The Island Bay Marine Education Centre, also known as the Bait House Aquarium, is a community marine aquarium and education facility located on The Esplanade in Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand. Established in 1996 and run by the Wellington Marine Conservation Trust, the centre is housed in a historic former bait shed within the heart of the Taputeranga Marine Reserve. The aquarium displays live local marine animals including octopuses, seahorses, blue cod, and crayfish, and maintains one of the largest collections of local marine life in New Zealand. A popular Touch Gently Pool allows visitors to interact with starfish, sea cucumbers, and crabs. Open every Sunday and offering school programs and snorkelling experiences throughout the year, the centre connects communities with Wellington's extraordinary coastal marine environment.
