AQUARIUM

The Birch Aquarium is one of my favorite San Diego tourist spots. I like to think of it as the Goldilocks of Aquariums. Some are too big. Some are too small. Birch is just right. It hugs the side of a hill in La Jolla with magnificent views of the Scripps Pier, La Jolla Shores, and La Jolla Cove off in the distance.

The aquarium has five sections–The Hall of Fishes; Tide Pool Plaza; interactive educational exhibits; Boundless Energy, the out door educational playground; and last but not least, the Gift Shop.

Last Sunday, my friend, Kathy Shepherd, and I ventured out late in the afternoon with a moody sky overhead and our iPhones in our pockets, wondering who’d get the best pictures…the iPhone X person or the person with the iPhone 11. We were mesmerized by the yellow tang fish silently gliding through the tank in front of us. We pulled our phones out, halfway expecting so-so pictures, and were amazed at the results.

HALL OF FISHES

Continuing through the fish exhibits we arrive at the 70,000 gallon Giant Kelp Tank which is two stories high. If you are lucky you can watch the Kelp Dive Show when scuba divers enter the tank to feed the fish, such as the leopard shark below.

The large fish in this photo is a leopard shark which La Jolla beachgoers are familiar with. Summer brings thousands of pregnant female leopard sharks to the south end of La Jolla Shores cove where they stay for several weeks before giving birth. If you want to get up-front-and-personal with these creatures, check out the Snorkel with the Sharks program which occurs July through September with aquarium naturalists.

TIDE POOL

Everyone loves the Tide Pool where young and old alike lean over and get their faces close to the water while they reach into the shallow, gently moving water of a simulated, rocky, tide pool where you can touch some of the creatures. If you really like it, consider signing up for the Tidepooling Adventure December through March.

Spectacular views of Scripps Pier and La Jolla Shores Beach look different every time you visit–sparkling ocean on sunny days, misty, gray views on fog shrouded days, and dramatic skies with clouds jostling and parading on windy, Santa Ana days.

KID ZONES

We are only halfway through and it’s getting late, so we weave our way through groups of squealing small children running from one display to another of the brightly colored interactive educational exhibits.

SEADRAGONS

We finally arrive at my favorite place–the Seadragon and Seahorse exhibit which is said to be “one of the most expansive seadragon habitats in the world.” I guarantee that the first time you see the leafy seadragons, it will be difficult to tell which are the plants waving in the water vs what is a seadragon.

We walk quickly around the perimeter of Boundless Energy, the outdoor educational play space where parents hope a few scientific principles will soak in as their kids jump up and down, push and pull levers, pedal, teeter-totter, spin, wind-up, and crank an amazing collection of creative interactive displays.

On our way out we pass the whimsical Wyland whale mural with a scuba diver who seems oblivious to the sea mammoth approaching him. Alas, we’ve loitered too long and the Gift Shop is closed. Oh well, that saves me a bit of money.

LA JOLLA SHORES SUNSET

Kathy and I get in my van and drive down La Jolla Shores Blvd, ending our adventure with Happy Hour at the La Jolla Shores Restaurant. We pull out our iPhones and compare pictures. Kathy wins the photo contest hands-down. At least half the picture in this blog are thanks to her.

IMPORTANT INFO

WEB SITE:  Birch Aquarium at Scripps

HOURS:  9am to 5pm daily

HANDICAP PARKING: Yes. 9 spots in front

ACCESSIBLE RESTROOMS: Yes

FOOD: Splash Cafe

SEE PRIOR “GET OUT AND GO” BLOGS BY LINDA K OLSON