Inky Marina!

Hi everyone! It's me, Inky! I am home from one of my latest adventures - a trip to British Columbia and the west coast of the United States! My family decided to visit the Pacific Northwest because my Mom had a conference there. Plus, my Mama has wanted to visit British Columbia ever since she was a little girl, younger than me!

We arrived in Vancouver on a Tuesday night.  The very next morning, it was time for our first adventure- the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park! Do you like this giant globe behind me? See how it's south-side-up? Isn't that cool? According to the aquarium, it's upside down to make visitors consider the oceans first when looking at our Earth, not the continents. Cool, right?



The very first thing we did at the aquarium after visiting the globe in the rotunda was see the belugas! There are two belugas at the aquarium- Qila, the one in the photo, and her mama, Aurora. Qila is so funny! Belugas are extremely intelligent and you can definitely see that with Qila.

I loved the show.  I learned so much about belugas! Did you know that Greenland sharks, orcas, and polar bears are all predators of belugas? That made me sad, but it is all part of the circle of life.  Beluga whales are awesome.  They have big round middles and a big bump, or "melon," forehead.  I'm really happy I got to see Qila and Aurora!



This is a photo of me with the penguins at the Vancouver Aquarium! Do you see them just to the right of my head? I love penguins too! The penguins at the aquarium are African penguins- did you know there are penguins in Africa? Awesome! While belugas are from the Arctic Ocean, penguins live in the Antarctic Ocean.  Good thing I came to the aquarium so that I could see both in one day!



Wow! Aren't these guys amazing? They are jellies, a type of invertebrate. They have no bones, no heart, and no brain. Yikes! They are so beautiful swimming around their big exhibit.



Check out these fish! Isn't their exhibit cool? It's got urchins in it, lots of fish, and lots and lots of rocks! I am a little afraid of fish, but in a good way.  My friend Maiki, who lives in Hawaii, has invited me to come snorkeling with her if I visit her! I am a little afraid though, because fish seem so slippery and scary! Are you afraid of any animals?



Clownfish Cove is a neat part of the Vancouver Aquarium that is aimed at kids. It's a room full of different activities, such as touching different things and looking in smaller exhibits. I liked these crabs and sea stars!



Here are some more jellies! I could not stop watching them swim; they are so mesmerizing! Still, the Vancouver Aquarium wasn't the only item on my family's agenda that day, so I had to move on.



The last place we stopped before leaving the aquarium was its gift shop! I really, really wanted one of these narwhal plush toys. I love narwhals! My parents reminded me that we hadn't seen narwhals that day. Plus they were so big that they would never fit in my little suitcase, especially with their long tusks! I ended up getting a magnet instead.

I loved visiting the Vancouver Aquarium! I really recommend it if you go to Vancouver.  Plus, Stanley Park is full of big, beautiful trees. The walk from the bus was really nice. I'm happy we got to visit.

Have you ever been to an aquarium? Where was it and what was your favorite animal?