Roy L Hales/ Cortes Currents - There are only seven ‘catch and release’ aquariums in British Columbia, and one of them is in Campbell River. The Discovery Passage Aquarium is also in the first building dedicated to this purpose in British Columbia.
“This job is very interesting and engaging, but it's all a means to an end. We want to work hard to change our relationship with nature, because in its current state it is unsustainable,” explained Ricky Belanger, Manager of the Discovery Passage Aquarium.
“It's hard to get people interested in changing their ways if they don't know why they're doing it. So taking these animals out of their natural setting and doing our best to recreate their natural habitats in a captive setting, we can engage with them and learn about them while the animals are still in a comfortable setting. We're working towards healthier oceans. One of our goals is to work towards a world where aquariums aren't actually necessary.”
This is the aquarium’s 10th operating season.
