The Ocean Institute houses over 140 different species of marine life native to Southern California. Our animals range from the larger sharks, rays, and skates, to the tiniest nudibranchs and brine shrimp.

Along with our changing monthly themes, our exhibits include the Intertidal Discovery Pool, Shark and Ray Discovery Pool, and our Tank Farm.

Our newly opened Maritime Village includes our Maritime Barn, the Maritime History Center, and a state-of-the-art Gold Panning Stream.

We have an extensive collection of natural artifacts, including invertebrate exoskeletons, marine mammal skeletons and fossils, and cartilaginous and bony fish specimens.