Centro Shaw para el Mar Salish
📍 Localización y contacto
📷 Fotos del Centro Shaw para el Mar Salish
ℹ️ Información
Nonprofit aquarium exhibiting Salish Sea marine life & including a jellyfish tank & touch pools.
Bienvenido al Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, una experiencia encantadora y educativa para visitantes de todas las edades, ubicado en hermosa Sidney, Canadá. Este pequeño acuario ofrece una visión única de la vida marina del Salish Sea.
Los puntos destacados de su visita incluirán:
- Un divertido y interactivo tanque de contacto donde los niños pueden interactuar de forma segura con criaturas marinas locales como estrellas de mar y erizos de mar.
- Una entrada temática de submarino que establece el tono para una experiencia envolvente.
- Personal y voluntarios conocedores y amables, ansiosos por compartir datos fascinantes e interactuar con los visitantes, mejorando su visita con historias e información personal.
- Una variedad de exhibiciones marinas que muestran especies locales vibrantes, incluidos los hipnotizantes medusas y el altamente interactivo pulpo.
- Una encantadora tienda de regalos con artesanías locales y materiales educativos.
Los visitantes seguramente encontrarán que este pequeño pero bullicioso acuario es una parada perfecta para aprender y explorar en un entorno acogedor. Con exhibiciones pensadas para atender tanto a niños como a adultos, es una forma maravillosa de apreciar la riqueza de nuestros océanos. ¡No se pierda la oportunidad de conectarse con las maravillas del océano!
🕒 Horario de apertura
- DOMINGO: 10H-16:30
- LUNES: 10H-16:30
- MARTES: 10H-16:30
- MIéRCOLES: (CLOSED)
- JUEVES: 10H-16:30
- VIERNES: 10H-16:30
- SáBADO: 10H-16:30
🎟️ Compra tu entrada
🗣️ Centro Shaw para el Mar Salish: Opiniones
Experiencia fantástica: Educational and fun. The staff are eager to help you learn more about the Salish Sea. The touch tank is really neat! The "submarine" entrance is super cute. You walk all the way through and then turn around and come back the way you came. Nice little giftshop.
Experiencia fantástica: Volunteers were really kind and knowledgeable, was a fun experience!
Experiencia fantástica: Excellent small aquarium displaying local marine life. I was shocked at how colourful the Salish Sea fish are, almost like a tropical reef! My favourites were the China Rockfish and the grunt-fish. Make sure you ask the guides to show you around for the best experience
Experiencia positiva: Small but fun!
Experiencia fantástica: The Salish sea aquarium at Sidney is awesome. The exhibits are designed thoughtfully and are engaging to look at, for both young and old visitors. The staff are super friendly and knowledgeable. There are numerous interactive exhibits and activities. The new pollinators exhibition is very interesting and has some beautiful photography. You will definitely learn something new after visiting the Salish sea aquarium.
Experiencia fantástica: Lovr the experience. Our almost 2 year old expressed a never ending wow moment while we were visiting
Experiencia fantástica: What a gem of a place... absolutely loved my quick visit & I can't wait to come back with my granddaughters!!
Experiencia fantástica: We buy annual membership ships is such a relaxing and educational experience to be near our underwater locals.
Experiencia fantástica: Cheaper than therapy. Wonderful aquarium with fun and informative volunteers. Nice to have seats in front of the bigger tanks. Free two hour parking underground with admission.
Experiencia negativa: Should not be asking for yearly handouts from the local government as a corporate sponsored organization, and the local government shouldn’t be doling out money to a local organizations that aren’t public services (this year $200,000). Basically just a zoo attraction for marine wildlife that costs $20 and takes around 10 minutes to see everything.
Experiencia positiva: In my opinion this is set up to cater more to children than adults.
Experiencia positiva: I grew up in Vancouver and was used to the Vancouver Aquarium. I had never been here before, but went here with my children last week. It was quite busy, but the staff were very helpful and attentive. The tanks are interesting and beautiful. I was surprised by the price, but all prices seem to be high nowadays. It's definitely less than the Vancouver Aquarium is now, but it is also much smaller than the Vancouver Aquarium. There is an interesting exhibit on pollinators that is also there right now. The octopus showed itself at the end of our visit which was wonderful. The jellyfish and eels were a highlight for me. The children really loved the tidal pool part where you are allowed to gently touch some tide pool dwellers and the tank with the bubble at the bottom that they could pique their head up into to get a picture with the fish. It took us about an hour to go through here and look at all of the tanks and the exhibit.
Experiencia fantástica: Amazing for such a small space. Really inspiring for little and adults alike. Our young toddler really enjoyed the play area, as well as the jellyfish and the rock fish tanks. Vancouver Aquarium could take notes from your gift shop! Well stocked with unique toys, local gifts and children's books. Thanks for a great time!
Experiencia fantástica: It was our family’s first visit here and we had a lovely time. The submarine entrance was a nice added touch for the kids. We spent our time looking at everything, enjoying the touch pool and learning from the educators about the Salish Sea. We felt very welcomed, especially with the humour and kindness from the education staff. It really shows how much fun they are, too. The octopus had finished lunch when we arrived so she was very active, moving from one side to the other. Compared to other aquariums we’ve been to, she’s a standout! We came on a weekday, which is typically less busy, and it gave us the chance to take our time to really look at everything. The wolf eel even made an appearance, which an educator pointed out and it gave our visit a more interactive approach that we appreciated. Jamie, one of the educators at the centre was stellar. He was warm, welcoming and patient with my kids’ questions and comments. At one point during our visit, he walked through the centre to invite guests to a pollinator trivia activity. My kids really enjoyed learning from him. Thank you Jamie! Yes, it is a smaller centre, features a more locally focused cast of marine life, yet it offers a much more chill and interactive experience that our family really enjoyed.
