Sea creatures at home at SEA Discovery Center in Poulsbo after pandemic closure

About 300 sea creatures have returned home from "foster" facilities around Puget Sound nearly two years after leaving their home aquarium in Poulsbo following a pandemic shutdown.

Downtown Poulsbo's SEA Discovery Center, owned and operated by Western Washington University, will reopen on Friday. The aquarium was shut down in October 2020, and all the facility's animals were sent to four neighboring aquariums to be taken care of before it closed.

Animals began moving back to the center earlier this month in preparation for the reopening of the facility. Staff members are lining up educational programs and exhibitions. 

"We're just really excited to be reopening," said Holly Hill, Western Washington University's outreach and continuing education senior director, who oversees the facility for the university.