With the arrival of Keiko set for January, 1996, Mountain States Construction Co. was brought in to build the open ocean facility where the killer whale would reside for the next 2½ years while being rehabilitated at the Aquarium. With Keiko the killer whale's internationally broadcast arrival at the Oregon Coast Aquarium, the facility became known around the world.
While Keiko made international news, the Aquarium also boasted a variety of changing exhibits including: Fins & Fangs, Deep Sea Treasures, Seasons of the Salmon, What About Whales, FROGS! Clues to Survival, Forest Puzzles, Fatal Beauties, To See the Sea, Discovery Bay, and Jellies: Jewels of the Sea.
After Keiko departed for Icelandic waters in September of 1998, Mountain States Construction Co. retrofitted Keiko’s former home into an undersea ocean environment. Passages of the Deep—a 200 foot long acrylic tunnel snaking its way through three ocean habitats opened to the public on May 27, 2000 and produced a dramatic spike in attendance within six months of opening.
In 2000, the Association of Zoos & Aquariums announced that the Oregon Coast Aquarium was granted accreditation by AZA’s independent Accreditation Commission. AZA Accreditation is a status that denotes the highest standard of animal care and welfare. Accreditation renewal takes place every five years—22 years and 4 renewals later, the Aquarium continues to maintain this status, reflecting its enduring commitment to animal welfare and ocean advocacy.
In May of 2004, the Aquarium opened a Clear Channel Exhibits traveling museum display, Masters of the Night: The True Story of Bats, an interactive exhibit featuring the world of bats. This was the first of the Aquarium’s commitment to rebuilding its temporary exhibit program. Providing quality exhibits on a rotating schedule while major capital expansion projects are being planned helps maintain public interest in the Aquarium.
In 2005 Turtle Trek; A Journey of Survival debuted as a colorful and interactive exhibit featuring 17 species of turtles, showing why their survival is in danger and what can be done. Also in 2005, Coastal Living and USA Today listed the Oregon Coast Aquarium among the top-ten world class Aquariums.
In 2006 Claws was opened. This colorful exhibit explored the strange and diverse world of crabs, lobsters, shrimp, isopods and copepods.
In 2008, the Oddwater exhibit was covered in national news by Associated Press, saying, “Odd isn't necessarily ugly. And in the case of Oddwater, the latest exhibit to open at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, strange often equals beautiful, regardless of whether you're talking about marine life or its artificial habitat." The Aquarium also garnered three more top 10 ratings in 2008; Forbes Traveler, Trip Advisor and Trailer Life Magazines.
In 2009, the Aquarium introduced two 18 month-old turkey vultures to a newly-constructed aviary. The names, “Ichabod” and “Olive” were selected from public entries in a Name the Turkey Vulture contest. The birds, male and female siblings, were rescued from the Raptor Education group in Antigo, Wisconsin.
In 2010, Swampland, a vibrant exhibit featuring three different freshwater swamp habitats, debuted on Memorial Day weekend. Washed Ashore, an exhibit of sculptures made from plastics found on Oregon beaches, opened in Passages of the Deep. The Aquarium completed its role in rehabilitating two stranded sea turtles in January when the turtles were flown to the SeaWorld Turtle Rehabilitation Center where they completed their recovery and were released back into the wild.
In 2011, Beauty and the Birds, a photography exhibit featuring birds in their native habitats by photographers Susan and Steve Dimock, opened in Passages of the Deep. The Aquarium co-hosted Lincoln County’s first ever K-12 Ocean Literacy Symposium in Newport. This program was a collaborative effort with Lincoln County School District, Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center and Oregon Sea Grant.
In 2012, the Aquarium observed its 20th Anniversary on Memorial Day weekend. The Sea & Me, an interactive exhibit inspired by children’s museums, opened Memorial Day weekend. The exhibit features colorful displays and play experiences that invite curiosity.
