Ever touched a moon jellyfish? Seen baby jellies through a giant microscope? Fed an anemone? Starting June 4, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium is bringing back its popular behind-the-scenes experience inside the Pacific Seas Aquarium that lets you do all this and more! The fascinating tour through the backstage areas takes you to places only aquarists normally get to see.

Once you slip through the staff doors, you’ll come face-to-bell with moon jellies, see tiny polyps (nascent jellyfish) swirling on a microscope screen, look down into the Northwest Waters habitat from above and discover how aquarists test water for salinity. Guests can even see the shimmery world above Baja Bay- spotting green sea turtles, hammerhead sharks and eagle rays, and discovering how they are fed and cared for. The tour finishes with a private session hand-feeding sea stars and anemones in the Tidal Touch Zone.

This tour is perfect for curious minds, those who love science or marine animals, and anyone who has wondered how the magic of the Pacific Seas Aquarium is made! Guests can even say hi to real aquarists as they pass by doing their work, and find out how they care for the marine animals.

When: Saturdays from 12pm-1:15pm beginning June 5

Age: 8+(must be accompanied by an adult)

Price: $300 per member group, $400 per non-member group, with up to 5 single-household participants per group. Includes Zoo admission.

New Jammin’ with Jellies

Don’t have time to do the whole tour? Join a new, shorter behind-the-scenes experience focused only on jellyfish. Step into the mesmerizing world of jellies and see how aquarists care for and grow jellies. You can even get hands on and touch live moon jellies!

When: Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays from 12pm-12:30pm, beginning June 4

Age: 8+ (must be accompanied by an adult)

Price: $100 per member group, $150 per non-member group, with up to 5 single-household participants per group. Includes Zoo admission.

Book either tour here.