One of North America's largest and best, the Vancouver Aquarium houses more than 8,000 marine species, most in meticulously re-created environments.

In the icy-blue Arctic Canada exhibit, you can see beluga whales whistling and blowing water at unwary onlookers. Human-size freshwater fish inhabit the Amazon rainforest gallery, while overhead, an hourly rainstorm is unleashed in an atrium that houses three-toed sloths, brilliant blue and green poison tree frogs, and piranhas. Regal angelfish glide through a re-creation of Indonesia's Bunaken National Park coral reef, and blacktip reef sharks menacingly scour the Tropical Gallery's waters. (Call for the shark and sea otter feeding times.) The Pacific Canada exhibit is dedicated to sea life indigenous to B.C. waters, including the Pacific salmon and the giant Pacific octopus.

On the Marine Mammal Deck, there are sea otters, Steller sea lions, beluga whales, and a Pacific white-sided dolphin. During regularly scheduled shows, the aquarium staff explain marine mammal behavior while working with these impressive creatures.

For a substantial extra fee (C$120/US$90 per person, C$175/US$131 adult and 1 child age 8-12), you can have an up-close encounter with the belugas. Participants in the Beluga Encounter go behind the scenes to help feed these lovely white cetaceans, then head up to the Marine Mammal deck to take part in the belugas' regular training session. On the more reasonably priced Trainer Tours (C$20/US$15 adults, C$15/US$11 children 8-12), you go on a 45-minute behind-the-scenes tour, helping an aquarium trainer prepare the daily rations for and then feeding either the Steller's sea lions, sea otters, or harbour seals. (If you have smaller children, I recommend the sea otters; Steller's sea lions are enormous and sometimes a little cranky.) Beluga encounters are available daily from 9 to 10:30am and 2 to 3:30pm. Trainer tours are also available daily, but times vary. Call tel. 800/931-1186 to reserve these programs ahead of time (recommended). Children must be 8 or older to participate in these programs.