No trip to the San Diego area is complete without a visit to the Birch Aquarium. It is part of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UCSD. While Birch is smaller than the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, it is still impressive.
Birch Aquarium is more research-oriented with an incredible team of people to answer your questions. I wondered out loud what an unusual item was and a staff member immediately came over. She explained that I was looking at a bowl of shark eggs and gave me helpful background regarding the eggs and their particular shapes. Later, someone else saw my husband and me staring at a large display of colorful fish swimming around coral. The staff member approached us to tell us about UCSD’s extensive coral research. He explained the relationship between the polyps and algae that make up coral. The brilliant colors of coral come from algae. He even pointed out a turf war going on between different corals within the tank. Throughout our visit, multiple staff members continued to offer answers for any questions we might have.
Naturally, the penguins stole our hearts. Warning – they do smell. We saw signage that they poop, on average, 145 times a day. After getting a few whiffs, I have no doubt regarding that factoid. John and I were surprised by how close we were able to get to some of the penguins who demonstrated pretty outgoing personalities.
For those with families , the aquarium offers organized activities for young children as well as an entire wing with displays geared towards them.
We did not eat at the aquarium but there is a very lovely outdoor cafe for those who choose to do so.
Finally, I do recommend purchasing tickets in advance online. If you buy your tickets at the aquarium, you pay more.
NO time for boredom today 
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