Seaside Aquarium, Public aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, United States.
Seaside Aquarium is a public facility on the waterfront of Seaside, Oregon, displaying local marine animals in tanks. The collection includes harbor seals, wolf eels, octopuses, and various starfish and crabs from the Pacific coast.
The building was constructed in 1924 as a swimming facility using heated seawater from the Pacific Ocean and transformed into an aquarium in 1937. The original pipeline system that drew water from the sea remains in use today.
The name reflects the coastal setting and the area's deep connection to the sea. Visitors can directly experience how the ocean shapes the identity and livelihood of this community through the creatures and habitats on display.
The facility sits on the beachfront promenade and is easily accessible on foot. Visitors can observe the animals, touch some creatures in designated areas, and participate in feeding activities with seals.
The facility once housed a fish that drifted across the Pacific inside a boat displaced during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan. This unusual journey demonstrates how major natural disasters can scatter marine life across vast ocean distances.
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