Ucluelet Aquarium

Positive experience: It is sad indeed to take those animals out of their own lives just for display. I really wish we could find better ways to educate people to wildlife without destroying animals happyness I saw another review here showing a video of their kid putting his fingers by one of the living plants which was moving away from him but the kid keep getting at it. As much as I can be open minded, I have a hard time understanding parent not teaching their kid to learn to have a soul and to respect other forms of being by not "having fun" with the poor thing...

Fantastic experience: Friendly informative staff that obviously love their job!❤️ we visit here each time we stay in Tafino. it is worth the time and money, check them out! Blessings, Joshua

Negative experience: Abusing animals for monetary gain is disgusting. That octopus should be living its life in freedom in the ocean, not in a small tank. Deep in your hearts you know this, but you don't care. Nobody should visit this place. Disgraceful!

Fantastic experience: Best aquarium I've ever been to on the account of them releasing all of the creatures after 9 months in captivity. A cute little place that's fun for the kids.

Fantastic experience: For the size, the aquarium has a lot to offer. Even the opportunity to touch. Lots to learn in there as well.

Fantastic experience: The aquarium was on the smaller side for the price, but I felt the cost was worthwhile as a way to support the local community while visiting. The staff were very friendly and knowledgeable, and the touch tanks were a fun, interactive feature. I especially appreciated learning that the marine life is caught and then released after a few months — it’s reassuring to know the animals aren’t kept there permanently.

Fantastic experience: My family really enjoyed this little aquarium! Especially nice: everything is local, so you can combine it with your visit to a tidepool and know more about of what you are seeing. Personal favorites for me were the shimmering blue seaweed (Turkish Towel, I think?) which we also got to see over at Big Beach, the giant hermit crab getting cranky with the fish in front of it, and the flounder burying itself in the sand. Street parking was somewhat limited but we found a spot (and it was free). There's also a small playground across the street.

Fantastic experience: For a small little place it has a lot to offer. The volunteers are amazing and super friendly. The touch tanks are great and they have things that we have never seen before. We drove over from Parksville and it was totally worth the drive.

Fantastic experience: staff is very helpful and friendly, will tell you everything.

Fantastic experience: This small but mighty aquarium was such a treat. It's not very big but they pack a lot into the small pace. Lots of tanks with various sea life. Multiple touch tanks for the kids to explore. And they had an octopus there! I love that none of the sea life stay there - they all get released back into ocean. I highly recommend a visit if you're in the area.

Fantastic experience: One of the highlights of our recent trip to Ucluelet and Tofino was this lovely aquarium. Unlike the big aquarium in Vancouver or the one in Toronto, this aquarium is all about the cold water marine ecosystem of the Clayoquot Sound, our own maritime back yard. The people here are passionate, and the museum people who you can ask questions mostly are volunteers who come and work shifts so they can share this wonderful treasures of these unique ecosystems with others. Frankly, I wonder what is wrong with anyone who would rather have yet another same-same aquarium with "nemo fishies" (Amphiprion ocellaris), when you can see a native Octopus, or newly hatched skates, or a bunch of hermit crabs arguing over whatever it is they're arguing over.

Fantastic experience: This place far exceeded my expectations. Staff walked around several times while we were there to see if we had questions. We got to see them feed the octopus and their gift shop has some really unique items. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: This aquarium may be small, but it sure is mighty. I cannot tell you how incredibly well-run and how special it is. Truly, if you have the chance to pay a visit, do it. Don’t let the “small” space throw you off. I could easily spend an entire day there and still want to come back, not just for the aquatic baddies in those aquariums, but for the EXCEPTIONALLY BRILLIANT staff who make the aquarium a truly magical experience. I’ll say this: I think as adults, we aren’t very inclined to refer to others as our heroes, but I can say with 100% certainty that I found one at the Ukee Aquarium. Laura (great name, btw), the curator and marine biologist, was quite literally one of the most inspiring and interesting people I have ever had the pleasure to speak with. She is clearly passionate about her craft, and boy, does it show. Was it cool to see an octopus eat a crab? Yes. Yes, it was. Was it cooler to listen to Laura share a tiny fraction of the knowledge she holds about the local marine wildlife? Absolutely. An absolute must-visit! (PS — thank you, Ink Floyd, for showing us your partially digested meal. We appreciated your transparency )

Fantastic experience: Ucluelet Aquarium was spectacular!!! It was awesome to learn about the amazing work they do for the environment and the wildlife in the area! Staff were very friendly and knowledgeable too. Just a lovely place to spend an hour or two :) Definitely recommend it if you are in the area!!

