It’s been a long wait, but The Seattle Aquarium will finally unveil its new Ocean Pavilion on August 29. The new facility will give visitors an up-close view of the vibrant world of the ocean, the chance to learn about the reef ecosystem in the Coral Triangle—a region in the Indo-Pacific, come face to face with 3,500 animals and plants, learn about “Earth’s one ocean” through state-of-the-art digital storytelling.
“It’s incredible to see this vision brought to life after more than two decades in the making,” Bob Davidson, President and CEO of the Seattle Aquarium, said. “We wouldn’t be able to celebrate such a historic occasion without the dedication and tireless work of thousands of people throughout the years, helping take the new Ocean Pavilion from vision to reality. Now that we’re here, I’m just so excited for people to come inside and experience the magic for themselves.”
Among the thousands of species will be sharks, rays, bowmouth guitarfish, schooling fish, seahorses, mangroves, nearly 30 species of coral, and more.
“Our mission has always been to inspire conservation of our marine environment, and that hasn’t changed,” said Davidson. “We need to take a global approach and think beyond our Pacific Northwest shores. We have one world ocean, and to protect it, we need to understand how we’re all connected.”
The Aquarium’s Ocean Pavilion is part of a larger Seattle waterfront renovation and is the first project to be completed. The building’s rooftop will connect to the city’s Overlook Walk, scheduled to open this fall. When completed, it will help connect Pike Place Market.
Go online to the Seattle Aquarium Ocean Pavilion webpage to purchase tickets and become one of the first to see the new immersive facility, which will feature the Pacific Northwest’s largest tropical reef ecosystems.
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