Our family loves a good day trip, and one place that we are able to make a day trip out of is the Vancouver Aquarium! We do have to drive a couple of hours each way, but we make the best of even the travel time. The last time we went to the aquarium we went with my mom in her roomy van. I love that thing! There is plenty of space for everyone and it even has a flip down tv screen so the kids can watch a video during the drive.

So armed with a couple of movies, some snacks for the drive and a packed lunch, we set off to the Vancouver Aquarium for a day of fun and discovery!

Parking was fairly easy and we were soon at the aquarium doors. Since we have annual memberships, it was a quick and smooth process to get in the doors and on to the exhibits.

Our very first stop was to head outside, where we found the touch pool and the otters! I just love the otters, they are so playful!

Next we decided to head downstairs to see what we could see under water in the big tanks. There were seals and sea lions!
After checking the daily schedule we noticed the Sea Lion show would be starting soon, so we went to grab a seat. These guys are so big and awesome!
We took some video of the Sea Lion show, including some big splashes! You can take a look in this short video I put together from the video clips from our visit.

After the show we ventured inside where we were greeted by some really neat jellyfish!

A 3D film about sharks was next on the schedule so we headed over to the theatre area. We were supplied with some trendy 3D glasses and found some good seats, front and centre. I won’t give away too much, but the film was a little more than 3D, there were some neat effects added that really made it fun, especially for my kids, who were surprised a few times!

After the film we decided to wander around inside and see what kinds of interesting creatures we could find. Don’t you just love how the stingrays look like they have little faces on their undersides!

We spent quite a while exploring around the different galleries inside and the outside exhibits too. Somehow I forgot to take a photo of the adorable penguins, so I guess we will just have to go back again for another visit soon!

As we were leaving we stopped to snap a few quick photos outside and then it was time for the drive back home. These day trips are always so much fun for everyone!