Experiencia fantástica: Lots of very educational live and digital-view marine creatures from the Salish Sea. There was also an area where you could touch the live creatures. You can easily see time fly as you gaze at each installation while learning fascinating facts about marine life. There is also a neat gift shop where you can purchase some neat items for kids. A wonderful morning here.
Experiencia fantástica: Loved it.
Experiencia fantástica: Checked out this hidden gem of Pacific NW aquariums and totally impressed. It’s simple entrance belies a very well thought out and put together habitat space sharing the many marine species big and small that call the Salish Sea region home The entrance via “Submarine” and “Welcome to the Salish sea intro signage sets up the journey that the aquarium wants its guests to take. Opens into a well laid out space that is not overwhelming and easy to browse thru. I noted that larger aquariums in the NW I have visited somewhat lack in this area of the guest experience and “Setting up the journey” for the guest experience. Volunteers also made it a wonderful interactive experience and even pointed out some tidepool creatures I have never heard of before. Between the major aquariums in the PNW that specialize in NW marine life, this hidden gem is the best of them. I believe the bigger aquariums in the NW could take some cues from this one to improve their guest experience. Will definitely be back this summer!
Experiencia fantástica: We hosted our wedding welcome party at the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea, and we couldn’t have chosen a better venue! The space is surprisingly spacious, absolutely stunning, and offers a unique and engaging experience for guests. The event staff and coordinators were friendly, professional, and a pleasure to work with. One of the highlights was the knowledgeable volunteers who walked around during the event, answering questions and sharing fascinating insights about the local marine life. Our guests had an incredible time and still talk about how much fun they had! The venue’s seamless tech setup made it easy to connect to the stereo and projector system for music and a photo slideshow, adding a personal touch to our celebration. We would host an event here again in a heartbeat and highly recommend supporting this beautiful aquarium!
Experiencia fantástica: Really liked this place! Friendly staff walking around to answer questions and show off their favorite sea life. A really good look into the sea life of the Salish sea.
Thank you, Justin. The Centre's volunteers and staff really do love to share and shell-ebrate the wonderfulness of Salish Sea critters with our visitors. Happy you had a great experience!
Experiencia fantástica: I had a spectacular experience learning about the rich maritime life beneath the Salish Sea here. The museum is small yet there is a lot to see. The staff are extremely knowledgeable and my tour was quirky and fun. I especially liked the octopus, whom I was told was really in a mood to show off. The touch pool was amazing as well. All in all, I had a sensational tour and this museum is a great place to visit while in Sidney.
Kevin- thanks for this sand-sational review! And you clearly flexed your photography "mussels" during your visit. In fact, these may be some of the last great captures of the beloved octopus, Cassian, before his release back into the sea. He totally krilled it during his six-month stay at the Centre, as seen in some of your photos. We hope you'll make it back this way another time and check out another disARMing giant Pacific octopus!
Experiencia fantástica: What an aquarium! We went to it after hopping off the ferry -- it was pretty close to the terminal. The entry into the aquarium was such a cool experience, you go into a room where the doors close then you "dive" into the sea and doors on the other side open, it kind of reminded me of a Salish Sea version of the Disney's Haunted Mansion elevator. The kids (big and small) loved the area where you could touch the sea creatures in the shadow pools and watching the fish being fed (the huge eel coming out to feed was amazing). There was an activity table set up where the kids could colour their own hermit crab. We spent a good 1.5hr or so in there, would visit again for sure!
Wow- Jenn. We're s'urchin for the words to express our thanks for your fintastic review! So happy to know you and your pod had such an enjoyable experience.
Experiencia fantástica: We visited last weekend on a cold, rainy day. Our kids (ages 7 and 10) haven't visited the Canadian Pacific, so this center was a great experience. Merlie took the time to show us around, often stopping to explain neat tidbits of information and generated excitement in the kids about all the neat things of the sea. Donna was incredibly patient and explained all the neat features of the touch tank- we will not forget touching the starfish and getting sea urchin "hugs". Thanks for having this center, and making it a space for all to learn and experience. Will definitely be recommending this place!
Hurray, Alissa- tanks for this crabtastic review! Volunteers, like Merlie and Donna, contribute enormously to the Centre by sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with visitors of all ages. We love to hear how positive your experience was with these tremendous ambassadors for learning about the Salish Sea!
Experiencia fantástica: Such a community-centered place, I love brining my kiddo back here throughout the year to see the latest attractions and seasonal decorations.
Well, we shore loved reading this review, Tanya. Thanks for taking the time to share. We hope to see you and your little one back here soon!
Experiencia fantástica: This small yet charming aquarium is a must-see on vancouver island, and it was a delightful experience! The entrance elevator is very cool, and also makes it all very accessible. Despite its modest size, the variety of marine life was impressive, especially the mesmerizing jellyfish and the playful octopus. The touch pool was a highlight, allowing for a hands-on encounter with some fascinating sea creatures. The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, always eager to share interesting facts about the exhibits. The gift shop was a cool addition, offering unique souvenirs that are perfect for marine life enthusiasts. The only downside was that it felt a tad overpriced for the size of the aquarium, and for most of their merchandise but the experience and the joy it brought made it worth it. Overall, a lovely visit that I highly recommend!
