Marine Life Center: The Tiniest Free Aquarium

The main space of the Marine Life Center in Bellingham, WA.

I’ve seen Giant Pacific octopuses up close, pygmy rock crabs, Alaskan hermits, starry flounders and so many other creatures found in the Salish Sea. Every time I visit, I am wowed by the marine life at Bellingham’s Marine Life Center! It’s one of the coolest, easiest to not know about spots on the waterfront.

Located at 1801 Roeder Ave, Suite 100 it’s easy to grab a parking spot and explore. Best part? It’s super family-friendly. The mission of the Marine Life Center is to promote marine stewardship by providing access and open dialogue to the community and as we cruised through on a sunny Saturday we heard kids asking the staff all kinds of questions and they effortless shared their knowledge of all the creatures in the tanks.

I love that you can waltz in and easily lose 20 minutes reading all the information decorating the walls, staring at all the creatures, and while I’m not brave enough to play in the touch tanks I adore watching others connect with the marine life.

There is no admission fee and they aren’t even accepting donations at the time of writing this! The only thing you should do before you go is check out their social medias for the most up-to-date hours.

My first visit to see Sherlock the Octopus!

In 2024, I grabbed The Husband and we went on a date adventuring to the Marine Life Center after I learned they had a Giant Pacific Octopus named Sherlock at the center. The Marine Life Center saves octopuses from the commercial fishing industry, after their short stay at the Center they are released into the wild once again.

The lore I heard was that Sherlock kept sneaking onto commercial fishing vessels and eating the shrimp. After being caught shrimp-handed a few times Sherlock was brought to the Marine Life Center. I don’t know if this is all the true lore and I’ll have to visit sometime and chat with the staff to learn of Sherlock’s true shenanigans. Regardless, Sherlock had a lovely stay at the Marine Center and we had the chance to see the beautiful creature up close and personal before Sherlock was released.

The Marine Life Center showcases the releases of their Octopuses over at the Port of Bellingham’s YouTube channel. They’ve filmed Hero (2022), Onyx (2023), Sherlock (2024) and Marcellus (2024). Here is a clip of Sherlock being released into the Salish Sea!

The Marine Life Center at the Port of Bellingham says, “The Salish Sea has over 6,500 square miles of sea surface which sustains more than 3,400 marine species. The watershed of the Salish Sea covers about 42,000 square miles, promoting one of the most biologically productive estuaries. Come learn about the beautiful Salish Sea with us!”

In Summary - Go visit the Marine Life Center it's free!

Truly one of the best hidden gems in Bellingham is the Marine Life Center. It’s free, fun, educational and can spur the love of the Salish Sea as soon as you enter the space. They are extremely family-friendly and even offer Toddler Hours where you can book the space, class sessions, and so many other wonderful chances to meet creatures without having to travel.