Welcome to Passages of the Deep, the Oregon Coast Aquarium’s state-of-the-art under-water exhibit. Suspended through three underwater habitats, the 200-foot long acrylic tunnel brings visitors face to fin with sharks, rays, and other denizens of the deep.  With large viewing windows built into the floor, you’ll enjoy nearly 360-degree views of wolf eels, rockfishes, giant octopuses, bat rays and a variety of sharks.

Completely surrounded by sea water, visitors experience an immense ocean habitat as they travel through the clear acrylic tunnel, coming face to face with sharks, rays and other unusual creatures. All along the tunnel there are large viewing windows incorporated into the floor of the 1.3 million gallon, 26-foot deep provide a 360-degree view. Suspended eight feet below the water's surface and eight feet above the simulated ocean bottom, the tunnel gives visitors the feeling of walking beneath the sea.

Before approaching the exhibit, visitors pass through a realistic rock canyon leading down towards the exhibit. The entry plaza beyond offers space for a relaxing snack while guests listen to cascading waterfalls near the entrance doors.

Upon entering the walk-through tunnel, visitors first experience a southern Oregon reef in the 200,000-gallon Orford Reef exhibit. Waves surge, causing a forest of kelp to gently sway back and forth in the current. A rocky reef looms in the middle distance, with colorful sea stars and giant green anemones visible on the boulders. Large wolf-eels, surf perch, tiger rockfish and kelp greenlings are seen swimming within the many rock outcroppings. Further along, the tunnel's opaque floor gives way to a window underfoot. Here visitors look straight down to the simulated ocean floor. The big tunnel will then veer off into the second section.

Here, experience a dramatic 275,000-gallon exhibit called Halibut Flats. Walking above the sandy bottom, you'll notice a variety of fishes on the ocean floor, including longnose skates. Pacific halibut, big skates and other animals gracefully gliding nearby. Toothy lingcod, cabezon, starry skates and schooling sablefish will swim above and below the tunnel. A sunken ship rests on the bottom, with the ever-present rockfish hanging out around it. The shipwreck gives you the feeling of what it might have been like to be an early diver exploring just offshore. After another transition, which will announce the open sea section of the exhibit, the background will recede into darkness.

An impressive 850,000-gallon Open Sea exhibit is the finale  undersea adventure. The tunnel itself is well lit and visitors can spot large sharks swimming slowly by. Like deep-sea explorers, guests watch thousands of large and small fishes swimming on all sides. A school of spiny dogfish sharks are seen all around and bat rays  glide gracefully above and below the undersea tunnel. An interpretive brochure  identifies the other shark species that swim above and below.

Soupfin, leopard and seven-gill sharks will give you a sense of the many unusual creatures found in the open sea. Predators like Pacific mackerel, yellowtail jacks, and coho and chinook salmon are just some of the animals featured here. Visitors linger to admire the efficient movements of the many fishes and will be astonished by the sharks' ancient, otherworldly appearance. Near the exit lobby, guests realize that this third section has been the largest of the three-the striking lighting and receding walls will give the illusion of an endless ocean environment.

Adjacent to the exit lobby is an elegant banquet space reserved for special occasions. It has a large viewing window that looks back into the spectacular exhibit, plus a viewing deck overlooking picturesque Yaquina Bay. A gift shop showcasing products that relate to the open ocean and environmental stewardship is also featured.