BURST
A glass underwater tunnel could let visitors stroll among marine life at the Vancouver Aquarium , marking an immersive visitor experience in Stanley Park.
If approved, the feature would run through the main outdoor pool in the aquarium’s B.C. Wild Coast area, offering an up-close, 360-degree view of sea life found in B.C. The area is a cluster of outdoor pools originally built in 1967 for orcas, later used for dolphins and porpoises, and most recently home to rescued sea lions and seals, among other species.
Renderings from Vancouver-based architectural firm Musson Cattell Mackey Partnership show a reconfigured layout that would reduce the number of outdoor pools from four to three and cut water volume by about half, to 2.2 million litres. The largest remaining pool, at 1.3 million litres, would house the proposed tunnel.
Vancouver Aquarium, operated by U.S.-based Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation under a long-term lease with the city, would fund the revamp, the cost of which has not been made public. Park board staff say the updates could help boost attendance and strengthen long-term revenue.
“The proposed exhibit upgrade will optimize the aquarium facility for the future and help drive additional visitation within Stanley Park,” according to a March park board staff report.
Following the park board’s swift endorsement of the plans in March, city planners are reviewing the development application, with public feedback open until April 20 .
Underwater tunnels have become a signature feature of major aquariums. At the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco, visitors walk through acrylic tunnels spanning saltwater shark exhibits. The Newport Aquarium in Kentucky — also operated by the Herschend company — features multiple underwater tunnels, including walkthrough sections surrounded by sharks and coral.
Beyond the Wild Coast pools, the plans in Vancouver call for a broader “fishing village–inspired” redesign, including new viewing platforms, a canopy covered deck, and a new stair and elevator tower connecting the aquarium’s indoor galleries with its outdoor exhibits.
Behind the scenes, proposed upgrades include waterproofing repairs to the outdoor pools, replacement of underwater viewing windows at the facility, and improvements to life-support mechanical systems, including upgrades to filtration systems.
The redevelopment of the B.C. Wild Coast area would rank among the Vancouver Aquarium’s biggest capital projects as the facility approaches its 70th anniversary on June 15.
The Vancouver facility’s largest renovation wrapped up in 2014, a $45-million project funded through $10 million from Teck Resources, $15 million from the federal government and $10 million from the province, adding a new two-storey, 55,000-square-foot building with a redesigned entrance, ticketing and admissions area, café, gift shop, children’s space and courtyard.
At the time, the update was pitched as the first phase of a larger $100-million expansion plan developed by Ocean Wise, a Vancouver-based non-profit ocean conservation organization.
But in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the non-profit-run Vancouver Aquarium was at risk of closing, with much of its operating budget dependent on admissions and memberships when Herschend stepped in as the new for-profit operator. The U.S.-based themed attractions giant also runs several other aquariums, including Adventure Aquarium in Camden, N.J. and theme parks, including Dollywood. The Vancouver aquarium was its first Canadian asset.
Vancouver Aquarium continues to respond to more than 300 marine mammal emergencies a year, rescuing and rehabilitating animals when possible before releasing them back into the wild.
If approved, construction on the project in Vancouver is expected to begin in September 2026, with a targeted completion date of late 2027.