Opening of Tropical Reef Aquarium

RECORD NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS, OBSERVATIONS, AND SPECIES IDENTIFIED IN 2024 SEATTLE-TACOMA CITY NATURE CHALLENGE Nearly 900 observers participated in this year’s City Nature Challenge spanning King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties, including Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Snohomish, and any place in between. From April 26 through April 29, community scientists submitted 16,395 nature observations—up 63% from 2023—and identified 1,868 species (+30%), showing the world the incredible biodiversity in the region’s home turf. That’s the region’s record! “It’s exciting to set a…

Plant lovers, you’ll want to check this out! Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is home to over a dozen Nolina hibernica ‘La Siberica.’ Right now, guests can see five of them sending up giant flowering stems 5 to 6 feet tall and covered with tiny white flowers that bees buzz about. These massive succulent-looking plants can reach over 15 feet tall. Their native habitat is in the high elevations near Siberia, Mexico, making this a unique opportunity to see them…

For more than three decades, the South Pacific Aquarium at Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has transported guests to warmer waters full of curious sharks, colorful coral, and rainbows of tropical fish. The mesmerizing Blue Hole has always been magical. But the magic paused in November 2021, so the aquarium could get a refresh. On June 14, it will reopen as the Tropical Reef Aquarium and be more inviting and beautiful than ever, thanks in part to Tacoma artist Mindy…