Alaska Goes With the Aquarium Flow

Long famous for its sea mammals and birds, Alaska is at last joining the aquarium craze.

The $56-million Alaska SeaLife Center, opening today, sprawls on a seven-acre site on Seward’s Resurrection Bay--not far from Prince William Sound, where the Exxon Valdez infamously spilled oil in 1989. Exxon, through money from court settlements, provided $37.5 million for the center; the rest is from city revenue bonds and private money.

The main displays are three outdoor pools for seabirds, harbor seals and endangered Steller’s sea lions. By descending stairs and elevators, visitors can peer through floor-to-ceiling acrylic windows at birds diving and mammals “doing their underwater ballet--you can eyeball them, and they can come up and eyeball you,” said spokeswoman Donna Harris.

Adjacent to the University of Alaska’s Institute of Marine Science, the center includes research and animal rescue programs. It is open daily; hours vary by season. Admission is $12.50 adults, $6.50 children 3-11. Information: telephone (800) 224-2525.