Met my friend Lisa and most of her family for my very first visit to the Birch Aquarium at the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla. I kept hearing how good it was but that it was rather small. While it may have been more diminutive than other aquariums I’d been to I was still very impressed with how much educational information they were able to present in such a high quality way. The displays were very well done, the large exhibit on the effects of increased CO2 levels was easy (and frightening) to interpret and the interactive energy exhibits were all professionally and thoughtfully done. The hands-on living tide pools that are located out back overlooking the Scripps Pier were great. While going through the aquarium can be easily finished in a couple of hours, they are a couple of hours that are very well spent.
( a q u a t i c p i c s )
