Birch Aquarium offers spectacular views of the coast and a wealth of information about the sealife that lives in the seas around San Diego. The Aquarium is part of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and is located on the campus of the University of California at San Diego in La Jolla. In addition to its fabulous views, the aquarium has a large number of well-organized tanks that illustrate the life of jelly fish, sharks, eels, anchovies and more along the Pacific rim.

The aquarium's largest tank is 70,000 gallons of salt water and reproduces the kelp forest that is found off the coast of La Jolla. Stadium seating allows visitors to watch the varied sea life as they go about their daily life. The open terrace above the ocean is set up as tidepool and sports the flora and fauna that would be expected there. Many afternoons docents host a fishy petting zoo of marine life for visitors.

In addition to the marine life, there are a number of other scientific exhibits, many interactive, that showcase the science of oceanography. The gift store is large and offers a good selection of books and marine themed merchandise. The aquarium hosts many public events and offers a number of educational programs.