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Window on Washington Waters

Take a dive into Washington's coastal waters.

This 120,000-gallon exhibit greets you as you take your first steps into the Seattle Aquarium. Filled with hundreds of fish and invertebrates indigenous to the Pacific Northwest’s local waters, it is designed to replicate the seascape around Neah Bay, a richly populated marine environment located at the northwest tip of Washington State.

The exhibit’s main viewing window is a breathtaking 20x40 feet, allowing you to experience a one-of-a-kind glimpse into life under the surface of Washington's outer coast. Step closer and you may begin to feel as if you are part of the exhibit itself! That’s because it’s cantilevered to angle gradually forward and overhangs eight feet at the top.

Inside, the water surges rhythmically just as it does in the wild, causing the kelp blades to gently sway. Multitudes of fish — salmon, rockfish, sculpins, wolf eels and more — swim in and out of the exhibit’s large rock formations, which also serve as homes for anemones, sea stars, sea urchins and corals.

Around the corner is Sound Surround, an alcove viewing window that provides a different and beautifully immersive perspective on the exhibit — be sure to stop by for a look as you proceed further into the Aquarium!

 

Creatures you're likely to see

Wolf Eel

Not really an eel - just a long, skinny fish!

Sea Star

Sea stars don’t have brains but are still able to detect light!

Sea Anemone

These creatures can survive at depths of more than 32,000 feet.

Rockfish

Some rockfish species can live to be well over 100 years old!

Other Exhibits

Sea anemones
Life on the Edge

Life on the Edge is your chance to get up close and personal with the many fascinating creatures that dwell in the tide pools of Washington State’s outer coast and Puget Sound’s inland sea.

Salmon fry
Salmon

Seasonally, salmon make their way from the open ocean to freshwater—most often, the streams in which they were born—to spawn. It’s an amazing journey for an animal that’s critically important in a variety of ways.

Underwater dome exhibit
Underwater Dome

Be surrounded by Puget Sound's sea life!