The Seaside Aquarium is a privately owned aquarium in Seaside, Oregon, United States. It is one of the oldest aquariums on the West Coast.
[edit] History
The building where the aquarium is located was built initially as a natatorium in the 1920s,[1] an indoor saltwater public bath,[2] with the water pumped from the Pacific Ocean through a pipe still visible today at the tide line, and then heated. It featured balconies where people could watch others swim in the pool below. A decade later, the Great Depression broke its economic feasibility. The building later served as a salmon rearing facility, and then a place to watch wrestling matches. The aquarium was founded in 1937,[3] making it one of the oldest in the United States. It uses the same pipe that was installed in the 1920s to fill the aquarium tanks.
[edit] Features
Iconic sign of the aquarium overlooking Seaside's promenade
The Seaside Aquarium reports 100 species of marine life including 20-"arm" sea stars, crabs, wolf eels, moray eels, and octopuses.[1] The Seaside Aquarium established the first program to breed harbor seals in captivity and allows visitors the chance to feed its seals.[4]
[edit] External links
Media related to Seaside Aquarium at Wikimedia Commons
Media related to Seaside Aquarium at Wikimedia Commons
