Holiday Gift Idea: Vancouver Aquarium Memberships

Watching Qila in the Arctic Gallery

If you've got someone on your list who's difficult to shop for or you don't want to just get them more stuff, consider buying a membership to the Vancouver Aquarium.

Last weekend, Sprout & I were lucky enough to participate in a tour of the Aquarium with a group of other bloggers & their kids. We touched sea stars, urchins & anemones, saw electric eels helping light up a gorgeous origami jelly fish display--here as part of the Luminescence exhibit until January 22nd & got to meet Scuba Claus. Did you know that Santa could swim?

Hands-on learning with a sea urchin

I love going to the Aquarium & have been there dozens of times in the last few years. I find the stories of rescued animals like Jack & Daisy the harbour porpoises or Hanna & Helen the Pacific white-sided dolphins really interesting. Of course, these four are a minority in that they've been deemed unreleasable & now live at the aquarium permanently. Most of the animals who come through the Marine Mammal Rescue Facility recover & go back into the wild. The species they have rescued include elephant & harbour seals, sea otters, sea lions, sea turtles, harbour porpoises & other cetaceans--even killer whales.

Read more about the rescued animals here on the Vancouver Aquarium's AquaBlog.

Besides getting to go to the Aquarium whenever you want--being able to just drop in for an hour without having to stay longer to make the visit 'worth it' is a boon with small children--membership benefits also include supporting aquatic life by helping to fund programs like the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up, Oceanwise & the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre; express entry; exclusive invitation to members' events; & special discounts to Vancouver Aquarium members at participating Oceanwise restaurants from November 1 to January 31.

Hi, Scuba Claus!

I could go on for even longer how awesome the aquarium is, but you're probably wondering how much by this point, right? A one-year Family Membership is $138 or $250 for a two-year, which entitles two adults & up to four children (ages 4-18) unlimited admission. If the child(ren) are under 4 years old, you could buy an adult membership for $58 for a year.

There are three easy ways to give the Gift of Membership to the Vancouver Aquarium: by phone – 604-659-3526, in person – visit the Membership Desk during operating hours, or online – on the gift membership page.


Disclaimer: I was given free admission to the Vancouver Aquarium but this is not a sponsored post. The words & opinions above are mine.






Nothing says “best gift ever” like a caribou!
 

Starting at just $40, Gifts of Canadian Nature help protect habitat for Canada’s native wildlife. A Gift of Canadian Nature lasts for years to come and is a gift that gives thrice! Once to the recipient with a personalized certificate and a beautiful calendar, once to the giver with a charitable tax receipt, and once to Canadian wildlife. This year we are featuring the snowy owl, the grizzly bear, the caribou, the gray fox and the Canada lynx. Click the image or follow this link for more information.

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