Thanks for this sand-sational review, Brooks. We're so pleased your experience was very positive! As for the admissions price, we work hard to keep fees as low as possible. It costs a boatful of sand-dollars to operate a cold, saltwater aquarium- even as a charity non-profit!
Experiencia fantástica: I’m usually not too impressed with places like this, but I was impressed here! It’s a very well done facility. Great staff. Very informative.
A b-oyster-ous thanks for this rad review, Rory! We love to hear about folks' positive experiences here. Hope you can come and sea us again soon.
Experiencia fantástica: My grandson and I have visited since he was a baby - he is now six. Today was brilliant. We were eyeball to eyeball with the octopus. Staff/volunteers spent time to teach him about the creatures. He loved the bird song section. We are fortunate to have this experience so close to Victoria.
Valerie- thank you so much for this sand-sational review! How it thrills us to know you are still having such wonderful experiences six years later! Few things rival getting eye to eye with a wild animal, and we're always grateful for the shout out to our volunteers and staff. We count our lucky seastars that we're able to live and work in the Salish Sea bioregion.
Experiencia fantástica: We all had so much fun and learned so much. We even got to touch anemones, starfish and sea urchins! So cool. Thanks for the great memories
Whale, thanks Amanda MO3! Sounds like a Salish Sea style shell-ebration, and we are here for it! Come back again soon.
Experiencia fantástica: Takes about 1 hour to see everything at a comfortable pace. The entrance is rather exciting, simulating a submerging submarine. The aquariums are well maintained, and there are plenty of volunteer staff ready to answer any of your questions. Roman in particular is remarkably knowledgeable. Some of the aquariums are open, but there are signs saying to look but not touch. There is a dedicated touch pool, but I managed to successfully also look at it without any issues.
Experiencia fantástica: Well organized place. Friendly cashiers at the entrance. Cool main entrance door. All aquariums are well maintained. They have several guides who are happy to bring wide explanation. Thanks, Roman! Also there is a room where you can touch some starfish or anemone. Nice calm sound of the sea is supporting. Free parking nearby. You will spend about an hour.
Experiencia fantástica: A must-see. Amazingly friendly staff, great help, interesting stories. A separate room where you can touch safe creatures under the supervision of competent volunteers.
Experiencia fantástica: Nice little aquarium. Great for the little ones. Nice touch pool.
Tanks, Shawn! We love to hear that you and your crew had a very positive experience. Hope you'll be able to visit again soon!
Experiencia fantástica: Really fun way to spend the afternoon, huge place to explore. Lots of comfy seating and lots of volunteers full of knowledge.
Alana- there are few things we appre-sea-ate more than a shout out to our amazing, knowledgeable volunteers. Thank you for that. So happy to know you thoroughly enjoyed your experience!
Experiencia fantástica: beautiful and fun place to go, even for grown up kids in their late 40's. It all starts with bathyscaphe lock, cool and funny, I am impressed. Despite its small size, this place deliver, on par with Vancouver Aquarium I would say. Displays, lighting, information placards, variety of sea life, it is all good. Now, being freediver and spear fisherman, I had a few questions, and was surprised that some floor staff couldn't identify species of fish floating in the tank, let alone speak for protected or endangered species, or fishing regulations. This was quickly resolved by another staff member who came up for help. But honestly, this is something management should look into. Overall, I had a good time, and would go again if I happen to be in the area.
Hi Andrew, we greatly appreciate all feedback, so thank you for spending the time. As a not-for-profit organization with substantial aquarium operational costs, we actually rely greatly on over 160 volunteers to support us. In fact, all of our floor 'guides' are volunteers! Our educators offer weekly enrichment programs on our animals, the Salish Sea, and even fishing guidelines. The challenge, however, is new and irregular volunteers who may not be as up-to-speed on all topics. With 160 species and over 3500 animals in our habitats it can sometimes be overwhelming! We are so happy that you came to our Centre and that you enjoyed your experience for the most part. Your comments did make us realize that we have not done a fishing guidelines enrichment in some time, so we will get on that! Kindest regards, Mark - Executive Director.
Experiencia fantástica: Great little aquarium, lots to see and beautifully maintained!
Ahoy Carly! A wave of gratitude for your review. And we are star-struck by your gorgeous photos- thank you for sharing these. Who could resist being charmed by these squishy marine ambassadors?
Experiencia fantástica: Great interactive aquarium. The staff is super knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. It’s a must visit place each time we are in Sidney. Fun for the entire family!
Ooh, thanks for the tidal wave of good words, MVMV! You likely interacted with our awesome volunteers, who are renowned for enriching the visitor experience, alongside our staff team. Either way, whale look forward to seaing you again soon!
Experiencia fantástica: Had a great experience! Small but mighty aquarium, with really knowledgeable and welcoming staff and volunteers. I felt lucky to see the octopus get fed and play! The gift shop was great too. I think this would be an especially good place for field trips and taking kids interested in aquatic life.
What a sand-sational review, Jens! You pretty much covered all the bases, though maybe we'll add some more bait with 2-hr free underground parking, just for the halibut! Thanks for the brilliant shout out.
