Science

Pod Squad

Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea1 hr 48 min by bus · 24.7 km

✓ Fits your group

Children and adults standing around two low blue touch pool tanks in a room with floor to ceiling windows looking out over the water.

Cost

$7 a child

$112 for 16 children

The minimum charge is the price of 15 students, so a group smaller than 15 still pays for 15.

Ages & size

Grades K to 2

Up to 22 children

Duration

1 hour

Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct, Nov, Dec

Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri

Book by

Not published

Plan this trip

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

It is a classroom hour with no gallery time built in, so add half an hour before or after if you want the children to see the tanks. Best for a class that is already comfortable sitting and listening in a group.

What the children do

A facilitated program for kindergarten to grade 2 about marine mammals, focused on the killer whale. Students investigate communication, echolocation and photo-identification, and talk about why the resident killer whales are endangered and how people can protect them. It takes place entirely in the Ocean's Heartbeat classroom.

Work in the classroom with the educator on how killer whales find each other and find food, trying out echolocation and matching whales by their markings in photographs.

Good to know

One hour indoors, up to 22 children, one free teacher and a free chaperone for every 5. Lunch has to happen outside on the park lawn and washrooms are not mentioned on the site.

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

Getting there

9811 Seaport Place, Sidney, BC, V8L 4X3

On foot

5 hr 22 min

too far with this group

By bus

1 hr 48 min

includes a 9 min wait

Driving

50 min

The dark pin is Victoria.

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Details checked on 2026-09-03 against the venue’s own pages. Something wrong? , it takes one tap. · Venue page · 250 665 7511