Seaside Aquarium

Address:	200 N Prom, Seaside, OR 97138, USA
Phone:	+1 503-738-6211
Site:	seasideaquarium.com
Rating:	3.8
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 4

Amy Johansen

If you go to this aquarium I highly recommend talking to the volunteers, there is a TON of disinformation on this aquarium and its seals (they have tons of space in the back they can go in to any time) and other zoos and aquariums by misguided people who dont even ask questions they just make assumptions based on some beliefs. All of that can be remedied by asking questions, which we did. I cannot vouch for all of the volunteers just as at any place, some will have more info and be more polite than others, but both the young one and the older one we talked to had a ton of info on the creatures there as well as the history of the aquarium itself. They also pump the water in fresh from the ocean with a unique pump system from the 1930s, it is pretty awesome! The seals do not just have a tiny pool they have one that is 2-3xs larger in the back they can go in to at anytime. The seals are really fun, and none of them are trained, they developed their tricks all on their won, which I really feel shows have animals can truly develop their own personalities. They are so fun to watch! Yes, the seals have plenty of space in the back that they can and will go in to if they so wish, but as I saw when I was there, they mostly stayed out front because they knew they might get some fish. I would too if I were them, and it is such a fun way to educate a child or yourself on these animals. If I went based off the reviews on here I would have NEVER went to this aquarium because they constantly say things to the affect of "The animals, especially the seals must be miserable." Look, if you have ever kept an animal as a pet, you should know animals can be extremely happy in captivity, besides the fact every single animal in this facility (except the seals because they are carefully bred, and have been for 60yrs), is a rescue and was generally injured when it came in in a net from a fishing boat. I learned this because I talked to the volunteers. The aquarium is small, yes, comparing it to a larger aquarium is silly, for what it is, it is a great experience and it the money helps rescue animals that otherwise wouldnt be rescued, and since all of the species are Oregon natives, it is very educational for those wanting to learn or teach about the creatures that live in the Oregon coast. I have been to Aquariums such as Seattle Aquarium, and to be honest, I think I enjoyed this one more for the shear fact that everyone is helpful and friendly and when I went on a Sunday afternoon in December it is was very calm and had a great vibe. I also find it interesting that I read a review about how miserable the octopuses must be in those tanks, but here is a funny note: The octopus in the biggest tank on the floor still stays tucked in the corner... Clearly that is where they like to sit, it is really silly making assumptions based on a lack of info. There are also plenty of pamphlets at the front of the aquarium that answer a lot of questions as well. I will definitely be coming back again and again, it was a lot of fun, and even as small as it was, I spent about 3hrs there talking to the volunteers and watching the Octopuses get fed and seals. Rating something down for no bathroom is kind of silly too. Please support this aquarium, it does some really good work! God Bless ~Amy

Renee R

My roommate and I had never been here before. Our first time in Seaside and we made a pointed effort to visit the aquarium. When we entered the room on Thursday, there was a small family at the touch tanks and an employee there. We spent some time checking out the exhibits and would have liked to check out the touch tank too- waited until the family left so as not to interrupt their time with the employee there and as soon as they were done, the employee vanished and never returned. Trying to make the most of the admission fee, we spent a good deal of time watching the octopi. Aside from the clerk to whom we paid our admission, we were never even acknowledged with so much as an "If you have any questions, just let us know, well be over here.". Im not the sort of customer who wants a lot of chatty interaction. In fact, I really dont want more than a "Hey, let us know if you need anything." We actually had questions about some of the creatures exhibited but I guess I can read up on cephalopods on Wikipedia. When we entered the gift shop afterward, three employees were chatting behind the tiny counter and we were still ignored. Another family with kids came in and they were greeted and spoken to. I would have purchased a few items but didnt feel like making the effort to get someones attention at that point. An item on the counter (a display of little glazed ceramic dishes) caught my eye on the way out and I turned around to come back and look at it, picked one up and commented on it to my roommate how much Iiked it- i was all of about a foot and a half from the employees behind the counter, and they didnt so much as look at me. Needless to say, I left without one of those dishes. We paid eight dollars apiece to be invisible.

Melissa Barton

First off, this is a *small* aquarium - one medium-sized room and the seal viewing area (the seals have access to a larger pool and resting area behind the scenes). It can get crowded. However, its also pretty cheap admission. The tanks were clean, the animals looked healthy, and the signs were informative - I particularly liked the signs added to explain interesting things happening in the tanks, such as egg-laying. In the middle of the room were touch-tanks (these animals also looked healthy) and small containers showing examples of animals you might find on the Oregon Coast. The seals were fun to watch and seemed healthy and happy. I appreciate that the aquarium has such a strong focus on education and appreciating our own coast, and they seem to be doing a very good job on what I suspect is a tight budget. I definitely learned some interesting new things! I was a bit unsure about the giant Pacific octopus in the open tank, but it didnt seem to be trying to hide away. The interpreters were attentive and visitors well-behaved. It would be improved if they had a public restroom, but all in all, a very nice little aquarium.

Flora Richards Gustafson

Its not Seaworld or the Oregon Coast Aquarium, but the Seaside Aquarium is fun if you love animals. This aquarium has friendly tide pools for the kiddies, which is great if you missed seeing the ones at Canon Beach by Haystack Rock. The thing I like the best about the Seaside Aquarium is that they help a lot of the local wild marine animals. Once there was a sea lion pup missing its mommy and a concern sea lion parent looking for its baby. For some reason the two could not find each other (weird), and there were a group of teens harassing the adult sea lion. I told the kids that sea lions are fast and may attack if provoked, but they did not care. I phoned the non-emergency police phone number for Seaside and they said that the animal control office was closed for the day. The Seaside PD told me to call OSP; no answer. I finally called the Seaside Aquarium and they took concern into the matter. Kudos!