Seaside Aquarium

The Seaside Aquarium is a privately owned aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, United States. It is one of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast.

Seaside Aquarium
Seal at the aquarium
Date opened1937
LocationSeaside, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45.99526°N 123.92916°W / 45.99526; -123.92916
Websitewww.seasideaquarium.com

History

The building where the aquarium is located was built initially as a natatorium in the 1920s,[1] an indoor saltwater public bath,[2] with the water pumped from the Pacific Ocean through a pipe still visible today at the tide line, and then heated. It featured balconies where people could watch others swim in the pool below. A decade later, the Great Depression ended its economic feasibility. The building later served as a salmon rearing facility and then a place to watch wrestling matches. The aquarium was founded in 1937,[3] making it one of the oldest in the United States. It uses the same pipe that was installed in the 1920s to fill the aquarium tanks.

Features
Iconic sign of the aquarium overlooking Seaside's promenade

The Seaside Aquarium reports 100 species of marine life including 20-"arm" sea stars, crabs, wolf eels, moray eels, and octopuses.[1] The Seaside Aquarium established the first program to breed harbor seals in captivity and allows visitors the chance to feed its seals.[4]

During March 2013, a boat lost during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami drifted across the Pacific Ocean and washed up on the shores of Washington carrying trapped live fish. The sole remaining so-called tsunami fish was put on display at the Seaside Aquarium.[5]

Notes
  1. Elizabeth Morris, Judy Jewell, Mark Morris, Bill McRae Moon Oregon (7th edition). Published by Avalon Travel, 2007; page 247. ISBN 1-56691-930-4
  2. Marjorie Young Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest (illustrated). Published by Hunter Publishing, Inc, 1999; page 121. ISBN 1-55650-844-1
  3. Harriet Baskas. Oregon Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (illustrated). Published by Globe Pequot, 2007. ISBN 0-7627-4236-4
  4. Caitlin Claire Vincent Roadtripping USA (2nd edition). Published by Macmillan, 2007; page 974. ISBN 0-312-36182-3
  5. Tobias, Lori (April 5, 2013). "Tiny fish that survived tsunami, ocean crossing from Japan makes debut in Seaside". The Oregonian. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
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