[8] Prior to this, at the London Zoo Fish House, naturalists James S. Bowerbank, Ray Lankester, David W. Mitchell and Philip H. Gosse (the creator of the word aquarium)[9] had regularly held "open house" events, but the Vancouver Aquarium was the first to employ educational naturalists on a full-time basis.

The province would donate $10 million in funding over the next three years to help pay for a planned expansion of the 54-year-old facility, Premier Gordon Campbell said.

[12] On April 15, 2021, the Aquarium announced that an agreement had been signed to transfer ownership from the Ocean Wise Conservation Association to Herschend Family Entertainment.

[13][14] The Vancouver Public Aquarium Association was formed in 1950 by UBC fisheries and oceanography professors Murray Newman, Carl Lietze and Wilbert Clemens.

The aquarium was the second to capture a killer whale, Moby Doll, who was displayed for a day at Burrard Dry Dock on July 18, 1964.

However, no suitable companions were found, and Bjossa was moved to SeaWorld, San Diego, in April 2001 where she later died due to a chronic respiratory illness.

Despite the fact that the summer season was busy upon reopening, the social distancing requirements of being "COVID-safe" did not allow for the necessary visitor volume – ticket sales were down 80% and the not-for-profit was not able to cover costs.

The organization stated that it would continue providing uninterrupted care to the resident animals while working on strategic planning; namely, how to operate in a way that would be financially sustainable in light of current conditions.

[12] On April 15, 2021, the Aquarium announced that an agreement had been signed to transfer ownership from Ocean Wise to Herschend Family Entertainment.

[24] This gallery contains a large display of tropical fish and other animals, including blacktip reef sharks and a green sea turtle named Schoona.

The 4D Theatre and the children's play area known as "Clownfish Cove" are here, along with multiple classrooms for school groups, including the wet lab education room, which contains both conventional teaching methods such as computers, tables, and chairs, along with live animals and various artifacts.

Some of the sea lions actually belong to the University of British Columbia, and are part of a research program aimed at studying the causes for the collapse of the Steller sea lion population in Alaska, while Bella Bella is housed at the aquarium after being rescued as a pup on McInnes Island in June 2017 and being deemed non-releasable.

Amak and Kenai are half-siblings who were both born at Ocean Park Hong Kong in 2010 and lived at a Japanese facility before being transferred to the Vancouver Aquarium in May 2017.

[46] The aquarium also currently houses an adult male California sea lion (Señor Cinco) who was found with gunshot wounds on Vancouver's Spanish Banks on May 5, 2017, and blinded as a result.

On July 1, 2008, Tag, a 15-year-old male sea lion, died due to oral cancer, despite receiving laser surgery and chemotherapy.

The Vancouver Aquarium has created and operates a number of conservation and research programs aimed at understanding and preserving animal species in the wild.

[48][49] The program notably helped rescue Springer, an orphaned killer whale successfully released and reunited with her family pod.

The Sightings Network is a network of over 1,800 observers across British Columbia, including whale watching operators, lighthouse keepers, charter boat operators, tugboat captains, BC Ferries personnel, researchers, government employees, recreational boaters and coastal residents.

[53] Ocean Wise works directly with food service companies to select sustainable seafood and actively promote them to the general public.

The options are highlighted on participating restaurant menus and display cases with the Ocean Wise symbol, to help consumers make environmentally friendly seafood choices.

[54] The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is a program that was initiated by the Vancouver Aquarium by a small group of staff members and volunteers in 1994.

These employees had heard about the International Coastal Cleanup and decided to participate in it by picking up garbage at a local beach and submitting the information.

In March 2014, two Park Board Commissioners, Sarah Blyth and Constance Barnes, publicly spoke out against the practice of keeping whales and dolphins in captivity at the aquarium.

[58] Primatologist and ethologist Jane Goodall called for the Park Board to follow through with the proposed "phase out" of cetaceans and end the Vancouver Aquarium's captive breeding program.

The Park Board proceeded to commission an independent report from US wildlife veterinarian and scientist Dr. Joseph Gaydos[62] in which he examined the aquarium's animal care standards, accreditation and research and compared it to similar facilities in North America.

[68] After a long public debate that ended with the presentation of the Gaydos report and two days of public hearings,[69] the Vancouver Park Board announced in August 2014 that it intended to enact a by-law to ban breeding of cetaceans at the Vancouver Aquarium, and it tasked its staff with drafting an amendment to the existing by-law regulating cetaceans at the aquarium.

[70] Vancouver Aquarium CEO Dr. John Nightingale criticized the decision in a public letter, stating that the decision "was not based on the facts or science presented" and that it did not take into consideration "testimony from dozens of the world's scientific community, including experts in animal welfare and animal cognition.".

Footage obtained by the Vancouver Humane Society showed African penguins in a small enclosure, unable to escape public view, standing for long periods of time huddled around a door; sea otters repeatedly trying to peel back the edges of their tank; and a Steller sea lion abnormally sucking on the ground.

[82] The Vancouver Aquarium was also featured in the family film Andre (1994), and romantic comedy Good Luck Chuck (2007), as Cam's workplace.

On September 5, 2008, Hayden Panettiere appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman and talked about her visit with the rescue dolphins at the Vancouver Aquarium.