The Seattle Aquarium is a terrible place to live if you are a marine animal. Write to the aquarium's leadership team and tell them you will not be visiting until they switch from a live shark tank to a virtual one and until it overhauls its animal welfare practices, including ending the annual capture of Giant Pacific Octopuses from Puget Sound!

The Seattle Aquarium has already sunk millions of taxpayer dollars into its new Ocean Pavilion shark tank. $20M of these funds were intended for critical infrastructure projects across Seattle, like affordable housing, but were given to the aquarium by Seattle City Council, which has one member sitting on the board of the aquarium.  

Capturing wild animals for display in aquariums can contribute to the depletion of natural populations, especially for species that are already endangered; the aquarium plans on housing endangered Sharks from the Coral Triangle and is repeatedly unforthcoming on exactly which species it will house and whether these animals will be captured from the wild.

There are concerns about the commercialization of animals at the aquarium, where profit motives prioritize entertainment over conservation or animal welfare. The aquarium's One Ocean One Future webpage, supposedly intended to outline the benefits of its shark tank Ocean Pavilion, is just one big demand for money.

Write to the Seattle Aquarium's leadership team today! Don't forget to fill out your letter after you click "start writing!" Please use the following talking points to craft your letter:

• Write about your concern over animal welfare at the aquarium. For example, two Giant Pacific Octopuses have escaped their enclosure within the past few years. One Octopus made it out onto the floor where visitors touched and grabbed him. Additionally, of the 500 native Hawaiian Fish captured from the waters of Hawai'i a few years ago, over 300 are dead or are currently stuck in quarantine.
• Keeping animals in captivity, especially in small or poorly maintained enclosures, like the aquarium's tiny Giant Pacific Octopus enclosure, can be detrimental to their physical and psychological well-being. Animals may experience stress, disease, and shorter lifespans in captivity.
• While aquariums are often touted as educational institutions, they may inadvertently teach the wrong lessons by showing animals in artificial environments that do not accurately represent their natural behaviors and habitats.
• Make sure to state to the aquarium's leadership team that you will NOT be visiting the aquarium and will encourage others to never attend and spend money at the aquarium.
• Make sure to ask that the aquarium pivot the Ocean Pavilion shark tank to a non-live virtual exhibit, one that truly benefits conservation and educates without cruelty and exploitation.