This is a smaller aquarium, but it was a lovely one to visit. We picked the Birch aquarium as one of the spots to visit using our City Pass & it was quick and easy to get inside. There is a short walk from the parking lot to the aquarium, but the walk itself isn't that bad. There are two sides to the aquarium to explore, an outside area where you can see some adorable as can be small blue penguins and another outside area with touch pools. The area with the touch pools has a gorgeous view of the beach & ocean as the aquarium sits up higher so you'll have a great view for photos. We thought they had a great selection of sea life to view. They had several different types of Jelly fish & several different species of Sea horses. I absolutely loved seeing the Sea Kelp Dragons, they are so cool to see. The bathrooms were clean, the gift shop was nice, and all of the staff we interacted with were friendly. I would say we were here for 45 minutes altogether? read more

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This is a tiny aquarium that you can easily clear in about an hour. I would recommend purchasing your tickets online and checking to see if they have any discount promo codes available. Otherwise, you'll be paying around $40 per person, unless you have an EBT card, which brings admission down to only $3 per person. There are about two sections of aquatic animals to explore. There is a penguin section, a small shark section, and a variety of other marine creatures. There is also an outdoor section with a nice view of the ocean in San Diego, which makes for some great photo opportunities. I've been to many aquariums, and I felt slightly underwhelmed by this one, mostly because of the price. Other than that, it's still a pretty nice spot to check out at least once. Parking: Plenty of parking, and it's free! read more

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My sister and I visited on a Saturday 8/8 at 1 pm and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the crowd was managed. It was definitely busy, but it never felt overly crowded, which made it easy to take my time and actually read about and enjoy all the different critters. We purchased our tickets online and used a promo code that saved us a few bucks. Our total ended up being $62.90 for two people, which I thought was pretty reasonable for the experience and the support it goes toward. There were lots of interactive activities for kids, but I honestly had just as much fun learning about everything myself! The animals appeared very well cared for, and I loved the touch pools. The animals would occasionally take breaks from interacting, which I appreciated because it felt like they were being given plenty of space and rest. The staff were also great! We learned so much from the workers throughout the aquarium. Rosy the rosy boa was especially fun to learn about, and I loved seeing the loggerhead sea turtle with a 3D-printed back brace and the octopus recovering from a leg injury. Seeing the care that goes into these animals made the experience even more meaningful. Parking was easy and free, which is always a huge plus. There's also a cute gift shop with some really nice, quality items. It is definitely on the pricier side, but there were plenty of things I liked. Overall, I absolutely loved getting to see these animals up close and learning about them. Such a fun and educational afternoon, and I would definitely come back in the future! read more

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This place is wonderful. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific. The aquarium is designed around the fish. The best part of the aquarium is inside to the right. The west coast aquariums show you what is out in the pacific. This place is well maintained and the staff is very friendly. We found it is small enough to avoid the large crowds of a more famous aquarium, so you can get really close to the fish. We had great time and took some amazing pictures. It was a lot of fun and very informational. read more

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I really enjoyed visiting Birch Aquarium . They have a unique variety of fishes, sea animals, and shows. My favorite was the sea nettle tank. Shows: I watched the penguin exhibit, where I got to learn about the different penguins they have at the aquarium. Gift shop: They have a cool gift store at the aquarium, where they sell various shirts, refrigerator magnets, and other souvenirs. Employees: The employees here are all very friendly. read more

Birch Aquarium - Sea Nettle - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

Awesome experience checking out the aquarium through this venue that held a special event. The views are incredible overlooking La Jolla and enjoyed seeing the wide array of exhibits they have here. I loved seeing the penguins, jellyfish, seahorses etc. Their space was transformed for the event and it was a neat venue to enjoy after hours. Definitely a wonderful option for having an event and/or enjoying the aquarium for locals and out of towners. read more

