Oregon Coast Aquarium (Newport)

Since The Oregon Coast Aquarium is touted as a world-class marine educational attraction, and only 50 miles north of Florence on the Yaquina Bay in Newport, we decided to take the drive up to see for ourselves. Although the facility was a lot smaller than we anticipated (we were thinking it would be more along the lines of the Monterey Bay Aquarium), the exhibits they had were top-notch and we enjoyed our visit very much. The outdoor exhibits were the most interesting to me; especially fun was watching the playful sea otters at feeding time, and the seabird aviary with the puffins, oystercatchers, and even the vultures. Although I am not a big fan of the "zoo" concept anymore because I don't like seeing animals penned up for our amusement, this aquarium does have a philosophy I can appreciate with their dedication to education, preservation, and conservation of marine life and the Oregon coastal environment.