A fitting legacy of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil-spill settlement, this $56-million marine research center (alaskasealife.org; adult/child $35/25) is more than just one of Alaska’s finest attractions. As the only cold-water marine-science facility in the Western Hemisphere, it serves as a research and educational center and provides rehabilitation for injured marine animals. Plan to spend the better part of a great afternoon here.
Thoughtfully designed multi-story aquariums allow you to see animals both above and below the water line. You can come nose-to-nose across the glass with Steller sea lions in their 185,000 gallon tank. In the bird habitat, colorful horned puffins and common murres show off their dazzling aquatic abilities as they dive down and rocket through the water like torpedoes.
Kids will love the tidepool touch tank, where they can hold sea anemones and starfish, as well as the ship's helm and the massive two-story tanks where you can see seals, birds and more both above and below the water. An outdoor observation platform offers a fabulous view of the mountains ringing Resurrection Bay where you can watch salmon thrash their way up a fish ladder.
It’s worth including an Encounter tour (per person $75): you’ll get face to face with the creatures you normally only see behind the glass with deeper dives into the lives of octopus, puffins or marine mammals.
Before leaving, discover the fascinating, stingray-type skate and its so-called mermaid’s purse, then get a primer on the five types of salmon that swim through Alaska’s waters. A fine finale is the small tank of delicate jellyfish, moving gracefully in the darkness like creatures from the beyond.
