News archives

Two adult Little Blue Penguins snuggle with their chick inside a nesting box.

A First for Birch Aquarium: Little Blue Penguin Chick Reared by Its Parents

Hatchling marks another exciting milestone in the aquarium’s ongoing penguin breeding program

Over a 10-day study, researchers filmed the feeding behaviors of several syngnathid species at Birch Aquarium, including the Weedy Seadragon.

Scientists Study How Syngnathids Snack at Super Speed

A Little Blue Penguin sitting on a nest of grass, sticks and leaves inside a brown burrow box at Birch Aquarium.

Little Blue Penguin Nesting Season Begins at Birch Aquarium

Two tiny red octopus hatchlings, only a few days old.

Birch Aquarium Celebrates World Octopus Day with Red Octopus Hatchlings

An endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frog leaps into its new home after being released into the lake.

Hundreds of Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs Leap Back Into the Wild

Birch Aquarium, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and other partners join forces to help save this endangered amphibian.

Birch Aquarium recently tagged more than 220 frogs with Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tags

Endangered Frogs Tagged for Reintroduction to the Wild

More than 220 Mountain Yellow-legged Frogs are one step closer to returning to their native Southern California mountains.

Guests observe a Tropical Coral habitat at the aquarium filled with colorful corals, fish and giant clams.

Coral Conservation Comes to Life in Living Seas

The aquarium’s new Tropical Pacific Coral Habitat brings big wins for coral conservation

A Little Blue Penguin is in the beginning stage of its annual catastrophic molt.

Penguin Molting Makeover

Annual Catastrophic Molt Underway for Birch Aquarium’s Little Blue Penguins

The Penguin Care Team gently holds the three Little Blue Penguin chicks of the 2025 hatch season.

Caring for Penguin Chicks

Birch Aquarium celebrates another successful hatch season, welcoming three Little Blue Penguin chicks.

Two mountain yellow-legged frogs rest on lush green vegetation in their habitat, their golden-hued legs contrasting against the foliage.

Birch Aquarium Leaps Into Frog Conservation

The aquarium joins collaborative effort to save the endangered Mountain Yellow-legged Frog.

a large brown and white bird sits on a tree branch; its wings are darker brown with blue speckles

Birch Aquarium Welcomes Animal Ambassadors

These animals play a key role in conservation outreach and education.

A little blue penguin swims underwater beneath a floating basketball in its habitat.

March of the Meatloaf

Help Birch Aquarium win Penguins International’s 2025 March of the Penguin Madness Tournament

an aquarist feeds Tongue Corals at Birch Aquarium

Caring for Animals During Construction

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

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.

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.

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

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

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!