May 15 2026 in La Jolla California is Birch Aquarium…read more Took my Dad and mom and brother to Birtch Aquarium. This Aquarium is amazing and wonderful. The staff are alwqys professional and polite. They alwqys greet you . And help if you need it. My dad loves the sea horses I live the sea dragons. And black and white clown fish It was some what busy today but we were able to visit and we all had fun and got to see some amazing fish and sea life. Thank you to all the Birtch Aquarium staff. I highly recommend them and I will be back

I had a wonderful visit in April 2026, if you get the tickets online and go in the afternoon you…read moreget them for a big discount. I had so much fun, the penguins were delightful. I didn't get to see the octopus awake I hope to next time. Going in the afternoon, you avoid the school field trips, which gives you space to see the aquarium. It was my first time visiting, and I will be back.

My friend who needs a wheelchair to get around arrived and their shuttle could not accommodate…read moreher!! Nowhere on the website does it say that they do not accommodate nor does it say that we should call before coming to make sure she would be able to enjoy the center. It's so disappointing that at this day in age, Living Coast did not think about individuals like my friend. Thanks you for your reply. Perhaps the information you relayed on my post can be added to the website? Also, what is your on-site address? My friend was dropped off by MTS access and following the adress provided on your website.

The exhibits are done well and it's nice to have knowledgeable staff to share info. The kids…read moreenjoyed touching a jelly fish to begin their adventure. The pool with the rays and sharks was another fun experience. Nice trails to follow that are just friendly. There are picnic areas but no concessions available, at least the day we visited.

Missy did an amazing job moving our 100-gallon discus tank to our new house. It's a glass tank and…read morevery heavy, but she and her helper got it loaded and unloaded without our help. Her process was impeccable and all our precious fish are happy and healthy. She went above and beyond, even bleaching the lid of our tank. I can't recommend her highly enough.

SAVED MY TANK! My poor fish and corals were suffering from…read morethe last guy that serviced my tank- but I won't get into that since they are no longer in business. Missy is so knowledgeable and so patient with all my questions. She was able to bring my tank back to life after a lot of hard work. shes made me excited about it again like when I first got. 1000 stars! Hire her!

The San Diego Zoo is hands down the best zoo I have ever visited…read more We started our day with the 40-minute guided bus tour, and it was a great overview of the zoo. We got to see some really cool angles of the elephants, zebras, lions, bears, and cheetahs! Your zoo ticket also includes the Skyfari, which was really cool because you get to see the zoo in all its majesty from above. It was also a super convenient way to get across the zoo without having to make the long walk. I was especially excited to see the pandas, and they were so cute eating their bamboo! The only bummer was that we couldn't see the polar bears. We tried going back 3 times with no luck. Oh well, next time! Overall, an amazing zoo and a must-visit if you are in San Diego.

ok , we are in Del Mar and this is a opportunity to come to the zoo on a Tuesday. A Low traffic…read moreday. AAA card is my only discount and there is a pay to park fee. So that fits. This is a chance to see the Zoo just for us and at our pace. We ll do the bus tour first to get an overview. Drivers side appears to be best. Then just walk it. Be there tomorrow at opening. 0900.

Phenomenal! I haven't been to Seaworld in 30 years. I was about 4 or 5 years old since my last…read morevisit, so of course I expected changes. When I went here long ago, Shamu was popular. He's been dead, but his memory is still alive here. New orcas, dolphins, sea otters etc. existed. My friend and I came here since his father owns a timeshare 5 minutes away from Seaworld and we both had vacation time. We were at the Marriott hotel in downtown San Diego where the parking structure was on the top floor, unusual for sure, but necessary in order to park there due to the poor surrounding environment. A lot of places nearby including the boat museum maritime. Seaworld, changed! In the most interesting and good way possible. New rides, more things to do. Last time I went to Seaworld there were only shows involving orcas swimming in a pool of water splashing guests as the highlight, it still is there as usual, which I loved by the way and was enjoyable to witness. Rides: 1. Emperor - 5/5 amazing 90 degree drop dive coaster, with ejector air time and intense g forces, my favorite ride due to having a fresh breeze of the ocean air at the top and a beautiful view of the park. 2. Electric Eel - 5/5 bizarre coaster with a launch and a positive g roll at the top. Not that intense unfortunately, fun and intimidating, but enjoyable to go on with a friend. I enjoyed it. 3. Atlantis - 5/5 intense hybrid water ride and coaster. Two drops, the water drop was meh, but the coaster drop after was taller and more intense g forces on the drop and swivel loop below. My personal favorite tier with emperor 4. Manta - 5/5 most intense coaster there, super fun, launch coaster with strong g forces throughout. Shockingly the most intense ride at the park with the intense factor of the launches and ejector air time and speed. 5. Arctic Rescue - 5/5 super cool ice ride, it's near the penguins in the back and has a bike you sit on that has great launches and strong positive g forces on the launch, not as good as manta, but super fun, went on it more than once and enjoyed it the most. Theming of the ocean from the start before the launch was cool. 6. Skytower/skyride - admission fee rides, very relaxing, $6 per person, the skyride was fun, you sit in a carriage and observe the scenery of the ocean with a slight breeze. The skytower is a tall swiveling cylindrical seated container that overlooks sea world. 7. Closed attractions - dolphin show was closed, looks promising but was not open during spring for whatever reason, roaring rapids ride was closed in spring reopens in summer, the sea otter show closed due to renovation. Food was very nice, I enjoyed it, I got a vegetarian salad wrap at the cafeteria near the orca show. They had pretzels, fried foods, pizza and sandwiches, burgers that looked and smelled good. I saw some people with turkey leg and they had other foods at the food court. My friend liked touching the small fishies that eat dead skin near the entrance. Place is good for older kids and young adults who have children. Not as family friendly as Disneyland and Legoland due to the intensity of the attractions, especially that emperor and manta. Those two rides are more intense than any of the rides at Disneyland, better off comparing those to magic mountain and knotts berry farm level of intense. Outside of the top 2 mentioned (manta and emperor) the other three were relatively good rides with strong intensity (electric eel, Atlantis and arctic rescue) that Atlantis ride was closed for like 6 hours which was annoying and the wait time was long too maybe 2 hours, so rode that ride last just before going home. We were there right when it opened and left before the place closed. I bought a dolphin souvenir t shirt at the shop and I love it. Overall a solid 5/5 for entertainment, ambiance and overall experience. It had great themes and a beautiful environment similar to universal studios but sea based. The orca show was nice, cute host for the show and the little kids sea lion show was relatively meh. I would come back again. I enjoyed it but it is so far Southern California. Unless you live in San Diego, this place is a treat.

