Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre
Encyclopedia
The Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre is an aquarium
and marine education centre that focuses on the ecosystem
of the Salish Sea
and is located inside the Sidney Pier Hotel on the Vancouver Island
town of Sidney
, Canada
, in the Greater Victoria region. Since it's grand opening on June 20, 2009, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre has quickly become a popular tourist attraction receiving its first 100,000 visitors in its first seven months of operations and has won numerous awards including being named, "One of Canada's Top Ten New Attractions" for Summer 2009 by Where Magazine.
Predicting that local interest in the ocean was growing more each year, the board members of the Marine Mammal Museum and Marine Ecology Centre decided to join forces and incorporate the best from each organization in order to build an ocean discovery centre. The two groups formed the non-profit New Marine Centre Society with a six-member volunteer board. The six-member board, with Sidney councilor Peter Wainwright, spent the next 18 months preparing an economic feasibility study and plan, conducting a survey of potential designers, and developing a vision statement. Eventually, the New Marine Centre Society would reach an agreement with the Town of Sidney on a 20-year lease for the 930 square metres (10,010.4 sq ft) paying only $5/month.
In September 2006, volunteers Murray and Lynda Farmer started the $5 Million Discover Your Ocean Campaign, which completed on April 20, 2009. Through the fundraising drive, major donations included a $1.5 million from the Shaw Charitable Committee, a $2 million from Canada/BC Infrastructure Grant, and $1.5 million in private donations to reach the $5 million goal. The New Marince Centre Society would eventually receive an additional $3.5 million to complete the construction of the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre.
This exhibit shows many species of jelly fish, plankton
, and algae
(ocean drifters) to help visitors understand the foundations of the ocean food web in the Salish Sea. Species in this exhibit include Sea nettle
s and Moon Jellys.
Ocean's Heartbeat
This wet lab and classroom is used by school groups, though ordinary visitors are welcome when it is not in use. It contains microscopes for visitors to view the mini-ecosystems habitats, and a teacher's desk with a fish tank inside. The area is also used to house new-born fish and contain bones of whales. Lastly, the exhibit contains a 60-cm female fetus of a hybrid Harbour
and Dall's Porpoise
that was discovered from a dead female Dall's Porpoise on Southern Vancouver Island in 1998.
Gallery of the Salish Sea
This exhibit is home to hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants from the Salish Sea, including Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel
, Rock greenling, Painted greenling
, Pacific Herring
, Chinook Salmon
, King Crab
.
Touch Pools
Using only one finger, visitors can gently touch a sea urchin
and be tickled by a sea star
while they are being taught by volunteers known as the Oceaneers. At the same time visitors will be able to the Gulf Islands, the Salish Sea and the active volcano Mt. Baker.
Aquarium
An aquarium is a vivarium consisting of at least one transparent side in which water-dwelling plants or animals are kept. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, marine mammals, turtles, and aquatic plants...
and marine education centre that focuses on the ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
of the Salish Sea
Salish Sea
The name Salish Sea was coined only in the late 20th century, and was officially recognized by the United States in 2009 and by Canada in 2010, to describe the coastal waterways surrounding southern Vancouver Island and Puget Sound between Canada and the United States of America...
and is located inside the Sidney Pier Hotel on the Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island
Vancouver Island is a large island in British Columbia, Canada. It is one of several North American locations named after George Vancouver, the British Royal Navy officer who explored the Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794...
town of Sidney
Sidney, British Columbia
Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,300. Sidney is located just east of Victoria International Airport,...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, in the Greater Victoria region. Since it's grand opening on June 20, 2009, the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre has quickly become a popular tourist attraction receiving its first 100,000 visitors in its first seven months of operations and has won numerous awards including being named, "One of Canada's Top Ten New Attractions" for Summer 2009 by Where Magazine.