Experiencia positiva: Fabulous place with very knowledgeable staff and dedicated volunteers.
Experiencia fantástica: A wonderful aquarium for kids and adults alike. Was here with people to people in 2012. Lovely place to spend your time
Ahoy Master Shake! Minnow thanks for the shout out and 5-star salute. We agree that there is something for everyone here. And hopefully enough to keep people returning, even 12 years later!
Experiencia fantástica: Better than going to the Vancouver Aquarium, in my opinion (especially in price.) Spend 1-2 hours here. There’s an area where you can gently touch some types of creatures!
Thanks Tempo-rarely does our centre get compared to a facility of that size- but we're here for it! We so appre-sea-ate the 5 star salute, thanks!!
Experiencia fantástica: A lovely small operation with beautiful displays, knowledgeable staff and volunteers. Very close and personal experience with their Giant Pacific Octopus Ace. Truly AMAZING!!!
Thanks D! Ace really is a wonder to behold and enjoys showing off all those (ch)arms. We're so pleased you had such a memorable visit Hope you'll come back and sea us again soon.
Experiencia positiva: This place is pretty cool. Definitely more aimed at children. The staff was very helpful and friendly. We did not see the octopus.
Experiencia positiva: This place is incredible was so awesome to watch my son be so intrigued to all the marine life. The front doors were probably his favorite
Thanks for the feedback, Cassidy. We love terms like incredible and awesome regarding anyone's experience here a the Centre!
Experiencia fantástica: Not a big aquarium but very interesting. Also there is a touch pool which is great for those who like to have a touching experience with some sea creatures.
Experiencia fantástica: Small but mighty! Loved the "petting zoo" area and the "elevator" haha so fun! There is free underground parking.
Aw, tanks KD! We appreciate you spending your time and hard-earned sand dollars here at the Centre and we love to hear that it was much enjoyed! Also- yes, there is 2-hr free parking downstairs (and have we mentioned that our prices have not increased since 2019?!).
Experiencia fantástica: We went there on the 1st Monday of Spring Break, 3 adults, 2 children and a baby with a stroller. We didn't buy tickets in advance and although it wasn't empty, there was no waiting time. I thought it was overpriced at first, but after our visit I thought it was worth it! My 8yo and my 4yo had never had this much fun in other aquariums or museums! The staff was friendly and engaged them throughout the tour with easy language for them to understand, plus fun games and activities and crafts! The final area has children's books, more interactive games and stations and a touch pool with another knowledgeable and kind staff/volunteer. We just loved the experience as a whole, loved how spacious it was there and I didn't feel like I was on anyone's way while pushing the stroller and I felt comfortable enough to breastfeed my baby while sitting and watching the fish swim. So thankful for a place this welcoming in our community! Will definitely be coming back!
Ahoy Raissa! Wave over wave of gratitude for this fintastic review! We are so pleased to know you and your family felt welcome, comfortable and engaged throughout your visit. That is what we strive for for all visitors. Please do come sea us again, and keep an eye on our Events listings on our website for special offerings and family-friendly opportunities.
Experiencia negativa: There is a Men's washroom for men only. However there is no Women's washroom. There is only a shared "All Gender" washroom. This means I have to risk peeing and a man walking in. Men get privacy here and women don't. Male privilege wins again and once again I feel unsafe as a woman in the world. Won't be back until this situation gets sorted out and proper all gender washrooms are constructed with privacy and safety in mind. Completely disgusted at the lack of respect and inclusivity for women's and girl's safety at Shaw Ocean Discovery.
Experiencia positiva: Very engaging interpreters, wonderful conservation focus and unique experience for kids young & old.
Experiencia fantástica: Always a great experience! Our family loves all the exhibits. It's lovely to see an aquarium where all the creatures look happy and healthy. All the tanks look very well cared for. My kids love the Young Ecologist Zone. It's awesome for all ages! Shout out to the staff that work so hard to keep this treasure going:)
Whale thank you, John, for all these wonderful words. We otter let you know we shared this with our whole team. We're always thrilled to hear from folks who thoroughly enjoy their visit! Hope y'all visit again soon, and often.
Experiencia fantástica: Has alot to see, more than you would expect from the small entrance. Volunteer Tammy was very helpful pointing out things in the tanks we would have missed.
Sweet- thanks Duncan. We always love to hear when folks have a really positive experience and it is so great to have salmon mention our amazing volunteers! Hope we sea you again soon.
Experiencia fantástica: Featuring all local species, this quiet, small aquarium is an underrated gem and is absolutely the best way to learn about the marine life at its doorstep. This place is full of passionate and enthusiastic educators made up of staff and volunteers. It is evidently an extremely well run facility. It’s always clean, the aquatic plants and algae are healthy and the animals are in excellent condition and are well cared for. I also want to give a special mention to the gift shop. I appreciate it so much. It is expertly curated to feature local artists and vendors. This I will continue to visit this aquarium as long as I’m living in the general area.
Ahoy Laura! We got all em-ocean-al reading your review, thank you for all these kind words! You're truly a chum to call us out for the care of our beloved ambassadors, for their health and wellbeing is paramount. Hope you return soon and often!