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I've always wanted to go to Birch Aquarium and so glad I finally made my way. I liked the right side of the aquarium the best. It was neat seeing the jellyfish, large aquarium display, and the seahorses! The interactive area outside was underwhelming and had very little sea life to explore. The view of the vast ocean was stunning though! The left side of the aquarium had one leopard shark. There was also an area for the kids to play. Overall the aquarium was small and would be worthwhile for them to consider an upgrade. read more

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GIRRRRRRRRRL. Took my lady here for a surprise date, "surprise" because I gave away so many hints I finally just told her. The oceans at night event is to die for - thankfully not literally. We got to make shark tooth necklaces, neon tattoos (paint), see penguins keeping cool in their bed area, tons of cool species of fish and sea creatures, they had DJ's and cocktails with a gummy shark and boat building out of recycled materials. 10/10/10/10/10/10 all OF THAT STAFF was phenomenal in their shark hats and over the top costumes. You felt that energy queeeeeen. Felt like life paused and strangers just came to explore together. 10/10 on a regular day also. I've grown up coming here since middle school field trips and was so excited to experience this. I haven't been since I last went when my dad passed away. Sitting at the kept Forrest was our favorite. Now go get your ticket.... K bye read more

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We took our kiddo to Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, CA for the first time and had a fantastic time. If you purchase your tickets online, you'll save $5.00. Birch Aquarium offers wide variety of marine life, including penguins and seahorses, alongside many interactive and educational exhibits. The Aquarium has stunning ocean views of La Jolla Shores beach and offers free parking. You can bring lunch for your kiddos and sit in the outdoor picnic tables. One thing that was upsetting was having to see drinks left on tables and benches by kids and parents. Please pick up after yourselves! There are many volunteers at the Aquarium and are not there to pick up your trash!! Tourists need to be respectful of this Aquarium it's not your home!! Sorry had to vent check it out! Happy Yelping :) read more

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You can purchase your tickets online at a discounted rate. Parking is free. They have several handicap parking spots available. I haven't visited this lovely aquarium in a couple of years, it is still well maintained. We arrived in time for the sea dragon feeding and penguin feeding. The staff is very knowledgeable, such a great place for children to learn about sea life. We loved seeing all of the sea animals, our favorites were the sea dragons, octopus & the touch pool. We loved the gift shop! Definitely check this small aquarium out. read more

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I had a great time at this aquarium. If you're coming with young kids, they will love it. There are lots of fun little activities for them throughout the place. The animals seem well taken care of & happy, tanks are very clean, and the critters in the touch pools get breaks. The workers are very informative and friendly. It's definitely worth checking out. You can spend a solid 2 hours here! read more

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May 15 2026 in La Jolla California is Birch Aquarium. Took my Dad and mom and brother to Birtch Aquarium. This Aquarium is amazing and wonderful. The staff are alwqys professional and polite. They alwqys greet you . And help if you need it. My dad loves the sea horses I live the sea dragons. And black and white clown fish It was some what busy today but we were able to visit and we all had fun and got to see some amazing fish and sea life. Thank you to all the Birtch Aquarium staff. I highly recommend them and I will be back read more

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We wanted to do something different with the grandkids, so we decided to spend the day at Birch Aquarium. They had a great time! The aquarium is on the smaller side, but there is plenty to do to keep kids entertained and having fun. One of their favorite activities was an interactive area where they could build little boats and float them down a simulated river. They absolutely loved it and spent quite a bit of time there. The weather in June was perfect, with a nice ocean breeze that made the visit even more enjoyable. Overall, it was a fun family outing, and the grandkids had a blast. read more

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The hands on exhibit for kids and the viewing tanks are incredible along this oceanfront aquarium ,which could be a scenic view of the ocean and marine life. The jellyfish exhit was the most facinating and the layout of the aquarium made for a more structured and educational visit. read more

Birch Aquarium - Ocean below - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

Haven't been here in forever, so went with the grandkids... super cute!! A lot of information, mixed with play, mixed with just relaxing vibe... not sure how often we'd come back unfortunately as the price really was a lot for what there is. So definitely look for some deals... fun day over all though read more

