Birch Aquarium

Perched on a bluff above La Jolla Shores, this outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography holds a two-story, 70,000-gallon kelp forest tank stocked with leopard sharks, giant sea bass and garibaldi damselfish. Outside, Tide Pool Plaza lets visitors handle sea cucumbers, hermit crabs and starfish while docents answer questions, with one of the better ocean views in the city from the deck. The aquarium also runs a serious seahorse breeding program, work done so other institutions don't have to pull animals from the wild. A renovated Living Seas Gallery opened in 2025, and divers work the kelp tank on select days.