Well I've been here so many times with my daughter and I love it here…read more Never that crowded and I'm a huge ocean guy and I like to snorkel so being able to se all my fishy friends in person on land is great Makes the birch aquarium look like a single Goldfish in a cheap tank lol But anyone that had not come should definitely check it out

The museum is such a lovely place to visit. The whole museum has many interactive experiences. I…read morewill be bringing my daughter again

We love everything about this place! There's so many different areas to explore. I would say it's…read morebest for 3-6, but if you have a creative older kid, there's several art options. They also have one baby/toddler only area. We spent hours in the creative art corner, clay, and painting the statue. Other favorites were big foam building blocks, knitted climbing area, and the fort. If you have a younger kiddo, you will need to climb in the fort, as there's several paths and drop offs. I try to go with a second adult when I have two kids. The staff is super nice and helpful. The place is always clean. They have a cafe with lots of "kid food". We usually pack a lunch and picnic across the street. Sometimes we come back in to hit the favorites again. I would say the only negative is the price. You pay for adults and kids. I have several friends that got the family pass and go often.

Great selection of both aquarium livestock and equipment. While my focus is primarily on freshwater…read moresetups, their saltwater inventory is highly impressive. The pricing here is very competitive, featuring excellent bulk discounts that are especially economical if you are stocking schooling fish. As a best practice, always quarantine any new additions before introducing them to your established community tanks. Transporting livestock introduces significant stress to their immune systems, and retail holding tanks are inherently high-density environments, so a quarantine protocol is a must rather than a reflection on the shop. Additionally, this is a fantastic source for high-quality dry and frozen fish food. Highly recommended.

I had a very pleasant experience. The store is both incredibly well-staffed and well-stocked with a…read morehuge selection of freshwater and saltwater fish, tons of plants, tanks, and equipment. Everything was well-organized, clean, and well-cared for, which made it really enjoyable to browse. Reasonable prices compared to Pet Kingdom. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable, ready to help when needed. They were happy to answer questions, give honest advice, and didn't make me feel rushed or pressured to buy anything. It's clear they genuinely care about the hobby and about helping customers succeed with their aquariums. Whether you're new to aquariums or have been in the hobby for years, this place is definitely worth visiting. I've checked out at least 20 different aquatic stores and this ranks as #1. Definitely be coming back the next time I'm in San Diego!

Very friendly owner. Variety of fish…read more Price is reasonable. Will come back again. Love the black tripe shark

I love this store too. The nano fish are top notch and today I bought these super cute Kuhli…read moreLoaches, baby mollies, Hillstream Loach and tiny chili rasboras. The kind man helped with my questions, gave me a great deal, and was super nice and knowledgeable. All the fish babies are so healthy and happy. I especially love the Kuhli Loaches; they're out and about and it's so wonderful to find them here instead of looking all over the internet for supplier. Thank you Pet Zone (:

Great service! He communicates well on scheduling & is always on time & does a great job!read more

Great aquarium. Lots of interesting sea life. Great way to spend 2 hours. I would highly recommend.read more

The Maritime Museum of San Diego is honestly one of the most impressive history museums I've…read morevisited because the artifacts are the museum. You aren't just looking at history -- you're surrounded by ships that actually survived it. The Star of India, launched in 1863, survived mutiny, violent storms, collisions at sea, and decades carrying immigrants across dangerous oceans. Some sailors believed the ship was cursed after captains died during early voyages, yet somehow she survived long enough to become the oldest active sailing ship in the world. HMS Surprise shows the brutal reality of naval warfare during the Age of Sail. Ships like this once carried enough cannon firepower to destroy enemy vessels while sailors lived packed below deck surrounded by gunpowder, disease, and fear of battle. The Berkeley steam ferry even helped evacuate survivors during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake while much of the city burned. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the Soviet B-39 submarine from the Cold War. The inside is unbelievably cramped and gives you a real sense of what life was like beneath the ocean during one of the most dangerous periods in modern history. The USS Dolphin may have been my favorite. This experimental deep-diving U.S. Navy submarine helped test advanced underwater technology and launched the deepest-fired torpedo in naval history. The museum also includes the San Salvador, recreating the ship that explored California's coastline in 1542 -- long before America existed as a country. What makes this place incredible is the timeline it creates: 1500s exploration... 1800s global sailing... steam-powered industry... world wars... Cold War submarines... All sitting together in one harbor. This place doesn't just teach maritime history -- it shows how ships shaped exploration, immigration, trade, warfare, and entire empires.

What an absolute gem. The Maritime Museum is a collection of floating ships available to tour…read more We enjoyed the add-on ($10) 45 minute, docent-led, bay tour on the Pilot. We learned so much. The Museum is well-organized with plenty of memorabilia and artifacts to enjoy. There are several boats to explore. There's also plenty of seating along the boats, to just enjoy the scenery. The Maritime Museum is a must!