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I had visited on a Saturday to do the Animal Crossing Stamp Rally! We paid a pretty penny to be here and felt as if the event was lacking. It was hot and we had to park down the hill in a separate parking lot. It was ridiculously busy because of the event, which we expected as much. We walked to the entrance, and it was also a very long line. Once we entered, we were given a stamp book, though it wasn't a book, it was a card. Collecting the stamps around the aquarium was easy, but going through people was not easy. It was overcrowded and it had a big stench of body odor, especially near the jellyfish area. We couldn't take the photos we wanted nor could we see the characters around the aquarium. Because of the people, we couldn't spend time looking at the critters either. The only area that we could enjoy was the outside area overseeing the beach. We were able to touch some anemones and snails. Don't get me wrong, I love the aquariums and supporting them, but this review is mainly for the ANCNH Event. We've also been to this aquarium before and I adore it. We'll have to be back to enjoy our time seeing the animals. read more

Birch Aquarium - Animal Crossing Stamp Rally! - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

Very cool, no need to spend the whole day there, maybe up to two hours. The tanks were impressive with a cool variety of animals!!! There's cars that park early on in the sidewalk, but we were lucky to get into one of the lots nearby that offer a complimentary 3 hour parking. There's a Birch Aquarium x Animal Crossing tour collab going on, so ontop of my first time experience here, I was able to enjoy the exhibits. Lots of interactive ones where you can touch with your hands. Lots of kids' activities and the Animal Crossing tour provided some fun character photo-ops and some cute meet-and-greets with the characters!!! They kept the lines for the character pics going pretty efficiently. Pretty great activity to do in San Diego. read more

Birch Aquarium - Balcony view - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

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I came here for the Animal Crossing New Horizons Collab! However I have been here a few times in the last year. So this is my overall review. The remodel is really stunning. I love how each tank/display is set up so you see a different part of the ocean. There's reef, deep water, tropical waters, shallows, and so much more. The fish and tanks are well cared for and stunning! Each time I've been it's very clear the animals are well cared for, as are the facilities. They have gorgeous fish, invertebrates, turtles, rays, sharks, and penguins! The ACNH collab was super cute! Lots of themed displays and themed information through Blathers. I hope to see more fun collabs in the future. read more

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Great aquarium! The new children's area is amazing and my kids had so much fun at the outdoor boat building station! Friendly and helpful staff. We spend about 3 hours here on our visits! read more

I'm writing a review after they finally finished construction on the right side of the aquarium. The new wing is incredibly well built with plenty of unique exhibits. I particularly liked the jellyfish tanks, giant pacific octopus tank, the giant clam/mussel/spiny lobster tank, and the huge tank with the giant bass. I think I spent nearly 2 hours alone and the left wing was closed for construction. The penguin exhibit is also a cute little outdoor bird pool where they all gather and flop around. I also came during their animal crossing collaboration and it was nice having some blather screens for explanations as well as a gulliver plush in one of the beach exhibits. Overall, it was a fun experience and I can't wait for the left wing to finish construction. read more

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Birch Aquarium is currently hosting an Animal Crossing event, which is the reason why I stopped by with some family to check it out! The aquarium has its own designated parking lot, but they did have to open up additional overflow parking lots due to the popularity of the event. Inside, it is smaller compared to other well known aquariums as it is meant to be more educational. Overall, there was still a lot to see and tons of cool aquatic wildlife to learn about. We also went during the Animal Crossing stamp rally which added some additional things to do in our visit. Definitely stop by before the Animal Crossing event ends! read more

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We heard good things about Birch, and was hoping it'll be like the Dallas Aquarium or Monterrey. It was a bit of a let down with the size, still something to do with your little one though. It's $40ish for adults and free for 2 and under. You can do the whole thing in less than 30 minutes. For the price, I would say it's not really worth it but something to pass time if you're a local and have a toddler. We got memberships because it'll pay itself in 3 visits. The view is beautiful. They have some cool fishes, penguins, and an interactive tide pool where you can touch starfish, sea cucumber and others sea life. Pretty cool. My toddler son loves it because it's not too overwhelming, but we just wish they had more exhibits so that we can spend more time here. Just thought it was a big aquarium. Free parking for 3 hours. The food in the front isn't too bad. The pretzel was really gourmet. The sandwiches were ok. Lots of tables and chairs to enjoy the food. read more

