– Pat Deakin is the Economic Development Manager for the City of Port Alberni. He can be reached at 250-720-2527 or Patrick_deakin@portalberni.ca.
PORT ALBERNI – The Alberni Aquarium & Stewardship Centre at Port Alberni’s Harbour Quay is now open and doing a whale of a business. Yes, it’s a weak pun but visitations and revenue are really well above expectations after opening May 1st. The Aquarium was conceived by the West Coast Aquatic Stewardship Association as a means of educating ourselves and our visitors about the many forms and phases of local sea life.
World class video footage of undersea creatures filmed by Peter Mieras of Rendezvous Dive Adventures complements a variety of tanks, touch tanks and activities in and around the Aquarium.
The flow of exhibits is arranged to take visitors from freshwater to deep ocean life and include:
A fresh water tank holding Coho and Chinook fry from Robertson Creek Fish Hatchery. These will continue to grow on-site until it is time for their release and then a new batch will take over the tank.
The intertidal zone is where the land meets the sea, so this tank has barnacles, rock fish, crab, sticklebacks and black-eyed goby.
A man-made pond ecosystem features information about frogs and turtles.
At the corner of the gallery stands the shell of a 400-year old cedar tree that visitors can hop inside and look up to see a massive eagle’s nest.
A salmon tank holds both larger salmon and pipefish that were netted at Canal Beach.
The shallow subtidal tank has a starfish, urchins, and a wolf eel, while the deep tank features Black Rockfish, sea cucumber, squat lobster, prawns and clams.
The eye-catching round aquarium features jellyfish from Rainy Bay.
Interpretation posters help visitors understand what they are seeing while a few challenges such as counting the Sand Dabs in the estuary tank, taking your chances on the Salmon Wheel of Death and daring to touch some sea creatures make for an informative and fun time.
Folks wanting more can arrange for birthday parties and overnight stays in the Aquarium (which may allow you to see the more nocturnal residents).
Many funding sources have supported the development of the Aquarium including the West Coast Aquatic Management Association, Island Coastal Economic Trust, Pacific Salmon Treaty, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Alberni Valley Community Forest and others.
Hours: Tue – Sat 10 am to 9 pm; Sun & Mon 10 am – 5 pm. For more information, please go to www.alberniaquarium.ca or call 250.724.3600.
