Discovery Deep Dive: Seattle Aquarium
The Seattle Aquarium first opened its doors on May 20, 1997, with the mission of “inspiring conservation of our marine environment” in Washington.
“Visitors to the Seattle Aquarium discover the wonders of life below the surface by exploring habitats devoted to both cold- and warm-water species,” said Jasmine Ramirez, store director at Seattle Aquarium.
In Piers 59 and 60, visitors can catch a diver presentation at the Window on Washington Waters habitat; gently touch sea creatures in the Life on the Edge habitat; get up-close views of seabirds, seals and otters; and speak to interpreters to learn about the animals that live in the cooler waters of the Salish Sea. In its Ocean Pavilion, visitors can watch sharks, rays and other tropical species while learning about the aquarium’s collaborative partnership to restore Indo-Pacific leopard sharks to their home waters in the Coral Triangle.
The Seattle Aquarium is a founder and partner of ReShark, an international collective of aquariums, NGOs, governments, academics and local communities dedicated to scalable shark and ray rewilding. Many animals at the Seattle Aquarium are rescued from the wild and deemed non-releasable, Ramirez said. All animals receive expert care and enrichment from the aquarium’s staff.
“And that’s just the beginning!” she said. “There’s so much to see and learn about at the Seattle Aquarium! It really is awe-inspiring.”
Ramirez said the aquarium also has impact beyond its walls.
“We have the best volunteers! Some go into our communities to teach people about the life they encounter at low tide on nearby beaches,” she said. “Our youth volunteers have even gone to our state’s capital to advocate for bills that protect our local species and environment. The staff and volunteers at the Seattle Aquarium really make a difference.”
Shop the Sea
The Seattle Aquarium has two gift shops on its campus: the Pier 59 gift shop and the Ocean Pavilion gift shop. The shops support the organization and are an extension of the aquarium’s mission to inspire conservation of the marine environment.
Ramirez said the shops’ unified goal — through its products and guest service — is to create genuine connections with its guests and leave positive, lasting impressions.
“It is such a pleasure for us to create these truly genuine moments when you can educate and inspire someone,” she said. “We are always striving to surpass expectations, so often we aim to offer additional recommendations to guests — such as good places to eat, how to get around or information that they may have missed such as presentation times.”
Purchasing decisions are a collaborative process between its partner and purchasing team. The Seattle Aquarium sources products from many different places since it’s constantly searching for unique product offerings and products that contribute to its mission — mainly, products that represent the resident species and events of the aquarium, Ramirez said.
The gift shops’ bestseller is apparel, specifically its adult Sea Otter hoodies or “Dive Bar” tee created by local artist Ray Troll. Plush is also always a top seller, with the top item being a sea otter. Ramirez said backpack clips are currently trending, specifically plush backpack clips.
Ramirez said her personal favorite item is a guidebook used by the aquarium’s beach naturalist volunteers called “Whelks to Whales” — a guide with colorful pictures and descriptions of a variety of species that are found along the West Coast, from Alaska down to the Baja.
“This book is a must for anyone interested in fish ID, tide pooling or scuba diving!” she said.
