Seattle Aquarium
Waterfront marine center on a historic pier, home to Puget Sound species, sea otters and a giant octopus.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Seattle Aquarium starts across the water, with the disputed death of an orca named Namu in July 1966, held in a floating pen by Ted Griffin, who ran Seattle's first waterfront aquarium and told reporters Namu died trying to escape by ramming through submerged cables. It traces Namu's capture off British Columbia the year before, his life as one of the first orcas ever held captive, and Griffin's ambitious plan for a privately funded marine park at Seattle Center, complete with shipped-in dolphins and a mate for Namu. You'll hear how the city council approved that plan in February 1966, only for Griffin to withdraw it three weeks later. Namu's death followed soon after, closing the door on Seattle's brief plan to build its own marine park.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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