Fantastic experience: I've been to many aquariums large and small around the world. This is one of the most interesting. All local marine life with free flowing water going through. All sealife is released at the end of the season. This is not a zoo! Many interactive touch tanks with staff to help explain everything. We'll maintained aquariums with sealife I've never seen.

Fantastic experience: I've been to a few aquariums across the world, and the Ucluelet Aquarium has become one of my favorites. I like their catch and release system and loved seeing the local ecosystem displayed like this.

Fantastic experience: Worth visiting especially on a rainy day! Worthy organization. It’s a catch and release aquarium. The touch part is really cool and new to me. It’s a bit smaller but still a good visit.

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium showcasing local marine life with a ton of touch pools and a great selection of wildlife. The aquarium is collect and release which means the selection of animals changes over time and they get to go back to the ocean after the summer months. Despite its small size this is a top tier aquarium. Highly recommend.

Fantastic experience: Best aquarium I’ve ever visited! So well done, educational, captivating and top notch gift shop that ditched swag in favour of local artists and super unique items. Will definitely be back!

Fantastic experience: Small but well worth the visit to learn about the local habitat! Very well designed and maintained. The octopus was incredible 10/10 recommend.

Fantastic experience: This small but mighty aquarium, lets you physically interact with the creatures, who are only in the aquarium for part of the year before being reintegrated into the wild. The tactile experience for children big and small is a unique and wonderful experience to teach respect for our waters. Its location on the pier is perfect as well.

Fantastic experience: Very interesting and environment friendly project, it was interesting to know more information about local sea creatures

Fantastic experience: A must when visiting Ucluelet! This was my second time visiting, and it was even better than the first. All of the staff were super kind, helpful, and excited to talk about their work - which made this such a fun experience! We got to watch them do a feeding with their octopus which was definitely a highlight, and the touch pools are great. Laura was especially awesome, and went above and beyond showing us some of the cool creatures and sharing what she loved about them.

Fantastic experience: The staff at the aquarium were some of the nicest and most intelligent people we have ever met. They are so kind and spent lots of time answering questions. Great place to visit and I highly recommend supporting this amazing organization.

Fantastic experience: Cute little aquarium showcasing local species, with amazing friendly and super knowledgeable staff!

Fantastic experience: It's a really neat concept. They're only open during certain months. And the way it works is that they capture sea creatures through their water system and use the recycled ocean water, and when they close the aquarium, they release the creatures back into the ocean ❤️

Fantastic experience: A wonderful venue. Most of the tanks are interactive.

Fantastic experience: Such a great aquarium. One of my favourite stops in Ucluelet. Well displayed exhibits with tons of information.

Fantastic experience: This aquarium is delightful. I spent more time here than I thought I would. The displays are informative and engaging, and the staff are very helpful and enthusiastic. Highly recommend spending some time here.

Fantastic experience: Quite an experience! Came here with my school and there were a lot of cool touch tanks that I was able to get hands on with. The aquarium is quite small so sometimes it may get crowded. But there are a lot of aquamarine variety for you to see. Amazing experience, don’t expect anything big, but the intimacy is nice.

Fantastic experience: Lovely little aquarium with a wholesome concept behind it! Very knowledgeable and friendly personnel. A must-see when in Ukee!

Fantastic experience: Ucluelet Aquarium was a wonderful attraction that is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. It’s full of fascinating creatures, many of which I’ve never seen before. It’s not a huge place, but we still spent a good half an hour looking at the exhibits. It plays a big part in the community too, and you can definitely feel the love and passion that’s poured into it by the small team running it. Definitely give it a visit if you’re in Ucluelet.

