Reopening of the Aquarium at the Marine Science Center

by Gail Wellenstein, Kitsap Beach Naturalist

Most of us look forward to retirement. At the same time, it’s a daunting prospect, and for some of us, it might even be terrifying. Some of the big questions are: What will I do with my time? How do I redefine my identity? How do I stay relevant?

One of the answers for many of us, retired or not, is volunteering. There are numerous worthwhile organizations and opportunities on the Quimper Peninsula. I chose the Port Townsend Marine Science Center (PTMSC), and this summer a new exhibit called Our Kelp Forests has opened across the street from the old aquarium location on the pier. It seems like the perfect time to talk about the Center and what you’ll find there.

Aquarium at Marine Science Center. Photo credit: Diane Quinn

PTMSC was founded in 1982 by two teachers, Judy D’Amore and Libby Palmer. With permission from the Fort Worden State Park, helpful husbands and volunteers armed with a $1,000 scholarship, built four tanks with plumbing in the old building on the pier, abandoned since the Korean War. They partnered with the school districts and built an experiential learning program. A natural history museum, located across the street, was added to showcase the relationships between land and sea.

From its early days of exhibits and school programs, the science center has expanded to include summer camps, low tide walks, lecture series, wildlife cruises, sustainability workshops and citizen science projects like Soundtoxins and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. They even sponsor trivia nights and a book club!

The heart of the center has always been the aquarium on the pier. The pier and the building are aging rapidly, and the State will be removing them at some point in the near future. The staff, with input from supporters, volunteers and friends, spearheaded a renovation of the museum building into a shared space for a natural history display of the Salish Sea and an aquarium display called Our Kelp Forests. The museum renovation was imaginative and relatively quick, finishing before the end of 2025. Moving a saltwater aquarium from a pier, where the water supply is easily accessible, to a land-based building is not easy; the amount of planning and construction was impressive. The final touches were completed by June 26, the official opening of the aquarium section.

The Salish Sea area allows visitors to explore plankton and fish through videos, seabirds and whales through sounds and displays, skeletons of seals and otters, and of course Hope, our transient orca skeleton that hovers overhead. There is a fascinating video on the underwater habitat, with gray whales feeding, sea stars creeping and seals at play accompanied by the sounds of birds. Wandering farther back to the Aquarium exhibits, you will take a trip through the kelp forest habitat and visit Wetzel, a rare sunflower sea star. Children are fascinated by all the objects that they can view under the microscopes, using the ropes to see how long a baby orca is and working the scavenger hunt to get that coveted sticker as a prize. There are even backpacks filled with exploration tools to check out for an hour or so for use at the beach across the street.

Come visit and enter the rich waters and lands of the Salish Sea watershed. If you’re interested, explore some of the opportunities outside of the exhibits mentioned above. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday–Monday. More information is available at ptmsc.org.