We recently took a mini vacation to Long Beach (about an hour from our home in Southern California). One of the highlights while we were there (for both us and the kiddos) was visiting The Aquarium of the Pacific. There is so much amazing sea life to view, touch, and interact with at this aquarium!
Before I get too far into the exhibits however, let me back up a little bit. We arrived in Long Beach around 2:00 in the afternoon. Our plans were to settle in to our accommodations, then get dinner at a local restaurant and just hang out that evening. However, we ran into a woman who told us that the aquarium had a discounted late night hour event that evening! The aquarium was open late that night from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM for a discounted price!
We decided to grab an early dinner and head to the aquarium instead! And we are SO glad that we did. First of all, the temperature was cooler, making the outdoor exhibits more pleasant to visit. Second, and most importantly, visiting during those hours was a LOT less crowded! In fact, at some of the exhibits we were the only ones there! We didn’t have to wait in line for anything or try to push our way to the front of the crowd to be able to see an exhibit. It was wonderful! The next morning we walked by the aquarium and there was busload after busload after busload of school children being unloaded for field trips to the aquarium, so the nighttime hours were definitely the way to go! (Nighttime hours are on specific nights only, so check their website before you go!)
The Shark Lagoon
Okay, now back to the aquarium exhibits. First we headed outside to Shark Lagoon. There we could touch the sharks and rays that swam in the shallow pools. The kids loved this exhibit and would have stayed there all evening trying to pet the rays if we let them!
Shark Lagoon also has a large aquarium with larger sharks that can be viewed, as well as two play areas for smaller children, one of which squirts water for some refreshment when it’s hot outside. The Lorikeet Forest is also located outside where visitors can feed the colorful birds, as well as the Marine Life Theater, where the live puppet show, Pacific Pals, takes to the stage in a 20 minute fun show for all ages.
The Northern Pacific Gallery
The Northern Pacific area of the aquarium held one of the most fascinating animals at the aquarium, the Giant Pacific Octopus! We stayed at this exhibit for quite awhile watching him, as he was being very active!
Just past the octopus were the tide pools! There we could touch the sea stars and sea anemones. Some were rough and some were squishy! My son really liked the green squishy sea anemone.
Other creatures in this area of the aquarium included these strange looking sea stars, and the intimidating Japanese Spider Crabs! Those things were humongous! The sea otter exhibit also features four of those cute cuddly marine mammals!
The Jellyfish
This area also housed several different kinds of jellyfish. The jellyfish exhibits are one of my favorites at the aquarium. It was amazing to see how many different kinds of jellies there are, each unique in their own way, and so calming to watch them glide through the water.
The comb jellies had little currents of electricity running through them. So amazing to watch!
Southern California/Baja Exhibits
The Southern California/Baja Exhibit was definitely my son’s favorite. He made good friends with an adorable harbor seal, who followed him everywhere along the glass. This exhibit houses of course the harbor seal and sea lions, as well as the shorebird sanctuary. It also included a three story high aquarium with a variety of fish species from off the coast of Southern California.
The Penguin Habitat
The Penguin Habitat is located just up the stairs from the harbor seals and sea lions. The habitat is set up so you feel like you are actually in with the penguins. You can observe them on the shore or swimming under the water!
Tropical Pacific Gallery
The Tropical Pacific Gallery was definitely the most colorful exhibit! It was full of thousands of brilliantly colored tropical fish, sea turtles, rays, and sharks! We could’ve spent hours in this exhibit alone watching through the huge glass aquarium.
If you’re a Finding Nemo fan, you will love the colorful clown fish exhibit!
Another awesome exhibit in this gallery was the sea dragon exhibit. These are such magnificent creatures! They look like fictional characters from a storybook! It was mesmerizing watching them slowly glide through the water. My son thought it was super awesome to see a ‘real dragon’.
Other Aquarium Features
There are several other things to do and explore at the aquarium as well, such as the Harbor Terrace, which has tables and chairs where visitors can take a break or have a snack. Harbor Terrace also has two exhibits, the mudskippers, and the moon jelly touch lab, where you can actually touch a jellyfish!
The Molina Animal Care Center, located behind the shark lagoon, also features educational talks, or you can just walk by and maybe even see a procedure being done!
The frogs exhibit features a variety of brightly colored poison dart frogs.
There are several behind the scenes tours, or VIP animal encounters to choose from for those of you who like a more personal or in depth experience.
The Ocean Theatre features 3D movies for free at the aquarium, located just beyond the entrance to the aquarium, and you can stop at Cafe Scuba to grab a bite to eat while overlooking the seals and sea lions!
The Aquarium of the Pacific was such an awesome experience for both us and our kids, and we can not wait to return!
