About Us:

The Marine Life Center is under the umbrella of the Northwest Discovery Project, a non-profit organization formed July 10, 1992. One of the organization's main goals is marine awareness. At the Marine Life Center, over 70,000 visitors - mostly school children and parents - are introduced to our local marine flora and fauna in aquatic displays and a hands-on touch tank.

Our mission is to promote stewardship of Washington marine life through interaction. The MLC staff and volunteers aim to introduce visitors to the creatures in the Salish Sea and instill a love for the marine animals that are at home in these waters. We are active in promoting stewardship of the waterways (Whatcom Creek, Padden Creek, Squalicum Creek and Nooksack River) and watershed that flow into the estuary of Bellingham Bay. In case you were unaware, the seawater source in the aquarium is drawn from the Squalicum marina.

 Our goal is to improve, restore and maintain marine habitat for fish and invertebrates living in Bellingham Bay. The MLC is an exciting public interactive center where visitors can closely observe and develop a greater appreciation and connection with the animal world that lives beneath our coastal waters; a water world that is often hidden and inaccessible.