Top 7 Zoos & Aquariums in Vancouver Island, Canada

Holly Hill Farm is an interactive and vast petting farm located in the heart of Campbell River, on Canada’s beautiful Vancouver Island. The winner of Campbell River’s ‘Best New Business’ Award, Holly Hill Farm is open to the public every Sunday from 10-2:00 (mid-March through October). Guests are invited to explore and immerse themselves in a free-ranging barnyard: holding chickens, snuggling baby bunnies, brushing mini goats, and hand feeding a friendly alpaca and horse. Truly a hands-on experience like no other, visitors can scratch a pot belly pig’s belly and, on lucky occasions, witness the birth of a newborn sheep or goat! Developing into a cultural and agricultural hub of Campbell River, Holly Hill Farm also hosts community events, birthday parties, summer camps, and educational after-school programs. The farm is also a supplier of healthy free-range meats, eggs, and fibre raised ethically and naturally.

The Victoria Bug Zoo opened its doors in 1997 and has been showing visitors of downtown Victoria our awe-inspiring bugs ever since. A visit to this must-see mini zoo offers an excellent opportunity to view and experience live tropical bugs from around the world. All the animals are alive and in tanks. Discover roughly 50 fascinating species including giant walking sticks, beautiful praying mantis, glow-in-the-dark scorpions, hairy tarantulas, and Canada’s largest ant colony. Knowledgeable tour guides will introduce you to the wonderful world of bugs, give a wealth of information about the animals on display, and provide a safe bug handling experience for the more adventurous. You can choose the level of interaction you have with our friendly animals. Don’t forget your camera to document this unique experience! The displays are ever changing so come in and be amazed by the extensive collection of invertebrates from around the world any time of the year. This stop is sure to thrill everyone; from children, adults, bug-lovers to even the more skeptical visitors! Tours always in progress, so no matter when you come, you are always right on time. Don’t miss this unforgettable, hands-on adventure while in Victoria, BC!

Open during the COVID-19 pandemic with special precautions. The Discovery Passage Aquarium offers fun and unique hands-on educational experiences for people of all ages. Come to see, touch and feel our incredible local marine species and habitats and discover the diverse marine life of Discovery Passage and Islands. The Aquarium is open from spring until fall each year. Specimens from representative local species are collected from the marine environment in the spring and returned to the area of collection at the end of the season.

Explore the underwater beauty of the Salish Sea Bioregion - one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world! The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea is a not-for-profit aquarium and learning centre devoted to the exploration and conservation of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea is named after the Coast Salish indigenous peoples of the region. Explore natural aquaria habitats of over 160 live species including a giant Pacific octopus, colourful rockfish, and magnificent wolf eels. Check out the marine mammal artifact exhibit complete with a rare orca skeleton, and take in the permanent exhibit of beautiful Coast Salish art. Journey from seashore to seafloor and discover the amazing diversity of the Salish Sea in 28 aquarium habitats teeming with marine life from anemones and nudibranchs to salmon and sculpins. Then get a close look at the weird and wonderful invertebrates in our shallow "Look" Pool (pre-COVID Touch Pool) overlooking the breathtaking Sidney waterfront.

The Deep Bay Marine Field Station provides many learning opportunities for the public. We have aquariums and touch tanks that help to interpret the local marine environment to our visitors. A visit to the station can be quite an interactive experience! We have both guided and self-guided tours that provide interpretation on several themes along with occasional public lectures and special events.

The Alberni Aquarium is a hands on interactive aquarium designed with children in mind. Visitors can expect to mingle with salmon and learn about their journeys, climb into a 400 year old tree and touch a starfish. There are activities for children, as well as award winning videos of salmon and other sea creatures. Come on out and learn all about life at the edge of the Alberni Inlet.