Continuing off my last post of Stanley Park, I thought that it’d only make sense that we take a look at the Vancouver Aquarium which is located within the park!
Now because I know next to nothing about marine life (except for sharks!), I’m going to talk a little bit about the aquarium itself this time.
The aquarium first opened its doors to the public way back in 1956, and in addition to being a major tourist attraction, it is also a center for marine research, conservation, and marine animal rehabilitation!
It is also the first center in Canada to be designated as a Coastal America Learning Center, intended to help protect and restore shared ocean resources with the U.S.
The facilities are split into various galleries with a total of 166 different displays, housing a grand sum of approximately 9,500,000 liters of water!
Unfortunately that’s all there is for me to say about the aquarium itself…
…so I’m just going to wing my way through this!
A massive octopus hanging off the side of one of the displays…
I couldn’t help but think of it in a sashimi kind of way. How many of you like to eat tako?!
During my visit to the aquarium, the Jelly Invasion exhibition was going on, so there were plenty of neat types of jelly fish to look at…
…like these ones…
…and these cool looking transparent ones…
…as well as these white and purple ones!
These bright orange colored guys are called Umbrella Jelly and are only a few centimeters large!
Splendid garden eels remind me of the part in Ju-On (The Grudge) for Wii where all the arms suddenly pop out of the sand box…
A seahorse just swaying back and forth with the current.
Did you know that sea urchins can actually walk? Mind=blown.
Look its Nemo!
I’ve always wanted a stingray as a pet…
…but I’ve always preferred sharks more! Probably not a black tip reef shark though.
The gigantic sea turtles preferred to stay near the surface the entire time.
I’ve always loved how aggressive lionfish look.
I believe you can buy these at the pet store!
While the main focus of the aquarium is obviously sea life, there are actually a few animals that live above the surface there as well!
Bats everywhere! My sister described them as “cute”. Definitely not the same word that I was thinking of…
…but then again, I’d consider them as being cute over these huge cockroaches any day.
I remember I used to have a few pet walking sticks as a kid. Come to think of it, I have no idea what happened to them. Oh well!
Just like the Calgary Zoo , there is an area at the Vancouver Aquarium where butterflies are free to roam about.
As a result…
…they occasionally find their way onto the visitors!
These blue parrots were too cool.
This little guy was slowly making his way around the grounds!
It was neat to see an iguana outside of a tank where it was able to run around freely!
As ever, the crocodiles lay there motionless.
The aquarium also houses 26 different species of amphibians, from these tiny poisonous red ones…
…to this large toad that resembles a certain Futurama character…
Fun fact: Piranhas have the same sensory system as sharks do to detect blood!
Just like everything else, I don’t remember what this “live fossil” was exactly, but I do know that it is of an endangered species! It was interesting to see how the aquarium preferred to keep the fish preserved in this state rather than just display its skeleton.
This little dolphin was super playful; it not only followed my camera around, but was also more than happy to smile for a picture!
Did you know that beluga whales like to swim upside down?
The last spot on my sister to the aquarium, Penguin Point! Unfortunately they weren’t very lively that day.
They didn’t really swim around either. Instead, they preferred to just float there and relax!
That’s it for my visit to the aquarium, but not the end of my Vancouver adventure! Stay tuned for more!
-brandon.
Click HERE to view the full photo set on Flickr.
More From My Vancouver Adventure:
Are We There Yet? – Onwards, To Vancouver!
Just Going For A Stroll – Stanley Park, Vancouver
Island Of Dreams – Granville Island
Magical Ducks Everywhere – Richmond Night Market 2013
flyingpenguin 
Pingback: Challenging The Grouse Grind | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Are We There Yet? – Onwards, To Vancouver! | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Just Going For A Stroll – Stanley Park, Vancouver | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Welcome To Rain City | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Car Hunting In Vancouver | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Island Of Dreams – Granville Island | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Where Imagination Comes To Life – Granville Island | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Magical Ducks Everywhere – Richmond Night Market 2013 | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: So Guuu’d – Food Adventures In Vancouver | flyingpenguin·
Pingback: Alice In Wonderland – In Search Of 1001 Steps | flyingpenguin·