Experiencia negativa: The positives: Friendly, knowledgeable staff, interesting exhibits, the pretend submarine dive, the very active octopus and the huge screen showing amazing wildlife. The cons: Very short, we were through it in less than 1/2 hour! Thankfully you can go back and relook at things. But the MAJOR con is the lack of a women’s washroom. There is a mens, a disabled toilet, and an “all genders.” The men get their own, but apparently women don’t deserve the same privacy and dignity. It was extremely uncomfortable to take my daughter to the toilet never knowing who might wander in. The stalls offered little privacy as the doors had huge gaps top and bottom. For this reason I can’t rate higher than 1 star and we won’t return. Women deserve single sex toilets just as much as men.
Experiencia fantástica: Might be my favourite aquarium I've visited, especially the octopus tank!! Can be busy on weekends, but well worth the trip & super accessible disability-wise. Love!
Whale, thanks for the fab review, Marko. We shore do appreciate it and we're very happy to know you very much enjoy(ed) the experience!
Experiencia fantástica: My family has a lovely experience visiting Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea. This aquarium in Sidney, BC, is able to showcase sea creatures as if they are in their own habitat. The water they use is the water from the ocean, so it's the closest to the one sea creatures are used to have. Their volunteers are great in explaining to visitors about the different sea creatures and are kind to answers all our questions. We love the giant jelly fish, the sea anemones, and the Octopus. At the end of the exhibit, visitors can try touching starfish and others. This aquarium is a great educational and informative place to visit.
Thank you, Michelle, for this wonderful review. But even better, we are thrilled that you and your family had such a great experience. That is something all our visitors are en-tidal-ed to!
Experiencia positiva: Pros: the part at the end where you can touch marine life, like urchins and sea stars and sea cucumbers. Especially cool for kids. Cons: the main aquarium part has an entire wall of TVs playing fish on tv. This feels like such a cop out. I don’t want my kid seeing a wall of massive tvs with fish on it. Very nice staff. Easy (paid) parking.
Thank you for sharing your views, Veronica. We hope that you all enjoyed the experience of your visit. In the main gallery of the aquarium, we have 3 projectors filling a huge wall with aerial and underwater footage of herring spawning in the Salish Sea, including some of the many species that gather to feed on the fish and the eggs. In terms of natural and cultural history, the significance of this event is difficult to overstate. Clearly, there are components of the ecosystem, like marine mammals and huge schools of fish, that we cannot replicate in the Centre, but we hope to inspire some awe through this kind of visual representation. We are thrilled to be able to share this incredible footage with our visitors, and sorry to hear that you did not find value in it.
Experiencia fantástica: Wonderful afternoon at the aquarium with my grandsons. Loved the variety of ocean life available to view. Huge shoutout to Roman, the young marine expert, who answered our many questions and had so much patience explaining things to my 3 & 6 yr old grandsons. Thank you!
How fabulous, Kim- thank you for this review! Roman is indeed a sea star in our galaxy of amazing and knowledgeable volunteers. Hopefully you can orca-strate another visit with your kin real soon.
Experiencia fantástica: So they have living 22 years of (I think it was told to me) abalone shells. I only seen live ones at Tacoma zoo. In the 90s an elder told me abalone shells are the most valuable sea shell in the world. I never ever seen the under side of a living one before. I would of stayed longer but didn't want to miss the bus. They also have fish and crabs and jelly fish. 1/4 the price of Vancouver Aquarium. But we'll worth so.
Hello Adam! Thank you for this thoughtful review. We love that you were so excited about the abalone- that's rad(ula)! We shell hope to see you again before too long!
Experiencia fantástica: Wow! Such a cute and educational experience. So much thought put into all of the exhibits. The very best part was how excited and engaged the staff were. An absolute gem.
That shore is a great review, Kerry- thank you! You likely engaged with some of our wonderful volunteers, who are as keen as the staff to talk about and show off these cool critters. We hope you'll come back soon- and often!
Experiencia fantástica: Great place and great support for the sea creatures in the Salish Sea. Larger than I thought, would be great to have a comprehensive map on the site to encourage visitors to come. Was worried it was a single room but it exceeded my expectations. Will visit again.
Thanks for all those stars, Devon! And yes, we'd love to sea you back for another visit. There is a new feature exhibit opening in late February, 2024, that will run through the year. Otter than that, it is always krill-ing to exceed expectations!
Experiencia negativa: Why are more people not speaking up about how ridiculous it is that they only have a men's washroom!! Women have to share? Our little girls have to share with grown men? They said it was set up like this to reflect "their community". I'm sorry, but does their community not include women anymore? We are entitled to privacy in our bathrooms as well. I haven't seen ANY OTHER businesses do this. Anywhere. There is a private bathroom for all...but there needs to be a full, stalled bathroom just for women. Come on. Speak up, people!!! Women still exist!
Experiencia positiva: A cute little aquarium with helpful staff! The aquarium is quite small and admission is on the more expensive side but it’s fun to walk through and see what they have!
Thanks Lis, for the shoutout for our team members (staff & volunteers)! Happy you had a fun visit.
Experiencia fantástica: Went here for my birthday this year. Had lovely time, the staff/ volunteers were so friendly and warm. Lots of variety of things to see and we loved the touch tanks with the sea cucumbers, anemones and the sea stars. Definitely recommend for anyone visiting the area.
Oh buoy- thanks Alicia! Always great to see the lowly sea cucumbers share the limelight with the exalted sea stars! As for our amazing volunteers- we love them as they are always here to kelp.
Experiencia fantástica: Staff evidently love what they do and you can see how much care is put into every exhibit. Lots for kids to see and interact with, very relaxing and interesting visit. I like it better than the Vancouver Aquarium. Beautiful animals!!!
