Seattle Marine Aquarium
Encyclopedia
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 Elliot Bay waterfront in Seattle
, Washington, USA.
.
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.
and the Miami Seaquarium
, protests were common at the aquarium.
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, Washington, USA.
History
The aquarium was created in 1962 and was initially owned and operated by Ted GriffinEdward "Ted" Griffin
Edward Griffin, more commonly known as Ted Griffin, was an aquarium owner, entrepreneur and the first man to ever swim with a killer whale in a public exhibition. In 1965 Griffin purchased, displayed and performed with the orca, Namu, at Griffin's Seattle Marine Aquarium...
.
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
Namu (Orca)
Namu was only the second orca displayed in an aquarium exhibit and was the first orca to perform with a human together in the water...
for the area where he was captured.
Orcas
Under founder Ted Griffen, the aquarium was home to many orca whales captured in the wild. The orcas' names were: Namu, Shamu, Katy, Kandu, and three un-named orcas for a total 7 orcas over the years.Opposition
Just like people protest against facilities like SeaWorldSeaWorld
SeaWorld is a United States chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, and animal theme parks owned by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The parks feature captive orca, sea lion, and dolphin shows and zoological displays featuring various other marine animals. There are operations in Orlando,...
and the Miami Seaquarium
Miami Seaquarium
The Miami Seaquarium is a oceanarium located on the island of Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay, Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States and is located near downtown Miami. It is the longest operating oceanarium in the United States. In addition to the marine mammals, the Miami Seaquarium also...
, protests were common at the aquarium.