The Birch Aquarium at Scripps sits on the La Jolla bluffs above the Pacific, operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. The aquarium is more research-institution than commercial attraction: the exhibits focus on Pacific Ocean ecosystems and ongoing Scripps research, with particular strength in the Hall of Fishes' kelp forest tank.
The two-story kelp forest exhibit — a 70,000-gallon tank replicating the conditions of the Southern California kelp forests — is the centerpiece. Garibaldi, leopard sharks, rockfish, and bat rays move through a genuine kelp structure. The outdoor tide pool plaza lets visitors handle sea urchins and sea stars. The seahorse exhibit upstairs covers the institution's breeding and research work.
The aquarium is smaller and less theatrical than the large commercial aquariums, but the connection to actual research gives it content depth those places lack. The overlook terrace has views of the La Jolla coast and, on clear days, north toward Torrey Pines.