train and an animal "farm" for kids, all right next to the brand new aquarium. The aquarium is beautiful- with a wide variety of tanks from jellies to frogs to their beloved Beluga whales. There are two moms and two baby whales, one just born in June. There is also a 4D experience (the 4th dimension being tactile) that shows a beautiful movie in 3D while poking, vibrating, spraying, and whipping the audience. While some of the adults saw the movie, Zoe and Julian found their happy place in the children's lounge. Zoe "fixed" injured seals and danced in a lighted tunnel, while Julian ran around and peeked into various tanks a foot off the ground and threw himself into piles of squishy blocks.


Mommy's favorite was the octopus tank- this guy is huuuuuge! And seemingly quite social- he was climbing the tank walls while onlookers watched him dance and reach.


The aquarium has a Little Vet Corner where mini vets can save a seal. They can examine the seal with stethoscopes and such at the examining office, then transport it across to the X-ray table to find out where it is injured. Zoe spent a lot of time with the seals.



Zoe lets loose on the dance floor