Seaside Aquarium

This was my first time at the Seaside Aquarium.

This is largely because our father hated Seaside when we were younger, apparently because it had more people than the parts of the coast we did go to.

There was one part of the aquarium that reminded me a lot of Depoe Bay, though, so it was not completely unfamiliar.

One thing I really appreciated is that the setup did not have a lot of light reflection off of the glass of the tanks.

I am not a great photographer, and reflection has ruined a lot of pictures. Yes, fish still move a lot, but these were some of the best aquarium pictures I have taken.

(Even if that is not saying that much.)

The part that reminded me of Depoe Bay is that you can feed harbor seals. 

They had a similar option, though I believe it was sea lions there. I loved doing it, but later realized it was probably not a great situation for the animals, and that one no longer exists.

Years later, things are better. These sea lions were bred in captivity, and have been there too long to do well if released. However, they are no longer breeding, and they do have a larger, private area they can get to. It seems like a reasonable adaptation. Also, with the railing you can't get that close.

There are other things you can touch, but most of the exhibit are living things where you look and do not touch and they have some options for hiding.

I feel better about that.

You might even say that's a moray!

There is signage warning you that these are local sea life, and often not very active, especially the rock fish. 

That is true. Our non-tropical waters do not have some of the popular Finding Nemo cast members.

There are bigger aquariums, with more residents, and often livelier ones.

This is a small aquarium, but it has its place.

COVID: It's a fairly small space, and pretty popular. Social distancing may be difficult, making a mask more important.

Accessibility: It is mostly flat, and there is a ramp to get to the seal tank, though there is also a bench in front of it that you would stand on for a better view, so that is not the most accessible part. (Actually, I nearly lost my balance when I stepped off the bench.)

In addition, I did not see any other options but steps to get into the gift shop area. I am sure they would assist, but that part could use improvement. That is unfortunately not surprising for an older attraction. 

The path for getting to the aquarium itself is wide and smooth so getting there itself is very easy.

I think it can be worth taking a look.

https://www.seasideaquarium.com/

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