Keiko’s long gone, but the turnstiles still swing busily at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport.  In fact, according to Aquarium communications director, Guy D’Torrice, the world famous Orca’s departure in 1998 was a major step forward for the facility’s grand plan.  “Conversion of Keiko’s quarters gave us the space to diversify and expand both our entertainment and educational goals,” he says.

Where the star of Free Willy once cavorted, the aquarium’s signal attraction, “Passages of the Deep” holds forth.  Here, visitors now walk a 200-foot tunnel as myriad sea creatures swim above, below and all around them.  This feature elevates the marine life showplace into prominence among the nation’s top ranked aquariums and places the 39-acre site on the shore of Yaquina Bay in the forefront of our state’s tourist attractions.  The “Passages” exhibit also underlines the creativity of the aquarium staff, with the “Great White Mystery.”    This involves a theme of “What happened to surfer Bob?” that is carried out with clues and videotaped news reports at stations along your passage.  “We have fun around here,” declares D’Torrice, and that good humored dedication to combining information, science and show biz is evident everywhere.

The undersea stroll is only one of several significant exhibits we witnessed.  Sea Otters constantly entertain as if they were salaried, in a deep and winding pool that includes windows for underwater views.  A neighboring Seals and Sea Lions home also provides a look beneath the surface that awes with the grace and speed of these mammals.  We were also intrigued by the Seabird Aviary, with two large pools for the colorful species on display and also viewable underwater.  In fact, says D’Torrice, this display looks so inviting, a wild waterfowl has been spotted trying to break in.

An Octopus quietly sprawls, suctioned against the viewing wall of a cave.  The “Coastal Waters” exhibit includes the re-creation of a section of harbor jetty and is a 35,000 gallon home for Salmon and Sturgeon as well as various Rockfish.  “Sandy Shores” and “Rocky Shores” galleries present contrasting coastal habitats and their denizens, complete with moving water to simulate the natural environment.

The art of Jellyfish

Just beyond the entrance lobby, a winding corridor takes you through an area for changing exhibits.  Currently, “Jewels of the Sea” features live tanks housing dreamlike, gently pulsing jellyfish interspersed by colorful, handblown glasswork jelly reproductions by artist Chris Hawthorne.  Just off this passageway, the Whale Theater entertains and informs with videos of various Oregon sealife subjects produced for the aquarium.

As you stroll through this marine extravaganza, you dodge swarms of children, a target audience for the aquarium, which averages 1,200 underage visitors per day, year-round.  Some 40,000 Oregon students, preschool through 12th grade, attend programs at the aquarium with curricula aimed at specific grade levels.  There are summer day camps staged for children for all age levels.   The aquarium also takes its show on the road, presenting marine science education programs to schools in Oregon and southwest Washington.  This effort informs an estimated 35,000 students per year and includes workshop sessions for over 1,000 teachers.

The open-air exhibit area is painstakingly landscaped with native flora.  Paths wind through totally realistic seashore rock formations created from concrete casts.  A quarter mile nature trail provides a shoreside view of Yaquina Bay, a prime birdwatching site with a vista of the busy Newport harborfront.

No tax dollars involved

The Oregon Coast Aquarium is a most impressive facility that reflects the thorough and enthusiastic efforts of both professionals and amateurs to create and maintain a truly world-class operation.  Perhaps the most endearing feature of the aquarium is that it is no burden on tax payers.  It is financially self-supporting, maintained by a nonprofit foundation incorporated in 1984. 

This is no small cost burden, with an annual operating budget of $9 million that supports a paid staff of over 70 (augmented by some 500 volunteers that include adults and students from the local community, plus a corps of expert divers who commute to enjoy their avocation feeding resident sealife and cleaning tanks). The facility’s energy costs are staggering to contemplate, with a commitment to constantly circulate millions of gallons of filtered water.  

We noted the buckets of fresh seafood being prepared for the aquarium’s mammalian population, which dines as well as you or I when we access these items in a gourmet restaurant.  The diets of the various aquarium denizens are strictly monitored for healthful quality and quantity.  Staff marine biologists check their charges’ health on a constant basis.

When Newport’s fishing and logging-based economy went into the dumpster in the early ‘80’s, community leaders caucused and settled upon the aquarium project as a way to bring new revenue to the area.  Internationally-known consultants were utilized to create a master plan that launched fundraising in 1987.  This brought in an initial kitty of over $11 million, which was then augmented by another $14 million pungled up with tax-free bond notes backed by state and private financial resources.  The aquarium opened in May 1992 and achieved a million visitors in its first year. 

Then came Keiko, as the aquarium foundation recognized the opportunity in providing the movie star a new home which he occupied in the glare of worldwide media coverage in January 1996.  Two and a half years later, Keiko embarked for Iceland and the plans to remodel his quarters into a massive enclosed facility were activated.  Where one whale swam, now hundreds of fish representing dozens of species fin their way over, beneath and around visitors to their two millon gallon water home.

Research, rehabilitation stressed

The aquarium, in conjunction with the adjacent Hatfield Marine Science Center, works closely with various marine science research projects.  Oregon State University and local community college students volunteer to earn curriculum credits.  The aquarium’s mission statement headlines “conservation, rehabilitation and research.”  Keiko has been the star rehabilitation subject to date, but stranded, ill and injured mammals and seabirds are regularly treated.  Current notable rehab success is Aialik the sea otter, stranded on an Alaska shore when less than a week old and now the still growing lead performer in the otter pool.

The aquarium’s diversity and dedication are ensconced on the internet.  The site, www.aquarium.org, includes a virtual reality tour, live cams of exhibits and information on the many programs and services offered by this facility.  Give it a visit before you experience the real thing.

Editor’s Note:  Oregon Magazine will be carrying monthly reports on marine science topics prepared specifically for our publication by the Oregon Coast Aquarium staff.