Montreal Biodome: Former Olympic velodrome now houses penguins and puffins

Everyone needs a puffin in their lives, I realise, as I peer through the glass of an exhibit at the Montreal Biodome. There's something inherently comical about Atlantic puffins' spherical heads and curvy orange beaks, as if they're an unlikely children's toy which came alive and was released into the wild.

Next door to them is a more familiar bird: the penguin. Several different species in fact, from gentoo penguins to king penguins, managing to look more dignified than the puffins by standing aloof in their tuxedo-like feathers.

These bird species normally live thousands of kilometres apart, one in the northern hemisphere and the other in the south. I'm able to see them together because they share the Subpolar Regions section of the Biodome, a fascinating attraction which presents four habitats of North and South America. Each contains a large-scale re-creation of the natural environment, with living creatures as part of the mix.

It's an intriguing concept, heightened by the location. For the Biodome is housed within the former velodrome of the 1976 Olympic Games, a vast curving structure which looks like an alien ship. After a major renovation, the Biodome reopened recently with added features to make the most of its unusual architecture – including walkways and lookouts allowing visitors to get closer to its exhibits.

I'm certainly feeling immersed in nature as I step into the Laurentian Maple Forest section. This is a delight, as walkways lead me beneath a leafy green canopy dappled with sunlight from glass sections of the roof. It really is like strolling through a Quebec forest in summer, and within the simulated environment are such local stars as beavers, raccoons and porcupines – I even spot a lynx having a snooze on a rocky ledge.

There's not much in the way of captions along the way, so creature-spotting is aided by the fold-out leaflet which can be picked up on entrance. Another alternative is to download the dedicated app (search on 'EPLV Montreal'), an excellent aid which contains photos and detailed descriptions of the animals and their habitats. You can see why the Biodome is popular with families – there's both fun and learning within its walls.

From the forest the path leads to a below-ground section representing the Gulf of St Lawrence between Quebec and Newfoundland. It's as if I'm walking below the surface, with a big glass wall revealing what lives below the waters. It's a busy place, teeming with aquatic creatures including the huge Atlantic sturgeon, which looks almost two metres long. Following the path upward, I'm able to view the rock-strewn waters from above.