Animal Encounters:
Go Behind The Scenes

Participate in interactive sessions alongside Aquarium interpreters, biologists and trainers. You’ll be able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the habitats of the belugas, dolphins, sea otters, Amazon birds, Steller sea lions and sea turtle, where you’ll help our trainers in a feeding or training session. You’ll also learn how our conservation and research programs help us better understand these animals and the threats they face in the wild.

Members receive a 20 percent discount on all animal encounters

Our Selection Of
Animal Encounters

Amazon Birds Encounters

Meet our resident Amazon birds in the Graham Amazon Gallery. Go behind the scenes at the Vancouver Aquarium and see what a day in the life of an Aquarist is like.

Beluga Encounters

Get up close and personal with our beluga whales. Join us for a Beluga Encounter and come face-to-face with a beluga whale in a hands-on, interactive and sometimes splashy training session.

Dolphin Encounters

Come face to flipper with our Pacific white-sided dolphins. Join us for a Dolphin Encounter program and get up close and personal with a dolphin in an interactive and hands-on training session.

Sea Otter Encounters

In our Sea Otter Encounter, you can go behind the scenes with an Aquarium interpreter to learn more about these playful animals and get a hands-on training session with our marine mammal training team.

Sea Turtle Encounters

Have a close encounter of the sea turtle kind. Meet our resident sea turtle, Schoona, in our Sea Turtle Encounter. You’ll be taken behind the scenes to our shark penthouse to participate in her daily feeding.

Steller Sea Lion Encounters

Take a walk on the wild side with the Steller sea lions. Experience first-hand what it is like to work with such charismatic animals in our rarely seen, behind-the-scenes research area.

Registration for animal encounters is now open to April 30, 2012. Call now to find out about availability and to book your encounter. To book by phone please call 604-659-3552 or 1-800-931-1186. To book online please e-mail programs@vanaqua.org. Please allow 24 hours notice for phone and email bookings. Within 24 hours, please book onsite at the Membership desk.

Animal Encounters:
Go Behind The Scenes