One-Tank Trip: Oregon Coast Aquarium

Driving on Oregon Highway 101, you can stop for the views, the beach or the lighthouses — or just keep going, to one of the state’s most popular tourist spots, the Oregon Coast Aquarium.

For adults its $18.95 to get in, for seniors and teens $16.95, kids are $11.95 and anyone under 2 is free.

“What you’re going to see are actually the native species that you find here in Oregon,” said Nathan Carpenter, an aquarist.

“The most unusual thing we have here, in terms of animals, is our seven-gill shark. Our is a juvenile Pacific halibut, these three are all canaries, an adult China rockfish,” said Carpenter.

Outside, wandering paths guide you to an aviary with a variety of seabirds. If you watch the times posted outside the displays, you’ll find the popular feedings for otters, sea lions and seals, narrated by staff members as they eagerly toss fish to the animals.

“Here in the aquarium, they don’t have any predators in their exhibits, they have all the food they can eat and they have the best health care in the world, so they need other ways to spend their time,” said Noel Sutton, a mammalogist

Before you quit your day job and pursue a full-time job playing with otters and fish, there’s a secret you may want to keep in mind.

“How much cleaning is really involved,” said Sutton.

“Scrubbing windows, scrubbing dishes, scrubbing floors, scrubbing — you name it, we scrub it,” said Carpenter.

To learn more, visit http://aquarium.org/