In my continual efforts to enjoy my own company: doing things I want, how and when I want; I found myself at the Vancouver Aquarium. A long standing tourist attraction, field trip destination, and family-friendly weekend activity.
In all my years living in Vancouver, I have visited the aquarium a handful of times. Most often elementary school field trips, more recently: introductory relationship date night idea. However, if you are wanting to enjoy the space, I suggest going it alone.
Watching the tanks and reading their descriptions in peace. Lingering at your favourite exhibit to your heart’s content. Skipping that which does not interest you. And doing all of the above without feeling bad about having to make another person wait. You get to go at your own pace. The freedom to do what you want and how you want it.
The only downside is having to meekly ask strangers to help you take photos in front of the iconic aquarium jellyfish tank.
The BC coast exhibit is always popular, to see what we have along our shores, and where they live by map.
This includes all sorts of sea stars and anemones. This is also where the aquarium’s only octopus hides.
My favourite is the tropical zone with its warmer waters and more colourful fish. Sadly there are less sharks, turtles, and stingrays than what I remembered. Although, a lot more room in the tank for happier and healthier marine life.
There are alligators and anaconda. A bat cave with microphones so that you can wear their chirps and wings flutter.
I like the heat dome with its lush jungle greenery. Here birds and turtles roam free in enclosed pens that mimick their natural habitats. The monkeys were cute as they ran along wooden walkways that connected enclosures.
The fan favourite sloth is still hanging out, but now has been given its own hammock and enclosed space, so is harder to spot. However you can get another chance to spot one with the aquarium’s second sloth in their latest feature exhibit.
This season the rotating exhibition is all about animals that go slow. Located in the basement, centred around a head level enclosure that pairs the above mentioned sloth and an armadillo as pen mates. There were also lot of reptiles like lizards, snakes and frogs.
Outdoors, I enjoyed watching their resident rotund walrus sleep.
There were sea lions and seals in pairs, lounging comfortably in the temperate climate. And I was able to catch the last sea otter show as they ran laps back and forth for fish.
A wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of nature and acknowledge your place in it. Highly recommend as a solo date.
Vancouver Aquarium
845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC V6G 3E2
vanaqua.org
(778) 655-9554
