One of North America's largest and best, the Vancouver Aquarium houses more than 8,000 marine species. In the icy-blue Arctic Canada exhibit, you can see beluga whales whistling and blowing water at unwary onlookers. Human-size freshwater fish inhabit the Amazon rainforest gallery, while overhead, an hourly rainstorm is unleashed in an atrium that houses three-toed sloths, brilliant blue and green poison tree frogs, and piranhas. Regal angelfish glide through a re-creation of Indonesia's Bunaken National Park coral reef, and blacktip reef sharks menacingly scour the Tropical Gallery's waters. (Call for the shark and sea otter feeding times.) The Pacific Canada exhibit is dedicated to sea life indigenous to B.C. waters, including the Pacific salmon and the giant Pacific octopus. On the Marine Mammal Deck are sea otters, Steller sea lions, beluga whales, and a Pacific white-sided dolphin. During regularly scheduled shows, the aquarium staff explains marine mammal behavior while working with these impressive creatures.

For a substantial extra fee (C$150/US$127/£67 per person; C$210/US$178/£94 adult and one child age 8-12), you can have a behind-the-scenes Beluga Encounter, helping to feed these giant white cetaceans, then head up to the Marine Mammal deck to take part in the belugas' regular training session. Beluga encounters are available daily from 9 to 10:30am, with extra encounters on weekends between 2 and 4pm. On the more reasonably priced Trainer Tours (C$25-C$35/US$21-US$30/£11-£16 per person; C$40-C$50/US$34-US$42/£18-£22 adult and one child age 8-12), you go on a 45-minute behind-the-scenes tour, helping an aquarium trainer prepare the daily rations and then feeding the sea otters or harbor seals. Trainer tours are available daily but times vary. Call tel. 800/931-1186 to reserve all of these programs ahead of time. Children must be 8 or older to participate. Note: If you have smaller children, I recommend the sea otters; Steller sea lions are enormous and sometimes ill-tempered.