Trekking North: Seattle & Tacoma
Giant Pacific Octopus - Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium
Later in the spring, we went on a somewhat unplanned trip to Seattle, which was another new location for us! While there we visited a wide variety of both cultural and wildlife attractions which had a great impact on us! The first wildlife attraction we went to was arguably one of the coolest experiences I've gotten to have. We had a tour booked with the FRS Clipper whale watching boat and got to spend an incredible several hours of the morning out on the Puget Sound! This trip led to me seeing a small pod of wild Bigg's Killer Whales. This population is known for hunting marine mammals and they are doing very well in this region consuming the many porpoises, seals and sea lions present here. Getting to watch this pod and the little baby with them cruise along the coast was amazing! The next set of whales we got to see was a pair of Grey Whales. Only 24 individuals of the entire pacific population learned to take a pitstop in the sound for food on their massive migration, so getting to run into them was incredibly special. We also got to see tons of seabirds, get a short glimpse of a porpoise and witness some Steller's Sea Lions resting around a buoy. This entire tour was incredible and the scenery around the entire Puget Sound was breathtaking! Cannot recommend whale watching enough!
Next up was the Woodland Park Zoo. This is a really great zoo and I had heard good things about it for years before finally making it out there. The terrain and forest all throughout the park are stunning and add a lot to the habitats. The food here was also the best, they had a full authentic Mexican Taco stand operating and it put all the normal zoo food to shame. Some highlights of the trip here were the adorable baby sloth bear, a family of snow leopards, very active toucans and wrestling brown bears! I can't recommend this place enough and with the new habitats they were working on during our visit, I can't wait to check this place out again in a couple years.
The same day we went to Woodland Park Zoo, we also went to the Seattle Aquarium! This was a really unique aquarium due to the three major buildings all having very different feels. The new Ocean Pavilion had stunning tank design and being the newest building it really pushed the modern aquarium displays. The original Pier 59 had several touch tanks and was dedicated largely to being engaging to young kids. Then the Pier 60 building was by far my favorite, from the underwater dome, exhibits for rehabbed seals and sea lions, as well as a great aviary for shorebirds. Two of the buildings being over the water led to some spectacular views. The only downside to the aquarium is its pretty expensive for a short visit since each building is pretty small. Either way, its great spot with tons of rare animals and worth a visit!
Finally we went to Tacoma to see one of the most unique zoos I've ever been to, the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. The drive to this small zoo was gorgeous and the site here provides amazing views of Mt. Rainier. This zoo has so many unique and rare species, which made it really exciting for me to visit. Red Wolves, Walrus, Polar Bears, Musk Ox and Malayan Tapirs were really cool to see, and the focus on marine life here is also very different. There are two solid small aquarium buildings here, as well as an area dedicated to marine mammals like otters and sea lions. The biggest highlight here compared to other zoos were its animal presentations and keeper chats. We got to see an Aardvark walk the stage, Sumatran Tigers catch meatballs midair and Polar Bears dive after snacks. The staff were very informative and it engaged the animals and got them active. While it is a bit out of the way from the Seattle area, if you want a short but really cool experience like no other zoo, then be sure to make the drive out to Tacoma!