Experiencia fantástica: My kids and I enjoyed our time there. The staff and volunteers were very nice. It was great to have an activity that my 7 year old and 2 year old and myself, could all enjoy. We likes the interactive games at the end as well.
Experiencia fantástica: It's a cute little aquarium with staff that care a lot. There is great information about the sea life in the area. The enternace is the funniest I have ever seen. There is a touch tank in the back with starfish, sea cucumbers and other fun things. We stayed for two hours and still found new things to look at. It is a must if you are in the area.
Experiencia negativa: Unbelievable! I went today with my family and my daughter had to use the bathroom.... what a surprise I got when we found out there is NO WOMEN'S BATHROOM!!!! No way I would be sending my little girl into some "all gender, family" room! Wouldn't that be the IDEAL place for a freak to sneak in? They have a bathroom for us men and non for women. And this is marketed as a Center for families and children!
Experiencia negativa: I went in today hoping to have a nice time with the kids and to my surprise the Centre has ELIMINATED the women's bathroom! That's right! There is a men's bathroom and an "all gender" bathroom. Unbelievable! So if a little girl goes to the bathroom she could end up being there with a man! Are they not aware of the dangers for young (and older) women? This is insanity! I will NEVER again go back to this place!
Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely wonderful experience - took my best mate here for his birthday and we had such an informative tour of the centre! Big shout out to both Bonnie and Ray for enhancing the experience as they showcased and described with great details the many fascinating marine creatures! Would definitely recommend the visit!
Experiencia fantástica: Great little place. All the local sea life in a well done setting. Good for the kids too.
Thanks, Mike. We very much appreciate the prom-ocean and love to hear that your crew enjoyed the experience!
Experiencia fantástica: A very cool experience, great learning center for kids, and we enjoyed it too. Touch some live sea life in the touch tank, learn about some of the local sea life, or just sit back and watch stuff swim. Very cool place, worth a visit for sure!
That's fintastic, Lucas- thanks! Hope you can all orca-strate a return visit!
Experiencia positiva: For the price they charge for admission, you’re not really getting a whole lot. The aquariums are cool but they are not very big and there isn’t a ton of variety. If you’re staying in Victoria, it’s not worth the half hour drive. You can find more fun things to do in the city.
Experiencia fantástica: Super neat little aquarium. Some hands on fun with the sea creatures.
Hands-on, hands-wet fun and learning is water we all about, Tim. Thanks for the sweet review and photos, too!
Experiencia positiva: Got to see the octopus on our second time around and she/he was absolutely phenomenal !!! My favorite ocean creature .. so I'm very grateful. The prices are nuts though for what it is, the space is SO small, with minimal displays ... it's just a bit cheaper than Vancouver aquarium but only about 15% offered. ... Obviously nothing can beat can aquarium BUT it shouldn't cost $60 for a family of 4 to attend a walkthrough that takes less than 20 mins. ♀️ Both experiences with the folks at the front desk were kinda ... weird as well But beyond that, the facility is beautiful and clean... and the octopus is worth it as Vancouver's is rarely active.
Thanks for the review, Chantal. Sorry to hear you were disappointed with your visit, however, we feel compelled to point out an inaccuracy in your comparing our prices to the Vancouver Aquarium. Our admission rates are about 1/3 the cost of Vancouver Aquarium. The cost for 2 adults, one youth and one child at the Centre for the Salish Sea is $57+GST. The same group in Vancouver would pay $176 before tax. For even better value, you can get an annual membership here for less than the cost of a day pass in Vancouver ;)
Experiencia fantástica: Free underground parking access to the right of the front entrance. Smaller than a big city aquarium and it focuses only on the Salish sea creatures which live in the sea right outside the aquarium. We love the part where you stick your hands in the tank and pet the sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and sea stars.
A boatload of thanks for your review and all those (sea)stars, Bran! We're thrilled that you thoroughly enjoyed your visit. And thanks for reminding folks about where to park your ottermobile!
Experiencia positiva: A great experience that is perfect for all children and adults interested in the local acquatic fauna. It takes about 45 min with a toddler, unless they love the touch area, making it perfect for a stop but feels a bit pricy on value (though likely a reflection of the true cost). Not sufficient to be a draw to Sidney by itself but a great stop when you’re there. Consider adding in ice cream and Tulista park if you have a toddler. Both breweries around the corner also accommodate little diners.
Thanks for your seal of approval, Michael. Happy that you enjoyed your visit. As a not for profit charity and community-supported aquarium, we take value for money to heart. As part of our efforts to stay accessible for visitors, we have not raised our prices in 4 years despite significant increases in costs. We continue to enhance programming and orca-straight fun new exhibits for all visitors, and add additional value to memberships through partnerships and discounts. As for being a draw to Sidney, we might be biased but we think Sidney is a pretty big draw unto itself with so many great things to see and do and eat!
Experiencia fantástica: Exhibits were fascinating. Information provided by the staff elevated the experience immeasurably. Highly recommend for all ages.
Experiencia fantástica: Simply amazing! If you're the type to flip rocks on the beach and gaze in wonder at what lives beneath - visiting the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is the logical next step. Exhibits are world class, with diverse and healthy species, and fantastic interpretive signage. It's a great choice for marine biologists of any age at any stage of their life - from toddlers to pensioners, you'll enjoy every minute emersed in your undersea exploration.
