News archives

An overhead view of Blue Beach at Birch Aquarium shows people attending Indigenous Ocean Day 2024 including a tule boat building station

First-ever Indigenous Ocean Day at Birch Aquarium

A celebration of Indigenous people and ocean culture brought together local communities

A newly hatched Dwarf Seahorse is carefully collected and transferred into a specialized grow-out tank for its growth and development.

Tiny Tails: Raising Seahorses at Birch Aquarium

A selection of Birch Aquarium themed merchandise

Ocean-Loved Gifts, Staff-Approved Picks

Birch Aquarium’s Favorite Holiday Gift Recommendations from Our Team

Rendering of a vibrant mangrove habitat featured in the Living Seas exhibition.

Birch Aquarium Makes Moves from Hall of Fishes to Living Seas

New exhibition Living Seas is set to open next year with expanded habitats and upgraded life-support systems

Close-up of a Seahorse Hotel, an underwater structure designed to restore seahorse habitats. Four seahorses can be found holding onto the hotel with their prehensile tails.

The Best Exotic Seahorse Hotel

Birch Aquarium unveils underwater "Seahorse Hotel” to highlight ongoing seahorse conservation efforts.

Participants in Birch Aquarium's Tidepooling Adventures learn to respectfully navigate the intertidal zone

Adventure Outdoors During King Tides With Birch Aquarium

King Tides offer opportunities to learn about sea levels and intertidal habitats

Guests get up close view to a variety of corals, anemones and even tropical fish!

Coral is Cool! Five fun finds to discover in Coral Classroom.

a dancer in the Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen installation Superradiance. EmbodyingEarth. moves with the projected imagery on the wall behind

Birch Aquarium at Scripps and Oceanside Museum of Art Announce Membership Trade to Support PST ART Exhibitions in November

From November 1 - 30, OMA and Birch Aquarium Members will receive reciprocal membership access to PST ART: Art & Science Collide Exhibitions ‘Transformative Currents’ and ‘Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen’

costumed guests collect candy at a trick or treat station at Birch Aquarium

Halloween Aglow Lights Up Birch Aquarium

Halloween Aglow illuminates the wonders of the ocean after dark with family friendly fun

Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen logo overlaid on dark blue water

Embodied Pacific: Ocean Unseen at Birch Aquarium Merges Science and Art

Exhibition opening in October as part of Getty’s PST ART: Art and Science Collide initiative

guests interact with a Riveropolis installation, building small model boats that float down a winding model river

Birch Aquarium Announces New Guest Experiences for Fall

Riveropolis, the Coral Classroom and a Laughing Kookaburra to wow guests while Living Seas is being built.

A team of scientists during the oarfish necropsy. Photo: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego

Fish Experts Study Rare Deep-Sea Oarfish in the Lab

Following necropsy, scientists learn more about biology of 12-foot oarfish that washed up in La Jolla Cove

rendering of two young guests looking up into an Octopus habitat

Birch Aquarium Announces Living Seas Transformation

Iconic Hall of Fishes to be reimagined into immersive Pacific Ocean experience

Little Blue Penguin Azulito stepping forward against a white backdrop

Birch Aquarium Announces the Passing of “Azulito”

Staff are mourning the loss of one of the aquarium’s favorite LIttle Blue Penguins.

Loggerhead Turtle is facing the viewer with head slightly turned to show side of face

Birch Aquarium Contributes to Global Knowledge of Species

a ray swims through a sunbeam

Birch Aquarium’s Collaboration with SAFE Sharks and Rays

an orange sunset looking out from Scripps Pier

Outdoor Adventure Bundles Launch at Birch Aquarium

Pier Walks and Tidepooling return this fall along with a new experience bundle option.

Halloween Aglow logo

Halloween Aglow Returns to Birch Aquarium

The family-friendly Halloween event explores the wonders of the ocean after dark.

a pale blue Pacific Spiny Lumpsucker rests on coral

Fascinating Fish: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers

a Bat Ray swoops onto a red puzzle feeder

Enriching Birch Aquarium’s sharks and rays

a Horn Shark swims from right to left in front of Giant Kelp, turning so that its mouth is visible

Southern Californian Sharks and Rays at Birch Aquarium

a Leopard Shark is facing the viewew with "Shark Summer" text around it

Shark Summer Makes a Splash at Birch Aquarium

This July, sharks take the spotlight with a variety of activities for all ages!

UC San Diego undergraduate students present their work to SCMA Co-director Isabel Rivera-Collazo. Photo by Nan Renner, Birch Aquarium.

Birch Aquarium’s UC San Diego Student Impact 2023-2024

UC San Diego students are an integral part of Birch Aquarium

Miranda Ko Cui wears a blue Birch Aquarium shirt and is standing in front of the Giant Kelp Forest, looking into the exhibit

Miranda Ko Cui’s fifteen years of saying “yes” at Birch Aquarium

a Dragon Sea Moth swims against a blue background

What's in a Name?

Ocean Animals With Greek Mythology-Inspired Names at Birch Aquarium