Birch Aquarium: A San Diego Treasure

Address: 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla, CA 92037

Birch Aquarium is a great place to go if you (or your little ones) are curious about ocean. Through my visits over the years, Birch Aquarium has proven to be memorable, fun, and captivating. The suberb collection of ocean life amazes me every time, and I'm sure this effect is pretty common for visitors.

It's really no wonder that it's one of the most famous La Jolla attractions.

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Inside Birch Aquarium: Jellies and Coral and Sharks, oh my!

Stephen Birch Aquarium is a wonderful, fun place for learning about life under the sea.

This place offers displays that can incite awe in just about anyone--it got me when I was a little kid and it still impresses me to this day. Strolling through the aquarium, you will find a variety of creatures native to the Pacific Ocean, most of which are very colorful and fascinating.

If you have kids/nephews/neices/siblings who are fans of Finding Nemo, they'll love it here. Birch Aquarium is home to Nemo, Dory, and multiple jellyfish. So they see creatures they recognize from the film and it gets pretty exciting. I was fortunate enough to witness this firsthand on my most recent visit. Talk about adorable!

A giant tank containing a kelp forest is a point of interest as well (it actually was my favorite part of the aquarium when I was young). It generally stops onlookers in their tracks as they're making their way through the aquarium. Standing next to it peering up gives off a sense of actually being under water, providing an image of what it would be like to actually be swimming through a kelp forest, like the aquatic creatures inside of the tank. Residents include an enormous sea bass and some oversized goldfish.

Of course sharks are included as well if you're looking at marine life of the Pacific Ocean. Birch Aquarium boasts an impressive 13,000 gallon tank to house its several shark residents. There are a couple rays chilling in the tank too.

Just outside the tank, there is a small amusement outside that I have to include. An extremely large, hollow model of a sharks's head sits just outside. It's there for visitors to pose in and look like they're being swallowed by Jaws. Taking advantage of it can be a silly bit of fun to tack on to your trip to Birch Aquarium.

Quite a contrast to the shapness of the sharks is the gorgeous display of coral and the lovely creatures that call it home.

If you enjoy viewing ocean life, you can check out some San Diego tide pools in Ocean Beach in addition to the indoor specimens at Birch Aquarium San Diego. The Ocean Beach tide pools are actually my favorite.

Environmental Education at Birch

Birch Aquarium also houses a wing that's dedicated to environmental education. The displays are interactive and targeted towards kids, but even I (at 20 years old) think they're really cool.

I say go check it out, play around, and learn a little something about our world.

Outside at Birch Aquarium

Before entering Birch Aquarium, it is impossible to miss the magnificent fountain right out front. It's not something you can interact with, but it is cool to look at.

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