Seattle Marine Aquarium
| Date opened | June 22, 1962 |
|---|---|
| Date closed | 1977 |
| Location | Pier 56, Seattle, Washington, USA |
| Coordinates | 47°36′15″N 122°20′23″W / 47.6041774°N 122.3397052°WCoordinates: 47°36′15″N 122°20′23″W / 47.6041774°N 122.3397052°W |
| Land area | 6,000 square feet[1] |
| Volume of largest tank | 20,000 gallons[1] |
| Major exhibits | orcas, six gill sharks, octopus |
The Seattle Marine Aquarium (originally known as the Seattle Public Aquarium) was a privately owned aquarium that was opened in 1962 and closed in 1977, and was located on Pier 56 on the Elliott Bay waterfront in Seattle, Washington, USA.
History[]
The aquarium was created in 1962 and was initially owned and operated by Ted Griffin. At the time he hoped that his aquarium would be a "prelude" to a Marineland. The aquarium was a 6,000 square foot building. The staff consisted of skin-divers and volunteers. The curator was Eric Friese[1]
In 1965, the aquarium was contacted by Canadian fishermen who had accidentally trapped an orca. Ted Griffin thus acquired his first orca for $8,000, and named him Namu for the area where he was captured.[2] Namu only survived a year in Griffin's hands.
Orcas[]
Under founder Ted Griffin, the aquarium was home to many orca whales captured in the wild.[3][4] The orcas who were captive there were: Namu,[5] Shamu,[5][6] Katy, Kandu, Walter (briefly),[7] and three unnamed orcas for a total 8 orcas over the years.
Namu[]
Ted Griffin paid $8,000 for Namu, who was captured in 1965. At the time, Namu was the world's only captive killer whale on display.[1] He was 22 feet in length and weighed about four tons. Namu performed demonstrations for aquarium attendees.[1]
Sharks[]
In 1964 the aquarium began to feature sixgill sharks. The sharks were taken from the Puget Sound at 500 feet deep, and were hooked with a long line. The line was tied to a buoy and dressed with ham, raw beef, and lingcod. After the sharks were captured, they lost their appetite and motivation. Griffin entered the tank in a wetsuit to force-feed the sharks mackerel and to push them around. The sharks did not last long, but the presence of the sharks significantly increased aquarium attendance.[1]
Homer the Octopus[]
Homer was the aquarium's 88 pound octopus. At the time it was a record for captured octopuses. The octopus was captured in the Puget Sound.[1]
Opposition[]
As people have protested against facilities like SeaWorld and the Miami Seaquarium, there were protests at the aquarium.[1]
Notes[]
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Pier 56 Aquarium in the 1960s - Very Big Sharks and NAMU". Retrieved 2014-04-04.
- ^ Broom, Jack (4 September 1998). "Namu Was First Killer Whale Put On Public Display -- It Called Seattle Marine Aquarium Home Until Its Death In 1966 Shocked The City". seattletimes.nwsource.com. The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
- ^ Lyke, M.L. (2006-10-11), "Granny's Struggle: A black and white gold rush is on", Seattle Post-Intelligencer, retrieved 2010-01-29
- ^ Gordon, Lyndsay (2009-03-10), "Orca captives: the Penn Cove Round Up", Sound News, retrieved 2010-01-29
- ^ a b Price, Erika Parker (2008-01-16), "Since first orca capture, views have changed", Seattle Times, retrieved 2010-01-29
- ^ "Lolita's Capture", Orca Network, retrieved 2010-01-29
- ^ "B.C. to Get Whale Of A Loan". The Seattle Times. 1967-03-07. p. 23.
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- Zoos in Washington (state)
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