Birch Aquarium
@birchaquarium.bsky.social
🐟 The o-fish-ial account of Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
Please note, Birch Aquarium will be closed on Sept. 8 and 9, for our annual all-staff retreat. Our team will be participating in professional development and planning to make our guest experience better than ever. We appreciate your continued support!
when we say “just keep swimming,” we mean it literally 🐟 🐠 🦈
🎶 makin' my way downtown 🦞 California Spiny Lobsters scuttle along the seafloor, using their legs to explore their rocky habitat, find food and navigate their surroundings.
🎉 Sea Fans of the Giant C. Baas-iverse, rejoice! 📚 The titles and covers for the highly anticipated sixth and seventh books in the A Court of Kelp and Corals sea-ries have finally surfaced. Will Eel-ain FINALLY get her book?! 👀 Drop your wildest theories below ⬇️
fish pit > mosh pit 🐟🤘 Sardines may look like they’re moshing, but there’s a method to the madness! They move together in schools, swimming as one to navigate the ocean.
Who's your favorite Giant Kelp Forest resident? 🐑 CA Sheephead 🦈 Swell Shark 🧡 Garibaldi
the only feet pics we’ll ever ask for .... swipe for the tube feet reveal ⭐🦶 #SeaStars move and groove along the ocean floor using thousands of tiny, flexible tube feet located beneath their arms. Tube feet help them explore their surroundings, find food and stick to almost any surface.
big fish energy 🐟 If you've ever stood in front of our Giant Kelp Forest and thought, "Whoa, that fish is BIG," you were probably looking at our #GiantSeaBass. This local species can grow to more than 7 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds, making it one of the largest bony fish in the Pacific.
Stingrays get checkups, too! 🩺 Birch Aquarium’s Veterinary and Animal Care Teams recently completed annual wellness exams, including measurements, weights and blood samples for analysis. These routine exams help the team understand each animal’s health and provide the best possible care.
Birch Aquarium Conducts Annual Health Exams for Rays
From measuring and weighing to collecting blood samples for analysis, Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego's Veterinary and Animal Care Teams recently completed annual wellness exams for the aquarium's stingray residents...
aquarium.ucsd.edu
An egg-citing seadragon first! A male Weedy Seadragon at Birch Aquarium is carrying a second clutch of eggs, marking the first time we've documented the same male receiving two clutches in a single breeding season. 🤯 Learn more ⬇️ https://aquarium.ucsd.edu/newsroom/second-times-charm-seadragon-eggs
Second Time's the Charm for Seadragon Eggs
A Rare Repeat for a Weedy Seadragon at Birch Aquarium
aquarium.ucsd.edu
Ever noticed a stop sign-like object entering the water before our Leopard Sharks get fed? It’s not stopping traffic — it’s a feeding cue! 🦈 Join Aquarist Brent to learn how target training helps us care for and connect with these amazing animals.
🦐 This shrimp glow-up is WILD 👀 Red Rock Shrimp start life as tiny planktonic larvae drifting through the ocean. After several stages of development, they settle on the seafloor as transparent “shrimplets” before growing into the vibrant red crustaceans we know and love.
🎉 Coming This Fall: The Axolotl’s Garden / El Jardín del Ajolote! 🌿 Step into the world of the endangered Axolotl and discover the unique species found only in Mexico. Explore their rich mythology, the threats they face and the conservation efforts working to protect these incredible animals.
The Axolotl’s Garden Blossoms at Birch Aquarium This Fall
La Jolla, CA (July 16, 2026)—Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego is excited to announce The Axolotl’s Garden/El Jardín del Ajolote, an expansion of the popular Imagin...
aquarium.ucsd.edu
From puzzle feeders that encourage natural foraging to new habitat features that inspire exploration, our Husbandry Team creates enrichment experiences that help our sharks and rays stay curious and engaged. Enrichment plays a vital role in their care, promoting their overall health and wellbeing!
We’re celebrating a big octopus milestone! Our Red Octopuses are now 9 months old and fully in their juvenile stage. They’ve moved past settlement and are showing major developmental changes.
if “wolf down a meal” was a photo series ... feat. Pacific Angel Shark 🦈 #InternationalAngelSharkDay
Our Coral Care Team recently documented two Tongue Corals spawning and releasing eggs. Coral spawning is rarely observed, making each event incredibly valuable. These sightings help us better understand the cues that trigger spawning and support coral conservation in aquariums and the wild!
the closer you look, the more you'll discover. 👀 🐠 🪸
We like turtles. But we’re especially fond of Loggerhead Sea Turtles 🩵🐢 Happy #WorldSeaTurtleDay from our resident #seaturtle at Birch Aquarium! 📸: UC San Diego photographer ErikJepsen
“I never see you at the club.” Ok? But has anyone considered that my dream club just … doesn’t exist yet? Where are you headed? 🌿 Seaweed Speakeasy 🪸 Reef Rave 🐟 Deep Blue Disco
Happy #WorldOceanDay! 🌊 From swirling schools of #sardines to our lovely Loggerhead Sea Turtle, our Open Ocean habitat highlights the incredible life found in one of Earth’s largest ecosystems.
🐧 Make your visit to #BirchAquarium even more extraordinary with a Behind-the-Scenes Penguin Tour! Discover what makes Little Blue Penguins so unique, learn how you can help protect them and go behind the scenes in our Penguin Care & Conservation Center for an up-close look.
Even coral gets the munchies 🪸This #TongueCoral might look like a rock, but it’s very much alive! Tongue #Coral is made up of tons of tiny polyps, and each polyp has a single opening that functions as its mouth. That mouth is surrounded by tentacles that help capture food!
us in another universe 💙 Wonder how seahorses get a grip? It’s all thanks to their prehensile tail — a unique, flexible adaptation that lets them anchor themselves to seagrass, mangrove roots and coral, keeping them steady even in strong currents.
ATTN: anyone who was obsessed with sharks as a kid and never recovered 🦈 💙 Tickets are now on sale for Oceans at Night: Sharks! Join us for this 21+ after-hours night on July 9 for some sea-riously good vibes 🌊 aquarium.ucsd.edu/events/ocean...
This #EndangeredSpeciesDay, we’re spotlighting our newest exhibition, Imagine Wild: Mountain Yellow-legged Frog. Step into a story of resilience, restoration and hope as you explore what it takes to rebuild a healthy ecosystem for these critically endangered amphibians.
