Seaside Aquarium
| Seaside Aquarium | |
|---|---|
 Iconic sign of the aquarium overlooking Seaside's promenade. | |
 Interactive map of Seaside Aquarium | |
| 45°59′43″N 123°55′45″W / 45.99526°N 123.92916°W | |
| Date opened | 1937 |
| Location | Seaside, Oregon, United States |
| Website | seasideaquarium |
The Seaside Aquarium is a privately owned aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, United States. It is one of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast.
History
[edit]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
[edit]
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]
References
[edit]- 1 2 Elizabeth Morris, Judy Jewell, Mark Morris, Bill McRae Moon Oregon (7th edition). Published by Avalon Travel, 2007; page 247. ISBN 1-56691-930-4
- ↑ Marjorie Young Adventure Guide to the Pacific Northwest (illustrated). Published by Hunter Publishing, Inc, 1999; page 121. ISBN 1-55650-844-1
- ↑ Harriet Baskas. Oregon Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (illustrated). Published by Globe Pequot, 2007. ISBN 0-7627-4236-4
- ↑ Caitlin Claire Vincent Roadtripping USA (2nd edition). Published by Macmillan, 2007; page 974. ISBN 0-312-36182-3
- ↑ Tobias, Lori (April 5, 2013). "Tiny fish that survived tsunami, ocean crossing from Japan makes debut in Seaside". The Oregonian. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
External links
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