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I've visited the Birch Aquarium a few years ago but this month I visited for the Animal Crossing Aquarium Tour event. The weekend I attended was the stamp rally! We went in about an hour before it began so we got a chance to view all the exhibits before the crowd but as soon as it hit 12, the aquarium was so full. Beyond what I believe it was to be safe. I did end up tripping due to the heavy crowds. There are ledges/stair on the exhibits for the children to see but when you have a huge crowd in the halls, getting pushed around, it ends up a big tripping hazard in the dark. I would give the feedback to implement more crowd control to avoid a bigger accident since it is dark inside and there simply wasn't enough room for the people in line to do the stamp rally and those who wanted to view the exhibits. Other than that, we had an amazing time and plan to come back! read more

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Cool aquarium in La Jolla! Half off admission for museum month in February makes it a great experience ($17ish for a weekday). As others have pointed out, don't come expecting a massive space and experience like in Monterey. However, do expect an outstanding view of the coast and a delightful time. We also happened to come during the Animal Crossing collab, which added cool graphics to the informational screens. Everything was well labeled and we enjoyed seeing the variety of marine life. Parking was crowded, but there were spaces. Staff was knowable and fellow patrons were all friendly. The facilities were clean. read more

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As someone who has traveled all over the country and visited many museums, zoos and aquariums, this is one of the most disappointing aquariums I've ever been to. Thank GOD I went and tickets happened to be 50% off for February museum month. Parking is an absolute NIGHTMARE. If you insist on coming, come at the beginning of your entry time slot or sooner so that you can circle the small parking lot like a vulture hoping to snag a spot. The street parking requires SD specific paid permits and you WILL be ticketed if you park in those spots. The aquarium itself is tiny and about HALF of the exhibits are just little alcoves with screens and seating so you can watch underwater recordings. Otherwise it's just fish and seahorses and 6 penguins. The view from outside is incredible, but you will be distracted from it by screaming children because the outdoor play area for children overlooks the water. The only reason it deserves one star vs zero stars is because it IS a non profit and those funds go to education and oceanic wildlife care and funding. All in all, we walked through in about 30 minutes and I have quite literally had a better time at PetSmart. read more

Birch Aquarium - View from the back area - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

I purchased my first family membership here postpartum. He was tiny at the time, and we ventured out around 3 months as postpartum for us was difficult. Birch wasn't too big however it was nice for our son L. (We're a family of first names beginning with L). Plus it was nice to just walk in instead of having to reserve a time. There also is plenty of parking, we never had any trouble find a spot when we came. Our son L would gaze at the exhibits in awe and surprise, to see all the fish swing by and was quite intrigued. The aquarium isn't too big, but it's definitely nice to go to when it's super hot outside or raining. We have continued to visit this past year, and it is a treat for him to stumble around as he started walking. The new exhibit, Living Seas that opened up recently this summer is definitely a nice addition. It's cool to see all the sea animals like the octopus! One perk is that in May there is Museum Month where you can use your membership towards another museum on the list. We ended up using it to check out the Children's Discovery Museum in Escondido and also the Fleet Center in Balboa. We will continue to drop by here often until our son is no longer as interested when he gets older. There are some interactive things to outside, however he's still too young to understand the water is not to splash and play around in when we were trying to show him a starfish. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

We went here after visiting La Jolla cove, it is just a few minutes drive. The aquarium is on the small side but the view of the ocean from the entrance is spectacular. There are just a couple of big exhibits: penguins and sharks/rays. Tickets for adults cost $39.95, but if you order online in advance (you pick your entrance time) the price is $34.95. And, if you choose to enter at 3:45-4pm, the price drops to $29.99 online. The aquarium closes at 5pm. I wish we had done this because one hour is plenty of time to see everything. The kid enjoyed it so it was worth the time and money, but it is not something that you can return to over and over. Parking is free. There is a good gift shop and I was amused to see that a lot of the stuff is from China so I thought of Mr. Trump and his tariffs. read more

