TACOMA — On any given day, Point Defiance Zoo’s South Pacific Aquarium is home to a variety of marine life, from sandbar sharks in the Outer Reef habitat to stingrays in the Stingray Cove.
But starting Monday, that marine life will be moved to a new temporary home as zoo staff embark on an estimated $4.8 million renovation and repair project that will close the aquarium to the public for more than a year.
The South Pacific Aquarium is more than 30 years old and needs some love, according to zoo staff. The renovation project means that 300,000 gallons of warm saltwater will be drained from the aquarium’s four habitats: the Outer Reef, Blue Hole, Lagoon and Stingray Cove.
“This is unglamorous but crucial work to support our many South Pacific Aquarium animals and preserve this historic aquarium for another two decades,” said Alan Varsik, director of Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium. “We’re excited to roll up our sleeves and get to work, and we look forward to welcoming guests back to an improved experience.”
During the renovation, most of the 700 fish and invertebrates living in the aquarium will be moved to the zoo’s behind-the-scenes Aquatic Animal Care Center, while some will move permanently to new homes at other zoos.
The zoo’s Eye-to-Eye Shark Dives program, which allows people to watch sharks cruise by them in the water from the safety of a dive cage, will be paused during construction.
When the aquarium reopens in 2023, much of the work won’t be visible to the public eye. The renovations include improvements to life support systems for the marine life and repairing of concrete cracks and walkways and gates used by aquarium staff behind the scenes. A new heat pump, ventilator and industrial dehumidifier will also be installed.
Zoo visitors will notice some differences following the renovations: new animal species, artwork and more natural light from new ceiling windows at the aquarium’s entrance.
The 25,000-square-foot South Pacific Aquarium opened in 1989, built with a voter-approved Metro Parks Tacoma bond issue in 1986. Stingray Cove was added in 2013.
The estimated $4.8 million renovation project will be paid for through bond funds approved by Tacoma in 2014 and the zoo’s operating budget.
Other parts of the Point Defiance Zoo, located 5400 N. Pearl St. in Tacoma, will still be open to the public during renovations. That includes the zoo’s other aquarium, Pacific Seas Aquarium, which opened in 2018 and is home to sea turtles, hammerhead sharks, and a tidal touch zone full of sea stars and urchins.