Fantastic experience: Great way to spend an afternoon, especially on a rainy day! The Ucluelet Aquarium offers an incredible opportunity to explore local marine life while being super educational. It's perfect for kids of all ages, making it a fun and informative experience for the whole family.

Fantastic experience: While it seemed a bit small when I first walked in, there was plenty to see and learn. I love the nature of their process, collecting and releasing the critters each year. I was especially surprised to learn about what plankton is. Turns out I had no idea. Their description is included in my pictures. Also, the way some creatures feel is not what you'd expect!

Fantastic experience: Coolest place ever!!! Do not miss this if you are in the area.

Fantastic experience: Great local Aquarium that puts the various sea life back in the environment. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff. A must do when visiting Ucluelet

Fantastic experience: Just loved wandering through and seeing the ocean life up close. Staff was so friendly and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: Adorable little aquarium with excellent staff (all volunteers who love to tell you more about the animals or the history of the building). 5/5 The animals are all catch and release as mentioned in the reviews below. Lovely architectural building and it is all surrounding the large tank in the middle. Touch pools are kid friendly - use your pinky and wash your hands in the sink provided ! A short ish adventure that took about 45min-1 hr if you read everything and are a marine biology nerd like me.

Positive experience: It was neat for sure, especially the touch pools, but I think the price was a bit steep for the half hour we spent there. It's not a big place. We took our two 9-year-old boys.

Fantastic experience: Very cool that it is a catch/release aquarium! My two young school aged children loved it. We spent around a hour here. It is a small aquarium so allow about 30-90 min depending on how quickly you move through everything. They especially liked the tanks where they could gently touch some of the sea creatures. There are washrooms and a small gift shop too.

Fantastic experience: Great interactive aquarium with friendly staff. Lots of tanks with good descriptions about the fish and wild life

Fantastic experience: We went here with my best friend on 5th of June. It’s a small aquarium but definitely a unique one. There are some touch tanks where you can touch sea cucumbers, starfish and so on. You can get a small discount if you are a student. There was a guy who volunteered there during our visit and he was very informativesuper fun, cool place

Fantastic experience: Best stop in Ucluelet (frankly, the only reason to go to Ucluelet other than Amphitrite Point or the Co-Op). Amazingly friendly and knowledgeable staff. Incredibly socially responsible way of running an aquarium. Coolest exhibit is the krill tank. This year they have pipefish (and adorable pipefish babies). Price may feel steep but take the time to seriously take in just how cool of a facility this is - it's like giving people an easy access to dive locations, in a way that has almost no impact on the well-being of the animals. Frankly each time I visit I'm hesitant at the AAA pricetag and by the time I leave I am ready for an extra donation.

Negative experience: Doesn’t actually close at 4:30 it closes for admission at 4 and they have no problem disappointing people who have driven for hours to get there.

Fantastic experience: This was our second visit to the aquarium and we loved it again. Our kids loved it at 6 and 8 and still loved it this summer at 9 and 11. They do an amazing job of responsible and sustainable practices, and it’s great for kids. The staff is super knowledgeable and approachable. We’ll be back for sure!

Fantastic experience: Great little catch & release aquarium, (all fish are released at the end of the season). We'll thought out displays with well informed staff answering questions.

Fantastic experience: For a little Aquarium, this place is amazing! Very worthwhile visit.

Fantastic experience: One of the best aquariums I have visited. The docents were incredible and helped us find many nudibranchs.

Fantastic experience: I am very happy we drove down to Ucluelet and found the aquarium. My husbands face when he saw the octopus was worth it! This place has a very unique way of sourcing the creatures they show case. A definite place for people to stop in and see!

Positive experience: The aquarium was charming but quite small. Despite its size, it had a good variety of marine life. It's a nice visit if you’re in the area, but don’t expect to spend more than an hour there.

