![]() The aquarium opened on 19 April 1996 under the name UnderWater World at a cost of US$38,000,000 (equivalent to $67,580,000 in 2021), filled with approximately 4,000 fish with 100 unique species indigenous to San Francisco Bay. It includes sharks, bat rays, rock fish, and two giant sea bass. The signature attraction, two long acrylic underwater tunnels with approximately 770,000 total gallons of San Francisco Bay salt water. Willie Brown was involved in the negotiations leading to the annual payments. In addition, the California Academy of Sciences (CAS) was to receive annual payments of US$200,000 (equivalent to $338,000 in 2021) for eight years, starting in 1997, to compensate for the projected decrease in visitors to Steinhart Aquarium, but the payments were never made. ![]() Together, these traffic abatement measures would cost the aquarium US$100,000 (equivalent to $173,000 in 2021) in 1996. In addition, the aquarium was forced to rent overflow parking spaces at Levi's Plaza and pay subsidies to Muni to fund additional buses to Pier 39 to handle the expected crowds. Some of the conditions imposed by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission when it issued the permits included requirements to use only species found in San Francisco Bay and to provide educational and outreach programs. Original estimates for attendance in the final environmental impact report ranged up to 28,000 daily visitors on the weekend in its inaugural year, and the aquarium was forced to limit attendance to no more than 12,600 visitors per day to gain approval. The aquarium was privately owned by a partnership of Questar of New Zealand, Aquabay Inc., and Pedersen Associates (The Chronicle Publishing Company, which owned the San Francisco Chronicle, was a minority partner in Pedersen). Specific objections included the amount of fill required (an additional 24,000 square feet (2,200 m 2) would need to be reclaimed from the Bay) and a potential violation of the city's 1990 Proposition H, which prohibits nonmaritime use of waterfront property. The aquarium was originally scheduled to be opened in the summer of 1988, but construction on the aquarium was delayed due to protests from merchants on Fisherman's Wharf and San Francisco Bay environmental groups, and ground was not broken until July 1995. It is the only Smithsonian-affiliated aquarium in the state of California. It contains over 750,000 gallons of salt water that over 24,000 animals from 200+ species call home. ![]() The Aquarium of the Bay is a Smithsonian Affiliate, accredited by Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and certified as a Green Business by the city of San Francisco. It is one of seven institutions under parent company Bay Ecotarium, the largest watershed conservation organization in the Bay Area Since 2005 the Aquarium has focused its mission on enabling ocean conservation and climate action both locally and globally. The aquarium is focused on local aquatic animals from the San Francisco Bay and neighboring rivers and watersheds as far as the Sierra Mountains.
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