Birch Aquarium at Scripps Apartments For Rent - La Jolla, La Jolla, California

Posted by Alecia Ormsby on November 09, 2008 14:30

On a beautiful day, of which there are plenty in San Diego, take a trip from your apartment to the beautiful shores of La Jolla and visit the Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. While this location is a place of research and study, it has been made very open to the public to see the results of years of study of our ocean.

The most incredible sight is

the 70,000 kelp tank that displays all sorts of sea life and includes an exiting shark reef with several varieties zipping in an out of the wildlife. If you plan your visit, you can view Scripps divers in the tank, cleaning and maintaining the tank, while you listen to a message about San Diego Underwater. The three tide pools are an awesome sight, with the ability of visitors to interact and play with lobsters, starfish and crabs. Coral reef displays show off the creativity of coral and the beautiful fish that surround it.

In addition to these permanent exhibits are traveling and topic-specific exhibits. Through March 2009 is an ear-opening display called "Whales: Voices in the Sea" which focuses on the sounds of sperm, gray, humpback and blue whales, among others. It describes the way in which seven types of whales communicate and find their way around in the ocean. Video, audio and visual props enhance the experience. The exhibit is on loan from the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach.

Global warming? Who is right about the topic? Scripps has been on the Climate research page for nearly half a century. And why not? The ocean occupies nearly three fourths of our planet, and has developed a new exhibit at the museum titled, "Feeling the Heat." At this section of the museum, visitors can look at how scientists have tracked temperature change on fossilized sea life, look at ways our present lifestyle affects it, and test yourself on how our daily lives affect or deflect climate change. Also, a future weather forecast for 2050 in California is predicted ...fun!

The Birch Aquarium is high on a hill in La Jolla, with ocean breezes enhancing the experience, so make a day trip of it if you're traveling very far from your apartment. It's nice to sit outside and just read a book, surrounded by the lovely beach sculptures and the sound of the sea.