Fantastic experience: Enjoyable destination. Got lucky and got to see octopus being fed (only every few days). It is a compact location, but there are many tanks.

Fantastic experience: We always love to visit this aquarium. Exciting local aquatic life to see. Unique catch-educate-release motto. Great place for both kids and curious adults alike. Come & ask questions - amazing staff who love to answer questions

Fantastic experience: Variety of creatures that collecting from local area

Fantastic experience: Everytime we are in Ucluelet, we make a stop at the aquarium - It’s an absolute must see. It’s the first “catch and release” aquarium in Canada and one of a kind. There is so much to learn, and the experience is what you make of it. You can easily buzz through but the point is to stop and interact with the staff (Who are always absolutely lovely and knowledgeable) and learn about the efforts and work that goes into their projects. It’s a great tool for kids and adults - My partner and our friends stopped in a few weeks ago and Nate took the time to talk with us and educate us about different aspects with wildlife/old growth, etc. He left such an impact and made this experience one that we will remember for quite some time. Thank you Nate and the team at this aquarium for all that you do!

Fantastic experience: Absolutely incredible spot. So much to see and learn for all ages. The staff are incredible, don’t visit the area without a visit here! 100% recommend!

Fantastic experience: Great fun for the whole family! We come back every year to enjoy the fish and displays. My girls love the touch pools and seeing the big fish in the main display.

Positive experience: Interesting non-profit aquarium. Touch tidal pools are probably great for kids or for anyone not exposed to sea life. But as an adult from the West Coast, it was so so. And a bit expensive for what was there.

Fantastic experience: First catch and release aquarium in Canada. Absolutely beautiful, you can touch some starfish as well. What a neat experience, friendly staff and decent price for entry as it’s not for profit. Loved it thank you

Fantastic experience: We visited today. It was incredibly educational, a fascinating experience. I am happy that our child's first experience in a Aquarium was this Catch and release one. I was blown away by the knowledge all the workers had and how friendly everyone was. A must see! We easily spent a couple hours here. Could stay longer and ask as many questions as your heart desires!

Fantastic experience: The catch and release aquarium at Ucluelet is a fantastic place to go with the whole gang. Amazing displays some you can reach in and touch. The octopus was a bit shy this time. There is so much to see and so much to learn. A must visit, it never disappoints.

Fantastic experience: This place is awesome! It is the world’s first catch and release aquarium. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly and you get to see what life is like on the shore. Admission supports their conservation and education programs and the had a puget sound king crab.

Fantastic experience: Visited in April 2023. This was such a unique little aquarium! Love that it is catch-and-release - and all local animals/specimens. The open tanks are very cool and there are some which allow you to touch. We also really enjoyed the educational panels throughout the aquarium, and appreciated the focus on conservation.

Positive experience: $54 for two adults and two kids. In and out in 20 mins after going around twice. Kids liked it, staff were friendly but a little pricey given the size

Fantastic experience: As a first-time visitor to the Ucluelet Aquarium, I was thoroughly impressed by the wide range of marine life on display and the dedication of the staff to educating visitors about the importance of conserving our oceans. From the moment I stepped through the doors, I was captivated by the vibrant colors and diverse species of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals. The aquarium's exhibits are well-designed and informative, providing visitors with a wealth of knowledge about the local marine ecosystem. I was particularly impressed by the aquarium's touch pool, where I was able to get up close and personal with some of the creatures that call the Pacific Ocean home. The staff were incredibly friendly answering all of my questions and providing fascinating insights into the lives of these animals. In addition to the exhibits, the aquarium also offers a variety of educational programs and events. The Aquarium are all for the importance of protecting our oceans. Overall, my visit to the Ucluelet Aquarium was a great experience. I was left with a renewed appreciation for the importance of protecting our oceans. I highly recommend this aquarium to anyone visiting Ucluelet.

Fantastic experience: We went there spontaneously at a rainy day and were amazed at how cool this aquarium is! There is just one big room but we could easily spend hours in it without getting bored. A lot of love in the details and very committed employees who like to explain more when asked.

