Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea·1 hr 48 min by bus · 24.7 km
! built for 8+, your youngest are 3 · capacity is 6, your group is 16 · $17 a child is over your $10 budget
Cost
$17 a child
$272 for 16 children
The $17 is per person and sits on top of regular admission, which is $9.50 for a child aged 4 to 12 and $19.50 for an adult, both plus GST. Members get 10 percent off.
Fieldy handles all communication and booking for you.
What it actually looks like
Photos from Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea's website
Our note
Six people maximum makes this a treat for a handful of children rather than a class outing. The Centre says plainly it does not suit anyone with a seafood allergy, noise sensitivity or a mobility device, and everyone has to sign a waiver at check in.
What the children do
A 45 minute tour led by an aquarist through the working areas visitors do not normally see, including the sculpin nursery, the jellyfish culture area and the water systems. It costs regular admission plus $17 plus tax per person, takes 6 people maximum and 2 minimum, and runs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30 and 14:00. Other days and times may be possible for groups of 4 or more with at least 7 days notice. Guests must be at least 8 years old and anyone under 13 needs an adult with them.
Follow an aquarist through back rooms and up and down stairs, looking at tanks of young fish, the jellyfish setup and the pumps and pipes that keep the aquarium running.
Good to know
Forty five minutes on top of a regular visit, for 2 to 6 people aged 8 and up, and it costs admission plus $17 each plus tax. It involves stairs, uneven floors, narrow spaces and loud machinery, so it is not step free and not quiet.
Sources disagree. Their pages do not agree about Wednesdays. The hours page lists all seven days open, while the school programs page and the facilities page both say they are shut on Wednesdays through the school year. If you are looking at a Wednesday, settle it when you book.
Washrooms
Needs confirmation
Lunch space
We do not have space in our Centre to consume snacks or lunch. The aquarium is situated on Beacon Park by the Sidney waterfront and there are a number of benches as well as a large lawn area. Picnic tables can also be found between Beacon Wharf and the fishing pier, just a couple of minutes' walk from the aquarium. You are able to leave the Centre and re-enter.
Rain backup
There is a large grassy area outside of the facility with a covered band shell in case of inclement weather. The aquarium itself is indoors.
Strollers
Strollers are permitted throughout the aquarium. We just ask that you are mindful of other visitors when you park and be sure not to obstruct doorways or exhibit views.
Wheelchair access
The Centre strives to be accessible to all. A wheelchair is available free of charge on a first come-first served basis. Please ask at our admissions desk. The behind the scenes tour is the exception and cannot be done with a mobility device.
Bus parking
For bus arrivals, students can be dropped off at the entrance but unfortunately there is no bus parking nearby. Bus parking is located at Tulista Park (9565 Fifth Street) and the Mary Winspear Centre (2243 Beacon Avenue). Free two hour parking in the underground lot is limited to vehicles under 6'6" in height.
Nearby park
Beacon Park, on the Sidney waterfront beside the Centre
Restrictions
Food or drink may not be consumed inside the aquarium. For the safety of our animals and visitors, only trained service dogs are permitted in the aquarium. Smoking is prohibited inside the building and within 7m of doorways, this includes e-cigarettes. Siblings of students are unable to participate in the program without prior approval. Youth 13 years and over may visit the Centre without an accompanying adult. All children under this age must be accompanied by someone over the age of 13. Please turn off your flash when taking photos inside the aquarium, and do not use tripods or monopods