In 2013, the Aquarium unveiled a newly remodeled Seal and Sea Lion Exhibit. The changes quadrupled the number of visitors that can see inside the exhibit at a given time. The Aquarium also partnered with the Oregon Coast Community College Foundation to host Oyster Cloyster as a fundraiser for the Aquarium and the College’s Aquarium Science Program.
In 2014, Aquarium scientific divers documented sea star wasting syndrome for the first time on Oregon’s coast. The Aquarium also welcomed two orphaned sea otter pups to its exhibits. In October, Aquarium divers documented juvenile stars on the Oregon coast for the first time after sea star wasting struck. The Aquarium performed rescue and triage on three olive ridley sea turtle, who were then transported to SeaWorld San Diego for further rehabilitation and eventual release.
In 2015, the Aquarium unveiled Secrets of Shipwrecks: Part History. Part Mystery. an exhibit interpreting the science of underwater exploration and artificial reefs, on Memorial Day weekend. A group of yellowtail jacks and barred knifejaws were also acquired from tsunami wreckage, treated, and added to the Aquarium’s Open Sea and California Kelp Forest exhibits.
The Aquarium also rehabilitated an olive ridley sea turtle that stranded on a beach in Washington
In 2016, the Aquarium welcomed two rescued sea lions to its exhibits, Catalina and Rosa. The Aquarium treated a trio of stranded olive ridley sea turtles, including Thunder and Lightning, who were then transported to SeaWorld San Diego for further rehabilitation. The Aquarium also released a rehabilitated Western snowy plover and partnered with OSU and ODFW researchers to monitor fishes in marine reserves. For its advertising campaign titled “Sea Spectacular” the Oregon Coast Aquarium won the 2016 Max Award for Print Advertising, presented by the American Marketing Association of Portland.
In 2017, the Aquarium hosted Big Bites, an exhibit featuring creatures with various feeding adaptations. A rescued ambassador Virginia opossum was added to the Aquarium’s ambassador animal program. In partnership with NOAA and OSU, Aquarium staff participated in a nine-day cruise off the coast to study the changing ocean conditions in the North Pacific. The Aquarium also assisted OSU researchers in testing unmanned gliders to monitor underwater sound pollution. In its rehabilitation efforts, the Aquarium rescued a rare brown booby and assisted in its relocation to San Pedro, California. The Aquarium also released two young Western snowy plovers that were rescued by ODFW biologists, and the three olive ridley turtles rescued by the Aquarium in 2014 were released by SeaWorld San Diego. The Oregon State Governor proclaimed May 23, 2017 as Oregon Coast Aquarium Day, and the Aquarium was among winners of the 2016 Travel and Tourism Industry Achievement Award. The Aquarium was ranked #7 of Tripping.com’s “The 12 Best Aquariums in the U.S. For 2017” and #6 of 18 in the Travel Channel’s “Best U.S. Aquariums.”
In 2018, the Aquarium successfully rehabilitated and released an entangled northern fur seal pup. The Aquarium also successfully raised funds for a new sea otter holding facility. Many west coast wildlife rehabilitation centers saw an influx of common murre chicks, including the Aquarium. The Aquarium’s youth team won first place at the Salmon Bowl at Oregon State University. The Aquarium won “Outstanding social Media Program Award” at the Oregon Governor Conference. MSN.com ranked the Aquarium as #6 in their “The 7 Most Amazing Aquariums in the U.S.” and Mommynearest ranked the Aquarium as #8 in “10 Best Aquariums for Kids in the U.S.”
In 2020, the Aquarium experienced long-term closures and suffered nearly $6 million in revenue loss due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The Aquarium started an emergency relief fund to help support operating costs. The Aquarium temporarily paused all scheduled public feedings and programs and followed state and county COVID-19 guidelines. During the Aquarium’s closure, the Newport Symphony Orchestra collaborated with the Aquarium to provide sound-based enrichment for the otters. The Aquarium mourned the loss of two sea lions, Max and Quill. The Aquarium rescued and triaged three stranded sea turtles. Tripping.com ranked the Aquarium #7 or 12 in “The 12 Best Aquariums in the U.S. for 2020.”