Fantastic experience: MUST SEE if you are visiting Tofino or Ucluelet. Take your sweet time when you visit. The more you look, the more you’ll see. Super impressed with the variety of marine life here, and I love the sustainable catch and release concept. Super helpful staff too. :) We’ll be back every time we visit now, especially knowing the marine life gets switched up seasonally.

Fantastic experience: The best part of this aquarium is that they have local fauna, they have this innovative catch-&-release system, that every 6 months release the animals they have at the moment, you can touch some species, the staff is really friendly and wise, the place is small compared to other aquariums i had visited but… is totally worth it to visit!, the place and the conditions of all the animals and plants is great, definitely i’ll come back!

Fantastic experience: An incredible aquarium. Our group spent around 1.5 hours here and it was such a wonderful experience. The staff is very informative and the every changing types of creatures definitely make me want to return again in the future.

Fantastic experience: An awesome catch-and-release aquarium that has a new assortment of specimens on display each season. Friendly and knowledgeable staff that are happy to explain the variety of species on display. There is also a small gift shop with some really cool stickers, postcards, T-shirts and books.

Fantastic experience: What a wonderful aquarium! I love that they catch and release on a seasonal basis... and not just the animals! We were informed by one of the awesome staff that every rock and plant, as well as the animals, are selected for the season and then lovingly settled back in nature at the end of their visit. It must be an enormous undertaking, one we appreciate as it gives us all a chance to learn about the incredible sea life in this area.

Fantastic experience: Canada's first catch and release aquarium: all the critters are released at season's end and returned to where they are found. Great gift shop, knowledgeable staff and definitely a serendipitous find. A true gem and must visit!

Fantastic experience: It was a very nice experience, especially if you have kids. A little bit expensive but it is all worth it.

Fantastic experience: Unique aquarium! I love that it is a "catch and release" centre returning all of its exhibits of local marine life back to the bay at the end of the season. The staff are friendly and informative, and the touch tanks are interesting. Definitely worth visiting!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant place. The staff knew so much about the creatures on display, were approachable and great with kids. The touching tanks are a great idea. Our kids were so engaged. Highly recommended if you want to spend an hour or so learning about the incredible local marine life.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely wonderful. This is a catch and release aquarium. All of the visitors are returned to the wild once a year. All exhibits are of local creatures. Bay water is circulated through the tanks. Great docents. Very educational. Some touch tanks. Extremely well done.

Fantastic experience: Went here on a weekend with my dad last year and enjoyed the experience. I can see why my tribe supports the place without me telling them too, I will visit again in the future.

Fantastic experience: Highly recommend visiting this sweet aquarium! Very well informed staff who were so informative in telling us about how the aquarium runs and all the creatures.

Fantastic experience: We were so lucky to be staying right beside the Ucluelet Aquarium, and made it a priority to visit! The staff was all very friendly and knowledgeable , and were working hard the whole time we were there. We absolutely loved all of the indigenous species, and the beautifully decorated and well-kept tanks and enclosures. We learned a lot about local sea life, and enjoyed our time immensely. Photos don’t do justice - make sure you check out this gem for yourself!

Fantastic experience: Excellent excellent staff, knowledgeable and kind and such cool displays. The ocean is so cool! Thank you for your care and knowledge and love for the ocean!

Positive experience: A cute little aquarium with beautiful seaside views and a quaint little gift shop. The best part is that all the marine life is from local catches and they release them back to the ocean at the end of each season. Small touch tanks to feel starfish etc. Not a lot to see, but a decent amount for a quick stop. Plan to spend no more than an hour at most

Fantastic experience: This place is great! They catch everything in spring and release it again in fall. So everything is local. Definitely worth a stop!

Fantastic experience: Surprisingly impressive. Unexpectedly good for a small community such as Ucluelet. Not a major aquarium by city standards, but worth the admission.

