In less than three weeks from now, the Seattle Aquarium’s new Ocean Pavilion expansion will open to the public on August 29! Guests can purchase tickets today and reserve their spot to be among the first to experience this one-of-a-kind, world-class experience as we finish welcoming animals to three new immersive habitats. You can find more information about the expansion, as well as new photos and videos in our press kit.
Seattle Aquarium will hold media previews inside Ocean Pavilion on August 27 and 28 ahead of the opening date on August 29. You can schedule a tour with Tim Kuniholm (t.kuniholm@seattleaquarium.org) and Emily Malone (e.malone@seattleaquarium.org) by emailing them directly or by emailing the press room inbox at pressroom@seattleaquarium.org.
For the first time, guests will witness one of the world’s most biodiverse ecosystems only seen in the tropical waters around Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia known as the Coral Triangle. The region is often referred to as the “Amazon rainforest of the ocean” because of its incredible biodiversity, including hundreds of species of corals, as well as sharks, rays, mangroves, and reef fish.
The Ocean Pavilion features what is now our largest habitat—The Reef. The nearly-500,000-gallon-habitat will bring guests face-to-face with incredible tropical species such as Indo-Pacific leopard sharks, eagle rays, blue-spotted stingrays, and thousands of other fish typically only seen in the Indo-Pacific ocean.
“The new Reef habitat provides more people an opportunity to experience and explore the Coral Triangle without an expensive plane ticket or scuba gear!” said Seattle Aquarium President & CEO Bob Davidson. “Our mission has always been to inspire conservation of our marine environment and that hasn’t changed. We now need to take a global approach and think beyond our Pacific Northwest shores. We have one ocean and to protect it, we need to understand how we’re all connected.”
A second habitat—The Archipelago—offers a spectacular glimpse of an Indonesian mangrove forest at the surface with a colorful ecosystem of coral reef below. At Home in the Ocean, a third set of habitats, brings the stunning biodiversity of the Coral Triangle to life for some of our youngest guests. Smaller children can see species like clownfish, seahorses, leaf scorpionfish, and more at eye level along an adventurous pathway.
The oculus, a giant round window above the plaza outside of the entry doors of the Ocean Pavilion, presents guests & our community with a free sneak peek inside The Reef habitat. Any visitor under the oculus can view The Reef habitat without buying a ticket to go inside. Simply walk beneath the awe-inspiring window and you may catch a glimpse of a leopard shark or a majestic eagle ray gliding by overhead.
“We really wanted to make sure the Ocean Pavilion was accessible and enjoyable to everyone in our community. It’s not just our Aquarium; it’s everyone’s Aquarium,” said Bob Davidson.
The new Ocean Pavilion will also take guests to the far reaches of the ocean through 360-degree video and interactive experiences in One Ocean Hall. Once inside, guests will feel they are in the middle of a coral reef in the Indo-Pacific part of the ocean, a kelp forest in the Puget Sound, or swimming alongside whales in the Salish Sea.
The rooftop of the new Ocean Pavilion will connect to the new Overlook Walk. Together they will form the City’s signature elevated public park and connection between the waterfront and Seattle’s urban core, making waterfront access much easier and more inviting. The Overlook Walk, together with the rooftop of the Ocean Pavilion, is scheduled to open to the public this fall. When completed, these world-class, exciting new spaces will connect Pike Place Market to Waterfront Park in a way the city of Seattle has never seen. Overlook Walk will have informal play areas, new public plazas, a café and adjacent covered seating space, landscaping and spectacular vistas of Mount Rainier, the Olympics and the Salish Sea, inviting visitors to relax, lunch with friends, or enjoy incredible sunset views.
The Seattle Aquarium is so thankful to their many partners who helped bring the new Ocean Pavilion expansion to life, including:
- Architect: LMN Architects
- Exhibit design: Thinc Design
- Construction: Turner Construction
- Project Manager: Shiels Obletz Johnsen
- Valerie Segrest of Tahoma Peak Solutions
- Colleen Echohawk of Headwater People
- Owen Oliver of Headwater People
- Robin Little Wing Sigo, Director of Research & Strategic Development for the Suquamish Tribe
- Dan Friday, Ocean Pavilion signature artist
- Asia Tail, art consultant
- Sara Sietstreem, art consultant
- Paige Pettibon, graphic artist
- Paddle carvers in the Pacific Northwest and in Indonesia
- And many more!
“Bringing this vision to life is only possible because of the tireless work made by our dedicated staff members and partners alike. Opening the Ocean Pavilion is an historic achievement that we should all be proud of,” said Davidson.
About the Seattle Aquarium:
Founded in 1977, the Seattle Aquarium is a conservation organization working to regenerate the health of Earth’s one ocean. We work among global leaders to advance animal wellbeing, marine and ecosystem science, public policy, field conservation, education, and species recovery programs that benefit the ocean. Help support the Aquarium’s mission of Inspiring Conservation of Our Marine Environment.
On the web: SeattleAquarium.org
On Facebook: facebook.com/Aquarium.Seattle
On Instagram: instagram.com/seattleaquarium
On Youtube: youtube.com/seattleaquarium