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Get your ticket on Groupon and you'll save about $10 :) Parking was very convenient and easy! Free parking for the first 3 hours on a Sunday. read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

This place is beautiful!!! It's great that the aquarium is getting treated by the marine school that is nearby and knowing they are in good hands. They have great sea animals!!! But.... the view point really takes the spotlight. There is a beautiful spot where they have the view of the ocean. Most of the time - it's why we go there!!! It's a great place to go for the afternoon and just hang out as a date or a fun family activity!!! read more

Small but WONDERFUL aquarium. Staff were so kind and knowledgeable. The blue penguins are a must to see! Also - the sea turtle has a 3d printed shell piece!!! Brian the turtle keeper is sooooo kind and just a gem of a human! He was amazing answering our questions! read more

Birch Aquarium - Aquariums Near Me - La Jolla, California

What a delightful way to spend a couple of hours esp with children. They have several good exhibits plus a water table on the outdoor patio which is always a big hit with kiddos. I really like both the penguins and seahorses. We went as part of the city pass experience so I didn't really check the cost to enter so I can't speak that. read more

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Arrived at 1 pm on a Thursday the walk from parking lot is alittle long but parking is free . What a beautiful location you are surrounded by ocean views . The aquarium is well kept and they offer food right outside which is reasonably priced.they also have Starbucks drinks . Coming at 1 pm we saw a lot of school kids leaving which was perfect since a it's not super big and can easily overcrowded. Everything was nice except for the penguin encounter the water was filthy poor guys . read more

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Birch Aquarium is a cute aquarium, especially for families. Adult prices are about $40 a person. Parking is free. For the price you'd hope it would be a little bigger though. Easy to maneuver around. Vast array of fish , jellyfish, and other sea life. Checkout the outside views, good location! read more

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TLDR: Disappointed by the Animal Crossing collaboration, but okay about the penguins and fish overall For a Thursday morning, the parking lot was surprisingly jam-packed. After circling around for a bit, we did manage to find one spot that was still a bit of a walk away from the entrance. The good news is that parking is free. When my friends and I first heard that there was going to be an Animal Crossing collaboration here at this aquarium, we were so excited that we cleared our schedules and got our tickets online. Tickets are about $35. We are big fans of the game and had seen videos of this collaboration with other aquariums. The videos definitely raised our expectations too high. Let me just say now that this aquarium was not worth the 2.5 hour drive down from LA. I can see on their website that a few of the collaboration events are only offered on very specific days and times like the stamp rally (2/21-2/22 and 3/7-3/8), character meet and greet (3/13-3/15), and game night (3/12 from 6pm-8:30pm), which is really such a shame. What that tells me is that anyone who buys a ticket can only experience ONE or NONE of these things during their visit. The game night is also a separate ticket since visiting hours normally end at 5pm. The things that are available daily are sadly not very good. The "themed signage throughout the aquarium featuring animal descriptions presented by Blathers" was nothing more than a couple of tablets with an option to read one sentence about one fish in the tank. While the advertising is not technically wrong, it was disappointing. If the aquarium is missing that many fish from the game, then maybe it should have just printed out its own descriptions for the fish and slapped it on a speech bubble from the game. Alternatively, it could just not participate in the collaboration at all if it doesn't have any of the fish from the game and can't do it justice. I will give them some credit for the few photo opportunities throughout the aquarium with these cute character standees and single Gulliver doll. They did help make the aquarium a little more on-theme. My final complaint about this collaboration is with the gift shop. The small table of merchandise included a few unimportant characters, some clothes for children, a few small Lego sets, and one sticker book. I actually think the sticker book wasn't too bad. I just think that the store should at least carry SOME of the main characters. I will now talk about the aquarium in general. I'm not sure why there is a single kookaburra bird out by the entrance, but it was pretty cute. The penguins were also very cute. I loved seeing them swimming around. It was probably my favorite exhibit. The fish tanks looked well-maintained with interesting descriptions as well. I think I learned a few cool facts, which is always nice. The lighting was kind of dark in some parts though and I could not read the words at all. I also enjoyed seeing all the manta rays and sharks outside in the patio area. I didn't know manta rays could be that big, so I was thoroughly impressed by them. Oh, I also liked how each tank has a step stool. That's such a thoughtful idea. It seems like a new area is being added to the aquarium as well. It looked like it was about amphibians. Overall, I think the aquarium is fine. It's small, but it has some charm to it. Many of the exhibits are tailored to children, which isn't bad, but adults are being charged more to go to this, so it would have been nice to keep adults in mind too. I do think they should work on improving their collaboration experience some more if they plan to do this with Animal Crossing or any other entity again. I probably would not come back just because it's kind of far. read more

