Frommer's Review
This beautiful facility is both an aquarium and a museum, operated as the interpretive arm of the world-famous Scripps Institution of Oceanography. To make the most of the experience, be sure to pick up a visitor guide from the information booth just inside the entrance, and take time to read the text on each of the exhibits. The aquarium affords close-up views of the Pacific Northwest, the California coast, Mexico's Sea of Cortés, and the tropical seas, all presented in more than 60 marine-life tanks. The giant kelp forest is particularly impressive. Exotic highlights include the fanciful white anemones and the ethereal moon jellies, which look like elegant parachutes. The sea horse propagation program here has met with excellent results -- 9 different species of sea horse are on display in one of the aquarium's best exhibits. The outdoor demonstration tide pool not only shows visitors marine coastal life but also offers an amazing view of Scripps Pier, La Jolla Shores Beach, the village of La Jolla, and the ocean. The museum section has numerous interpretive exhibits on current and historic research at the Scripps Institution, which was established in 1903 and became part of the University of California system in 1912. You'll learn what fog is and why salt melts snow, discover the surprising number of supermarket products with ingredients that come from the sea (including toothpaste and ice cream), feel what an earthquake is like, and experience a variety of virtual worlds with the simulator ride Morphis. The bookstore is well stocked with textbooks, science books, educational toys, gifts, and T-shirts. Off-site adventures, such as tide-pooling and grunion and whale-watching, are also conducted year-round (call for more details).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
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planning your trip.
