Santa Monica Pier Aquarium
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Santa Monica Pier Aquarium | |
The Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is located beneath the famous Santa Monica Pier.
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Date opened | 1996 |
Location | Santa Monica, California, USA |
Number of Species | 104 |
Website |
Santa Monica Pier Aquarium is an aquarium in Santa Monica, California located beneath the Santa Monica Pier, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Since 2003, it is operated by Heal the Bay, a nonprofit organization. It was formerly known as the Ocean Discovery Center and was operated by UCLA.
As Heal the Bay’s marine education facility, it is open to the general public and attracts more than 65,000 visitors from around the world per year (approximately 15,000 are students). This facility offers educational programs, activities and special events dedicated to marine conservation, pollution prevention, and environmental education.
The SMPA has numerous exhibits featuring marine life native to the Santa Monica Bay, including:
- Shark / Ray Tank
- Octopus Tank
- 3 Touch Tanks
- Crustacean Tank
- Phylum Discovery Tank
- Rocky Reef Tank
- Pier Tank (Under the pier environment)
- Kelp Forest Tank
- Sandy Bottom Tank
Species on display include
- Sarcastic Fringehead
- Swell Shark
- Horn Shark
- Leopard Shark
- Round Stingray
- Thornback Ray
- Black Sea Bass
- Garibaldi
- California Moray Eel
- Giant Kelp Fish
- California Halibut
- Shiner Surfperch
- Blacksmith
- Cabezon
- Sargo
- California Scorpionfish
- C-O Turbot
- Treefish
- Sheep Crab
- Kelp Crab
- Hermit Crab
- California Spiny Lobster
- California Two-Spot Octopus
- Red Abalone
- Chestnut Cowrie
- Kellet's Whelk
- Giant Keyhole Limpet
- California Mussel
- Norris Top Snail
- Bat Star
- Ochre Sea Star
- Brittle Star
- Purple Sea Urchin
- Sand Dollar
- California Sea Cucumber
- Club-Tipped Anemone
- Tube Dwelling Anemone
[edit] External links
- Santa Monica Pier Aquarium website
- Heal the Bay website
- Meet the Locals, an advertising campaign for the reopening after renovations
- Aquarium of the Pacific, another Los Angeles Area aquarium
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