Wow- thanks for this crabtastic review and the constellation of stars, Neil! We so appre-sea-ate folks taking the time to provide such helpful comments for potential visitors.
Experiencia positiva: Excellent. We had such a fun time even if it’s not that big you enjoy a lot. Totally worth it and the people working there very kind and nice.
Experiencia fantástica: Great activity day. We made sea shirts and learned about the resident whales of the Salish Sea. Very knowledgeable staff.
Experiencia fantástica: Great small aquarium with local species, informative signs, helpful guides and touch tanks. Would highly recommend to visit if you are in the area and for all ages. Cute little gift shop as well!
Experiencia positiva: Stumbled onto this place, kids had fun. The one thing I noticed was that there were male washrooms and one for all genders. Where are the ladies' washrooms? As a mother, I expect an all girls washroom, so I feel comfortable if kids using and for myself. Kindly have a washroom for females.. let's not neglect all women's space so we can be inclusive to other genders. Having a family washroom does not suffice. Be women friendly it's not all about LGBTQ
Thank you for taking the time to share your views, Survjit- we are happy your paths led you here and that your children enjoyed the experience. We have been using the all-gender washroom configuration for about three years now to help create a welcoming space for all of our visitors, staff and volunteers. For anyone who is not comfortable with a shared all-gender washroom with the three stalls, there is a family bathroom that is fully private. The reasoning behind the men's washroom is because that space has 2 urinals with very little privacy and one stall with a door, so it has and will remain as a men's washroom for the foreseeable future.
Experiencia positiva: Expensive but comprehensive. Over $30 for two of us to get in. Several well-informed staff willing to provide insight and additional information at any point. Varied displays including projections onto a large screen, large tanks with creatures and aquatic vegetation inside, small tanks with sea life clearly visible. Lots of wall plaques and posters with useful information. Well presented.
Thanks for your review, Azul. We are so pleased you enjoyed your visit, and we really appreciate all those juicy observations and comments! It sorta sounds like you got pretty good value for money for two people, though we might be a little biased ;) As a not for profit community aquarium & learning centre, we do all we can to keep our prices down. In fact, if you were to purchase an annual adult membership, you could come check on the critters ~316 times at the shrimpy cost of $0.13 per visit. Water we to do to improve on that kind of value?
Experiencia positiva: Best part was the 'touch pool'. Being able to touch some sea creatures was neat. Other than that, the entire center takes maybe 30 minutes to go through start to finish. Not much to see for $18 per adult.
We're happy that you visited, Kim, and that you enjoyed the touch pool - like they say, keep your friends close, and anemones closer! We strive to offer fin-tastic value for money, so we're sorry to hear you felt let down by the display-price ratio. We assure you there are about 3,500 marine ambassadors in these displays- though many of them are masters of camoflauge! We encourage all visitors to chat with our volunteers and staff who are happy to point out those harder to spot critters and provide some natural history interpretation.
Experiencia fantástica: A nice place to visit with kids. Very educational, helping you appreciate the richness of our oceans.
Whale thanks, Sylvain, and sorry we missed this one earlier! One of our goals is to help folks up their awareness and appreciation of this magnificent bioregion, so we can all enjoy it for generations to come. You could say we're over the moon jelly that your experience was such a positive one!
Experiencia fantástica: My partner loves aquariums so when I picked him up from the Ferry, that’s the first thing he wanted to do. It’s very cute and intimate. Aby was wonderful and she told us all about the differences between sea otters and river otters, and then she later told us more about the octopus and how messy of an eater she is! Overall loved it and had a great time!
Super Star Slam, Sylvia! Tanks so much! Love to hear that we got the seal of approval from you and your aquarium-loving partner and we really appre-sea-ate the shout out for newest team member, Aby! Here's hoping you can visit again soon.
Experiencia positiva: Went here just recently with family friends son, if your interested in science, and marine life it's really great! A bit pricey but worth it to see the unique sea life, and learn about the native inhabitants of the Salish sea. Really great staff members, especially the young man we got to talk to about the grey whale skull they have on display. Only reason I won't give it 5 stars is because it was rather small, still took me about 45 to take all the exhibits in, and read all the info boards, but it'd be nice to see more then just one little room and then a touch tank. Would definitely go back if they got some more exhibits in the future!
Thanks for the review and shout out to our team members, Sandra- they really are the sea stars! Sorry that we did not meet your full expectations- though with 34 habitats over 10,000sqft, we are scratching our heads a little at the characterization of "just one little room and a touch tank". We hope to reel you in again for another visit ;)
Experiencia fantástica: My children and I came down from the North Island hoping to see Storm. Unfortunately, she was sleeping- but we enjoyed looking at the other exhibits. It took us about an hour from start to finish, so it's fairly small. Parking wasn't easy to find, but it was spring break and it was quite busy.
Experiencia fantástica: Really cool! They have lots of very interesting and beautiful sea-life, and knowledgeable volunteers. The touch tanks where my favourite, where you can touch starfish and sea urchins!
Thanks Arjun! We love it when folks shout out our volunteers as they really are wonderful. Just reading this awesome review and how much you enjoyed your experience makes us all em-ocean-al!
Experiencia negativa: Sorry for the low rating. Very nice and friendly staff but you have almost every water tank filled with the same fish, clamps, plants and other sea creatures that aren't even that unique. I could only see the first four tanks at the entrance and the whole exhibition would be over. High price doesn't justify the content although I understand you must cover your expenditures.
