Birch Aquarium at Scripps
2300 Expedition Way
La Jolla, CA
858-534-3474

More than 45 display tanks teeming with fishes, corals and invertebrates from the chilly waters of the West Coast, Mexico's warm Gulf of California and the tropical seas of the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Public dive shows held at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and 10:30 a.m. Sundays in a 70,000-gallon kelp forest habitat. The aquarium also has a living tide pool and tide pool animal learning station. "Secrets of the Seahorse," an interactive exhibit featuring several species of seahorses and their relatives, debuted recently.

Hours: Daily, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.