Birch Aquarium at Scripps

About Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Birch Aquarium at Scripps is the public exploration center for the world-renowned Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean, the aquarium features more than 60 habitats of fishes and invertebrates from the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest to the tropical waters of Mexico and the Caribbean. An interactive museum showcases research discoveries by Scripps scientists on climate, Earth and ocean science.

Explore the wonders of the ocean with dazzling coral reefs, thrilling sharks, amazing seahorses, undulating jellyfish and three outdoor, living tide pools. Watch a diver feeds the sharks in the aquarium's two-story kelp forest tank, which showcases the beauty of the ocean just off La Jolla's coast. Experience whale-watching cruises, grunion runs, guided tide-pool adventures, snorkeling excursions and summer learning programs throughout the year.

Scripps Oceanography was founded in 1903 and has maintained a public aquarium and science museum for more than a century. More than 400,000 people, including more than 70,000 school children, visit Birch Aquarium at Scripps each year. The aquarium's mission is to provide ocean science education, to interpret Scripps research and to promote ocean conservation.