Experiencia fantástica: So family friendly, loved that it was quite spacious and even though it was busy I could see my toddler and let her explore on her own. The volunteers are wonderful, loved that there was an area to play some games and read a book after going through the aquarium.
Thank you for this sea of love, Cortney! We are wave over wave with gratitude and thrilled that you and your wee one had such a wonderful experience.
Experiencia positiva: Great to come with or without kids! Lots to learn
Thanks for sharing your seal of approval, Killian! We could not agree more.
Experiencia fantástica: Absolutely a stunning representation of our local ocean environment ❤️
Experiencia positiva: I, too, found this pricy for what is on offer. The octopus was absolutely delightful and very active. The volunteers/staff also were engaging and friendly. The few habitats are educational and well presented but there is so much more space that can be effectively utilized. The whole seaweed exhibit seemed like a space filler. I've been wanting to see this venue since it opened. To be honest, I was hoping for a bit more, especially from a sponsor such as Shaw.
We appreciate your feedback Ben- we take all comments sea-riously. We're sorry your visit was less than Stellar! Though, we are pretty stoked about the Seaweed exhibit. One point of clarification is that while Shaw was instrumental in getting the Centre open in 2009, they are a sponsor in name only and are not involved with the Centre.
Experiencia fantástica: Great place to visit to really understand marine life in the area. It was a good combo to do with going to Goldstream Nature House to see the salmon in the spawning !
Thanks Bently! And what a great prom-ocean for tying in the cool stuff here in the Centre with the phenomenon of salmon spawning which affects pretty much all life on the coast.
Experiencia fantástica: We just visited. Excellent aquarium and interpretative centre. Great way to experience the local sea life in all their splendor. Enjoyed all the exhibits but the octopus in particular was mesmerizing,
Thanks for the fintastic review- and the great photos, Paul. And we have to agree, Sequin, who will be moving back home soon, loves the attention and "performs" for an audience like a rock-topus star!
Experiencia fantástica: If youre looking for an hour or two to wait for a ferry. This is the spot. Great displays and education about the oceans around the area. My 18 month old was entranced and excited the whole time. Will be back for sure! #ocean #family #vancouverisland
Oh buoy, Mike! How happy are we for you to share your SEAL of approval. So great to hear you and your small FRY were thoroughly engaged by your visit :) We look forward to seeing you again.
Experiencia fantástica: Unexpectedly amazing!! Must visit here to experience the creatures from our own pacific ocean! You would be surprised to see some!!
Experiencia fantástica: We stumbled on this gem and are so happy we did! We very much appreciated the pandemic precautions this Center is taking. I thought the displays were so engaging and thoughtfully laid out. It is just a beautiful facility! But the best part was the staff. I love how engaged they were with us and the other guests. We learned so much from them! We would be checking out an exhibit and a staff would approach us and provide more information or ran fun games. We loved the whale matching game as well as the touch pool! Also loved how we could go through the Center multiple times and the free underground parking! The gift shop also has some beautiful items. 10/10 would come here again.
Michaela, we are just about blown out of the water from your wonderful review- thank you! We love to hear how much you enjoyed your experience. Our volunteers and staff really are a treasure- worth their weight in sand dollars.
Experiencia fantástica: While the submarine entrance seems simple, it appealed to kids of all ages. For some reason, it really appealed to our children and they loved the whole thing. I am convinced they thought we were submerging under water. Once in the aquarium, the staff are very helpful and engaging. They will answer all of your questions and have additional models to help with their explanations. All the marine life is local to the area, so you are able to get good insight into what exists in the Salish Sea and allows for an experience that is unique and local. The exhibits are well done, including one which allows you to put your head into an inverted bowl and look around at the fish from a sea floor level view. There is also an area at the end where you are able to touch some of the sea life creatures, and the staff are knowledgeable and able to answer your questions about the different creatures. The experience takes about an hour to go through at a leisurely pace. You are able to re-enter as many times as you want, just in case you (well, your children) want to continually go through the submarine experience over and over again. Well worth the price of admission and the trip from Victoria. If you don’t have a rental car, the local transit system will take you there and it does not take much longer than driving.
Goodness, Tom, we feel the love to our very sole! Thank you for this thoughtful and detailed review. And yes, one bus (e.g., no transfer needed) will take visitors from downtown Victoria into the heart of Sidney, just a few blocks away. Easea-peasea ;)
Experiencia positiva: Was there on our last day in Victoria last month...was a cool experience, I was expecting something bigger...there was a couple of kid groups which made it hard to enjoy it more but neat to see different types of sea life.. the touch pool was open, which my son enjoyed! So close to the waterfront, so we went for a walk on the pier afterwards...cute things at the giftshop, which my kids each picked something...staff were friendly!
Thanks for the shout out and all the good words, Angela. We always appreciate that kind of feedback, though we'd be sea-lion if we said we weren't a little disappointed not to have earned all five of your stars. We shore hope you'll be back soon with your family and give us another chance to get you hooked!
Experiencia fantástica: Great for kids of all ages. Staff were extremely helpful with information. The displays are well done with large tanks and great visibility of all the creatures big and small.
Land, ho Matt! It's wave over wave of happiness here at the Centre. Thanks for all those fan-sea stars & good words. Though we feel it's important to share the adulation with our wonderful volunteers who are often indistinguishable from the staff. Hope you'll come back soon!