SPOKANE, Wash. — An interactive aquarium is opening in the Northtown Mall on Division Street on Thursday, Aug. 1.
Blue Zoo Spokane occupies about 11,000 square feet next to Buffalo Wild Wings. The aquarium also has another 5,000 square feet in the basement of the mall for the filtration systems.
"We have pretty much everything you've seen at an aquarium. We have a large shark tank, stingray touch pools, octopus, jellyfish, seahorses, reptiles, birds, amphibians," owner Wesley Haws said.
There are seven different types of sharks and a 600-gallon tank just for the octopus, Haws added. Some of the sharks were brought to the aquarium all the way from Australia.
The touch pools are expected to include at least ten stingrays on opening day.
The aquarium also includes predator, reef and clownfish tanks, mermaid and pirate shows, shark feedings, and a reptile area.
Haws told KREM that all of the animals in the reptile and river fish areas are rescues.
Wesley Haws opened another location Idaho Falls, then hired a research company to find a city where an aquarium would thrive and Spokane was a perfect fit.
"People are looking for experiences to be able to put down an iPhone or an iPad and go out with family to interact with each other and the world around you," Wesley explained.
A daily pass is $15.95 for adults and teens and $12.95 for children ages 3 to 12. Discounts are offered to military personnel with identification and groups.
Annual passes to the aquarium range from $79 to $249.
Daily and annual passes are available on the aquarium’s website.
Blue Zoo will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
