British Columbia’s most famous aquarium will be reopening later this week.
The Vancouver Aquarium has announced that it will open its doors to the general public on June 26, following three months of closure due to COVID-19.
It will reopen with an initial operating capacity that is approximately 20-30 per cent of normal capacity.
Vancouver Aquarium, which is owned and operated by a non-profit organization, says it is facing bankruptcy as a result of the three-month closure and every ticket purchase helps prolong its future.
“In our 64-year history, we’ve never been closed for more than a few days and so we are extremely excited to reopen and welcome back visitors and members,” said Karen Howe, director of visitor experience, in a press release.
Ocean Wise Conservation Association, which operates the aquarium, said earlier this year that 331 staff members or 60 per cent of the aquarium’s workforce, had been laid off because of COVID-19. Care and habitat costs for 70,000 animals exceed $1 million a month but revenues have vanished in the months that the facility has been closed.
READ: Vancouver Aquarium could close in two months jeopardizing marine mammals on the coast
The Vancouver Aquarium says it will be offering a new, timed-ticketed, one-way flow experience that will allow guests to “encounter the wonder of our ocean” in a safe and crowd-free setting.
“Our new, reconfigured layout will take guests on a journey through our main floor galleries allowing people to learn and engage with Vancouver Aquarium exhibits and animals in new ways,” Howe added.
Additional safety measures will be in place at the aquarium, in order to ensure that all provincial health orders and guidelines are met.
Measures include requiring all visitors as well as members to reserve tickets online in advance. Visitors over the age of three must wear face masks at all times while at the aquarium and those displaying symptoms of COVID-19 will not be allowed entry.
Visitors will have under two hours to follow a one-way flow through six-zones of indoor and outdoor exhibits on the Vancouver Aquarium’s main level, the aquarium said.
To reserve tickets and for more information at www.vanaqua.org/.
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