Fantastic experience: Visited this morning with my two young daughters (3 and 5yrs) who both absolutely loved it! The staff were very welcoming and happily answered questions. Although very small, there were a lot of very interesting tanks with plenty of fascinating ocean critters to learn about. The highlight by far was the octopus, my daughters were amazed watching it move around and change colour. Lovely little gift shop up front and clean facilities. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic experience: Great aquarium! It looks small from the outside but there was a lot packed in there! Tons of awesome sea creatures to see and to learn about! My favourite was the octopus, we could watch it swim around and change colours!

Fantastic experience: The Ucluelet Aquarium is inspiring and that word is not enough to give full measure to this treasure of learning it is, located in the stunning ocean village of Ucluelet aka Ukee on Vancouver Island’s Wild West coast. Its unique catch-and release micro aquarium collects sea animals from local waters in the early months of the year, then returning them back to their ocean home at the end of the March to November season, giving visitors who live on land a nine- month window to learn about their fellow creatures: It also does outreach programmes on the impact of waste on the ocean’s health and other important issues. It is dependent of volunteers and donations. It has recently added a big cedar fish facade to its delightful building , and linked it to a donation program where, if one donates 200$ plus one can get a cedar fish scale shingle inscribed. I got one to honour my ocean-loving son and his family of four., expressing gratitude to them for their care. It is a great gift, and a great way to donate to this Ukee gem. Posted by S Fuller

Fantastic experience: The aquarium is on the smaller side but my kids love coming here year after year. It's good for a 45 minute - 1 hour diversion before moving on to see what else Ucluelet has to offer.

Fantastic experience: Educational, beautiful. Amazing. They have touch tanks that you can lightly touch the starfish and sea cucumbers Very interesting

Fantastic experience: A great little aquarium, with a wonderful catch-and-release of local species, but the highlight was the truly incredible staff. The women working were incredibly knowledgeable and passionate, and shared that with everyone in the building, making it an exceptional learning and interactive experience for young and old. This aquarium should be an example for all others on how to engage and teach in an approachable manner!

Fantastic experience: Great place to bring kids and learn about the sea life in this coast, and it helps with conservation of wild life. The staff is very friendly and attentive helping and answering questions. There is a very friendly octopus and has a touch and feel experience as you can touch sertain animas around the aquarium. Lovely.

Fantastic experience: Incredible aquarium! So much marine life to look at and definitely a better experience knowing the species are locally caught and released. Informative displays and friendly staff. Especially recommend to anyone with small children!

Fantastic experience: Great little aquarium, interesting exhibits from the local marine environment. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable.

Fantastic experience: Not the biggest craziest animals but really cool concept with local animals and water being pumped directly from the ocean was really cool to see. Worth a visit

Positive experience: Really enjoyable visit, lots of different underwater species, which are all local to the area.

Fantastic experience: had a lot of fun here, the staff was very knowledgeable. - 2018

Fantastic experience: Amazing experience! Great to see the educational work they do. Well worth the money

Fantastic experience: The Ucluelet Aquarium is fantastic! For the people who complained this was at most a 10-15 min experience, the problem isn’t with the aquarium: the problem is with your attention span and depth of interest in the natural world. Looking forward to our next visit!

Positive experience: This is a small aquarium, interesting, the tanks are clean with an abundance of beautiful sea life. The staff are knowledgeable and seem very dedicated which we appreciated.

Fantastic experience: To get the most out of the experience, take your time to go through the aquarium and walk through multiple times. It’s not too big but there is lots to see and you notice different things each time you go through. Admission allows re-entry for the day; you can go out to lunch and return later. Stir up your curiosity and ask questions about anything interesting you see - the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. It’s also relaxing to sit in front of your favourite tank and just watch.

Fantastic experience: Sooo amazing the amount of local sea life, and the fact it only stays for 10 months and returns to the ocean!! The young man at the front was spectacular at his job. We will return next year!! Thank you

Fantastic experience: The Aquarium uses specimens that are collected and released each season for study and display, their water supply is a direct exchange from the harbor giving the animals the most natural environment they can indoors. The staff are super friendly and love nerding out sharing their knowledge and i learned a lot of stuff. well worth the price of admission.