Aquarium to reopen on Friday

The Vancouver Aquarium, which has been closed for more than three months, will reopen to the public Friday.

“In our 64-year history, we’ve never been closed for more than a few days and so we are extremely excited to reopen and welcome back visitors and members,” said Karen Howe, the aquarium’s director of visitor experience.

The aquarium was temporarily closed March 17, the same day B.C. health officials declared a health emergency amid the COVID -19 pandemic.

In order to adhere to the physical distancing directives from provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Howe says staff have reconfigured the aquarium layout to create a “one-way flow experience” in a crowd-free setting.

While touring the facility, visitors will be given 90 minutes to follow a one-way flow through six zones and enjoy as many of the 85 indoor and outdoor exhibits as they can.

All visitors must wear face masks, and guests who are sick, or displaying symptoms of COVID-19, will not be allowed into the aquarium.

The aquarium expects to be initially operating at around 20 to 30 per cent of its normal capacity for this time of year.

All tickets must be reserved online at vanaqua.org/tickets.

Ocean Wise, the non-profit conservation group that operates the Stanley Park attraction, said the aquarium was losing nearly $3.2 million in revenue each month it remained closed, but still required $1 million per month to care for its 70,000 animals.

Ocean Wise says the aquarium has so far managed to stave off bankruptcy due to “successful fundraising and numerous community partnerships,” but it’s still fighting for its long-term survival.

“We wouldn’t have been able to reopen without the amazing support from our community. Thank you to everyone who donated and supported us so far,” said Ocean Wise CEO Lasse Gustavsson.

“If you love the Vancouver Aquarium and appreciate the research, education, animal rescue and conservation work that Ocean Wise does, we encourage you to buy a ticket and come back to visit us.

“Every visit helps to ensure the future of the Vancouver Aquarium and the important work Ocean Wise does.”