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Regular hours: 9:30 am – 6 pm
Last entry at 5 pm

SEA the wonder the joy what's new!

Seattle Aquarium

Meet Ruby, the newest sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium!

Featured

Aquarium highlights

An illustration of Santa Claus with a diving mask on.

See Diving Santa!

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! Hear from the holly jolly diver about how you can help the ocean this holiday season. Find upcoming dates and times you can see Santa by visiting our Diving Santa page.

Diving Santa dates
An Indo Pacific leopard shark seen from the side, placed against a backdrop of illustrated fan coral.

End the year with a gift to the ocean!

Your generosity will help us reach over one million visitors, furthering education and advocacy while inspiring awe and wonder for our one world ocean.

Donate today
A sea turtle swimming in the ocean with

Free Virtual Lightning Talk!

Kick off season six of Lightning Talks with a shellebration! Join us for this free virtual event as we take on the topic of sea turtles. Streaming live on YouTube at 6pm Pacific on Thursday, December 11.

Register for Lightning Talks
Ruby the sea otter floating on her back.

Welcome Ruby!

Meet Ruby, the newest sea otter in our care. For over 30 years, the Seattle Aquarium has led in sea otter research, contributed to recovery efforts and cared for northern sea otters who are unable to live in the wild. Now, we welcome Ruby, the first southern sea otter in our care!

Photo © Monterey Bay Aquarium

Meet Ruby
A child sitting at a table holding a large toy magnifying glass.

It's Toddler Time!

Join us on select Sundays and Mondays at the Aquarium for Toddler Time! This drop-in program is free with admission and offers a variety of learner-centered, developmentally age-appropriate, hands-on activities for young children. Find upcoming dates on our Toddler Time page.

Upcoming Toddler Time Dates
A sea otter at the Seattle Aquarium floating on its back in the sea otter habitat, holding and chewing on a s-shaped curved enrichment toy.

Animal wellbeing

Caring for animals at the Aquarium is core to our marine conservation mission. Learn more about how we provide expert care for every animal.

Animal Wellbeing
Inspiring Conservation of our marine environment

Our Mission

The region’s premier resource for hands-on marine experiences and conservation education, the Seattle Aquarium offers fun, exciting ways to discover more about the amazing Puget Sound and our world’s one big ocean. Join us in our mission: Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.

A photo of a fish swimming in front of a gradient illustration of kelp.
Today's presentations and activities

At the Aquarium

All About Our Washington Waters

10am, 11:45am, 12:15pm, 1:15pm, 3pm

Pier 59

Location: Window on Washington Waters, Pier 59

Come experience the Window on Washington Waters habitat, devoted to marine life found in our local waters. You’ll meet the inhabitants of the rocky reef and kelp forest ecosystem found in the Salish Sea.

All About our Coral Reef

10:30am, 12:45pm, 1:15pm, 3:30pm

Ocean Pavilion

Location: The Overlook, Ocean Pavilion

Come experience the upper area of our largest tropical habitat, The Reef. Meet the marine inhabitants of the Indo-Pacific and learn how we care for such a diverse array of animals.

All About Our Harbor Seals

10:45am, 3:45pm

Pier 60

Location: Harbor seal habitat, Pier 60

Get to know the harbor seals that call Seattle Aquarium home! Learn how we care for them, and hear amazing facts about the most common marine mammals in the Salish Sea. 

All About Our Archipelago

11:15am, 4:15pm

Ocean Pavilion

Location: The Archipelago, Ocean Pavilion

Join us for an introduction to our mangrove forest and coral lagoon. Get to know more about these iconic habitats and the plants and animals that create them.

All About Our Marine Mammals

11:30am

Pier 60

Location: Marine mammal habitats, Pier 60

Join us for a feeding at one of our marine mammal habitats: harbor seals, sea otters or northern fur seals. The location changes daily—ask a Seattle Aquarium representative about which animals are scheduled to be fed when you arrive for your visit. 

All About Our Northern Fur Seals

2:15pm

Pier 60

Location: Northern fur seal habitat, Pier 60

Come learn more about Chiidax and Flaherty, the northern fur seals living at the Seattle Aquarium. 

All About Our Sea Otters

4:45pm

Pier 60

Location: Sea otter habitat, Pier 60

Join us for an introduction to our sea otters! Get to know more about this iconic endangered species and learn how we care for the individuals that call the Seattle Aquarium home.

Deep in The Reef

5:15pm

Ocean Pavilion

Location: Window on The Reef, Ocean Pavilion

Come experience the lower depths of our largest tropical habitat, The Reef. Meet animals found in the Coral Triangle, an area of extraordinary marine biodiversity.

Puppet Story Time

10:30am, 11am, 1:45pm

Pier 59

Location: Puget Sound Hall, Pier 59

Join our puppeteers as they bring to life tales about conservation, empathy and the marine world! This 20-minute presentation is perfect for guests of all ages.

A photo of a harbor seal laying down with its head stretched upwards over a simple gradient illustration of rocks on water.
What’s Happening

Upcoming Events

A multicolored gradient illustration of coral.
Lightning Talks: Sea Turtles event image
Dec 11, 2025

Lightning Talks: Sea Turtles

Lightning Talks is back! Join our five turtle experts as they dazzle the audience with their knowledge of these riveting reptiles.

6:00 PM
– 7:00 PM PST
Streaming on YouTube
Diving Santa event image
Dec 13, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 14, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 20, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 21, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 22, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 23, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Diving Santa event image
Dec 24, 2025

Diving Santa

Meet Diving Santa at the Seattle Aquarium! The holly jolly diver will be swimming in a winter wonderland at 11:30am and 2:30pm.

11:30 AM
– 2:30 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium (Pier 59)
Toddler Time: Winter Critters event image
Jan 11 — Jan 12, 2026

Toddler Time: Winter Critters

This drop-in program is free with Aquarium admission and offers a variety of learner-centered, hands-on activities for young children.

9:30 AM
– 12:00 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium
Toddler Time: Crabulous Days event image
Jan 25 — Jan 26, 2026

Toddler Time: Crabulous Days

This drop-in program is free with Aquarium admission and offers a variety of learner-centered, hands-on activities for young children.

9:30 AM
– 12:00 PM PST
Seattle Aquarium
Take a Deeper Dive

Aquarium Stories

Chealsea's tattoo of a cartoonish sea otter giving a thumbs up. the tattoo is located on Chelsea's left forearm.

Marine ink-spiration: Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium, part 4—volunteer edition II

Part 2 of our Tattoos of the Seattle Aquarium series! Get to know five more individuals and the inspiration behind[...]

Saying goodbye to North American river otter Ahanu

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of river otter Ahanu. He passed away unexpectedly during a[...]

A black oystercatcher looking in a mirror.

Mirrors for oystercatchers? Take a look inside shorebird enrichment at the Seattle Aquarium

A visit to the shorebird habitat at the Seattle Aquarium can resemble a trip to a superstore; there’s a little[...]

Learn more

Explore the Aquarium

Discover amazing animal species, learn about educational opportunities at the Aquarium, and more! 

A gradient illustration of coral.

Today only, your gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar up to $25,000 thanks to the generosity of donors Betsy Cadwallader, J & Tim, and Jess & Andy Peet. Help us reach our $50,000 goal!