History
The development of the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre started in 2004, when the Town of Sidney approved the development proposal by the Marker Group to build the Sidney Pier Hotel, which would be overlooking the Salish Sea. The construction of the hotel was approved by the city on the basis that the site would include 930 square metres (10,010.4 sq ft) of space on the main floor that would be owned by the town to originally house the Marine Mammal Museum and Marine Ecology Centre. However, the board members from the two organizations recognized the opportunity the expanded space would provide to them, which included the spectacular views of the surrounding Salish Sea and inner knowledge of its surrounding marine life.Predicting that local interest in the ocean was growing more each year, the board members of the Marine Mammal Museum and Marine Ecology Centre decided to join forces and incorporate the best from each organization in order to build an ocean discovery centre. The two groups formed the non-profit New Marine Centre Society with a six-member volunteer board. The six-member board, with Sidney councilor Peter Wainwright, spent the next 18 months preparing an economic feasibility study and plan, conducting a survey of potential designers, and developing a vision statement. Eventually, the New Marine Centre Society would reach an agreement with the Town of Sidney on a 20-year lease for the 930 square metres (10,010.4 sq ft) paying only $5/month.
In September 2006, volunteers Murray and Lynda Farmer started the $5 Million Discover Your Ocean Campaign, which completed on April 20, 2009. Through the fundraising drive, major donations included a $1.5 million from the Shaw Charitable Committee, a $2 million from Canada/BC Infrastructure Grant, and $1.5 million in private donations to reach the $5 million goal. The New Marince Centre Society would eventually receive an additional $3.5 million to complete the construction of the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre.
Exhibits
Gallery of DriftersThis exhibit shows many species of jelly fish, plankton
Plankton
Plankton are any drifting organisms that inhabit the pelagic zone of oceans, seas, or bodies of fresh water. That is, plankton are defined by their ecological niche rather than phylogenetic or taxonomic classification...
, and algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
(ocean drifters) to help visitors understand the foundations of the ocean food web in the Salish Sea. Species in this exhibit include Sea nettle
Sea nettle
Chrysaora quinquecirrha is a species of jellyfish that inhabits Atlantic estuaries, such as the Chesapeake Bay...
s and Moon Jellys.
Ocean's Heartbeat
This wet lab and classroom is used by school groups, though ordinary visitors are welcome when it is not in use. It contains microscopes for visitors to view the mini-ecosystems habitats, and a teacher's desk with a fish tank inside. The area is also used to house new-born fish and contain bones of whales. Lastly, the exhibit contains a 60-cm female fetus of a hybrid Harbour
Harbour Porpoise
The harbour porpoise is one of six species of porpoise. It is one of the smallest marine mammals. As its name implies, it stays close to coastal areas or river estuaries, and as such, is the most familiar porpoise to whale watchers. This porpoise often ventures up rivers, and has been seen...
and Dall's Porpoise
Dall's Porpoise
Dall's porpoise is a species of porpoise found on the North Pacific. It came to worldwide attention in the 1970s when it was disclosed for the first time to the public that salmon fishing trawls were killing a lot, thousands of Dall's porpoises and other cetaceans each year by accidentally...
that was discovered from a dead female Dall's Porpoise on Southern Vancouver Island in 1998.
Gallery of the Salish Sea
This exhibit is home to hundreds of species of fish, invertebrates, and marine plants from the Salish Sea, including Giant Pacific Octopus, Wolf Eel
Wolf eel
The wolf eel is a member of the family Anarhichadidae together with the wolffishes of the genus Anarhichas. The wolf eel is monotypic within the genus Anarrhichthys. This superficially eel-like fish feeds on crustaceans, sea urchins, mussels, clams and some fishes, crushing them with its strong jaws...
, Rock greenling, Painted greenling
Painted greenling
The painted greenling, Oxylebius pictus, is a marine fish native to the eastern Pacific Ocean. Its range is from Kodiak Island, Alaska to central Baja California. It can reach a total size of 25 cm and has seven vertical dark bands. It inhabits rocky areas usually shallower than 50 m. It feeds on...
, Pacific Herring
Pacific herring
The Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. This species is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin...
, Chinook Salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
, King Crab
King crab
King crabs, also called stone crabs, are a superfamily of crab-like decapod crustaceans chiefly found in cold seas. Because of their large size and the taste of their meat, many species are widely caught and sold as food, the most common being the red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus.King...
.
Touch Pools
Using only one finger, visitors can gently touch a sea urchin
Sea urchin
Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from across. Common colors include black and dull...
and be tickled by a sea star
Sea star
Starfish or sea stars are echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. The names "starfish" and "sea star" essentially refer to members of the class Asteroidea...
while they are being taught by volunteers known as the Oceaneers. At the same time visitors will be able to the Gulf Islands, the Salish Sea and the active volcano Mt. Baker.