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came to visit the Animal Crossing collab with this aquarium! this particular aquarium is a bit tinier so you can finish within 1-2 hours. a few spots were under construction. the pathing was a bit confusing -- we somehow kept going the opposite way from the flow of traffic. they had very cute nods to animal crossing, would've been cuter if they played the music around the aquarium! read more

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This is a great way to spend an afternoon. The Exhibits are easy to get to and the sea life is well taken care of. It's actually quite hard to maintain a huge Salt Water Aquarium Tank and these are all Salt Water. Then , I consider how to feed all the individual appetites. It must consume a team just for those two parts. The afternoon was a delight. We were there about 3 hours including a delicious Hot Dog break. read more

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I chose to stop by here on a whim while visiting San Diego! I came by myself and was able to get a discount on my ticket with EBT so I think it made the experience more worth. I'm not sure how much a ticket for an adult would've been without the discount. I wasn't sure what to expect when I arrived. I've been to several aquariums before, most of them huge with lots to see. I will say, this aquarium is smaller than I expected, but also not the smallest aquarium I've ever stepped foot in. Walking through the entire place (inside and out) only took me around an hour to an hour and a half but I was thoroughly entertained the entire time. It was super busy when I went (Saturday afternoon) and there were TONS of families with small children. Many aspects of this aquarium did feel to be catered towards kids and there were many activities the place offered for children so I think this would be a better place to bring young ones rather than adults. Overall, I had fun. I'm glad I took myself but I would say this is definitely better for the little ones! Still worth checking out at least once, especially if you can get a discount on tickets. read more

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Arrived at Birch Aquarium at the perfect time and it was free for the Big Exchange. Learned about the 26 yo sea turtle with a prosthetic back shell who was found in Jersey. She's a Jersey girl! She stared at me straight in the eyes for a long moment. It was awesome! People were surprised by it. But I've had a similar experiences with an orangutan and serval at the zoo. Then learned about the smallest penguins called little blue penguins. It was so educational and fun watching them get fed. And my favorite was seeing the sea dragons for the first time! Straight out of Dr Seuss! Amazing! read more

If you've never been to this aquarium, you're not missing much. It is very small, and extremely overpriced. There are maybe 3 memorable exhibits, which are the penguins, the (rescued) sea turtle, and the octopus. There are a couple of touch tanks outside, with a total of about 4 areas inside to explore. We took our time, and still struggled to make the experience last about an hour. This place is definitely geared more towards younger kids, my 9.5 year old was a little too old for most of the activities they offered aside from the touch tanks. Great views of La Jolla though, but not worth the price in my opinion. read more

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Birch Aquarium at Scripps surprised me--it's smaller than I expected (those YouTube walkthroughs lied ) but honestly, it's adorable. The real magic? The outdoor seating with ocean views. Perfect spot to sip, snack, or sneak in a little reading while soaking up the breeze. There's even a cute kids' play area if you're into little humans learning and giggling. The café is small but mighty--the food was actually really good, and eating outside makes the whole place feel sunny and relaxed. Holiday visit = crowded, and parking = a test of patience, but still worth it for the vibes, views, and a touch of aquarium magic. read more