Southern California is home to ocean treasures that rival those anywhere in the world, and the Aquarium Of the Pacific in Long Beach is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a new Southern California Gallery to be completed later this year.
The Southern California Gallery will feature over ten exhibits and more than three dozen species. It will showcase underwater habitats like towering kelp forests, colorful hydrocorals, swaying seagrass, and artificial and rocky reefs and abundance of sea life a like the California two-spot octopus, sharks, scorpionfish, eels and pipefish.
In related programming, visitors can take in a new short film projected in the Aquarium’s Great Hall next to a life-sized model of a blue whale throughout the anniversary year. The film highlights the Aquarium’s work in saving local species and habitats.
The Aquarium’s second floor will showcase the work of the top ten winners of the Aquarium’s 25th Anniversary photo contest celebrating people’s connections to nature. The first guest daily to find an octopus figurine hidden in a different exhibit will win a limited-edition commemorative pin.
During the summer, the Aquarium’s First Wednesdays guest speaker series will focus on the theme of connecting to nature and include music and a cocktail/social hour.
Finally, the Aquarium will launch its new podcast series and carry new commemorative anniversary merchandise in its gift store.
For more information and tickets, please visit https://www.aquariumofpacific.org