Darryl Dyck/THE CANADIAN PRESS A sea lion is fed a fish by marine mammal trainer Billy Lasby during a demonstration at the Vancouver Aquarium in Vancouver, B.C., on July 6, 2017.

VANCOUVER — Canada’s largest aquarium is struggling to stay afloat in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, and could face a permanent closure in the coming months. The Vancouver Aquarium, which houses over 70,000 animals from spiders to sea lions, warns it will be forced to close permanently unless it secures new funding in the next two months. The facility first closed to the public on March 17 to abide by social distancing guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It has laid off 60 per cent of its workforce and downsized operations to the bare minimum in the past month in order to keep its financial head above water. WATCH: Orcas venture closer to uncharacteristically quiet shores. Story continues below.

But aquarium officials say it can’t last forever. It has lost $3 million in monthly revenue from admissions, cafe and event costs. Meanwhile, maintaining the animal facilities even with a skeleton staff still requires around $1 million a month. “As a not-for-profit aquarium that receives no government funding for operations, we are almost entirely reliant upon revenues from visitors,” Vancouver Aquarium chief operating officer Clint Wright said in a statement Thursday. Wright said, unlike many businesses facing closures and reduced service during the pandemic, the aquarium can’t just “turn off the lights and lock the doors” until it’s over. “Our 70,000 animals still need to be taken care of. They require specialized diets and expert care from veterinary staff, trainers and biologists. Our animals rely on us for managing every aspect of their environment – temperature, salinity, lighting, oxygen,” he said.

As a not-for-profit aquarium that receives no government funding for operations, we are almost entirely reliant upon revenues from visitors. Vancouver Aquarium COO Cliff Wright

Operators have begun looking into contingency plans to rehome the facility’s animals should they be forced to close permanently because of COVID-19, but admitted it is made more difficult by similar situation at aquariums across North America. The Ocean Wise Conservation Association (OWCA), the Vancouver Aquarium’s parent organization, will face bankruptcy by the summer without additional financial assistance, putting the facility’s ability to continue housing its animals in jeopardy. A permanent closure would also impact the facility’s Marine Mammal Rescue program, the Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood program and Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup program.

In a statement Thursday, OWCA board chair Randy Pratt called on donors and the provincial and federal governments to step up to support the aquarium. It is accepting donations through its website, and the board has reached out to various provincial and federal agencies looking for emergency assistance. “We can’t let this organization disappear. It brings so much to the community,” Pratt said. The aquarium first opened in Vancouver’s Stanley Park in 1956 and averages over a million visitors every year to the facility that houses sea otters, jellyfish, sea lions, insects and other marine life.

Jonathan Hayward/THE CANADIAN PRESS Seal pups are released back into the ocean on Dec. 18, 2018 after being nursed back to health by the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Centre.