Ucluelet Aquarium (new building opened in 2012)

August 15th, 2016.

I'm not sure if this is true, but the Ucluelet Aquarium (located in an extremely isolated area of Vancouver Island) claims to be the world's first "catch and release" aquarium. Every February all of the aquatic inhabitants are caught within a few kilometers from the facility and deposited throughout the establishment's 32 tanks. Then in November when the aquarium closes for the season all of the animals are set loose in the Pacific Ocean. The two star attractions would be the Giant Pacific Octopus and the Red Octopus and there are also many species of local fish.

Another interesting fact is that the aquarium is run by students, whether they be volunteers or paid staff. The only paid employees have to be students who are returning to a post-secondary institution in the fall as the aquarium is subsidized by government grants. Ucluelet is a tiny town of only about 1,700 people that is sustained via tourists who descend on the city to escape the bustle of urban life or to surf as the area is famous for surfing, hiking and relaxing.