Heal the Bay Aquarium

Heal the Bay Aquarium is a small marine science center beneath the Santa Monica Pier, with more than 100 species of marine animals and plants native to the Santa Monica Bay. Its local focus distinguishes it from large aquariums built around wildlife from distant oceans, while its setting directly beneath the pier provides a natural connection to the coastal environment explored inside. Hands-on activities and educational programs reinforce the aquarium's emphasis on marine science and ocean stewardship.

Exhibits include touch tanks with tide pool animals, a Rocky Reef featuring moray eels, a kelp forest habitat with rockfish, wolf eels, and spiny lobsters, and a Shark Nursery showing developing swell sharks and young pups. Other displays explore moon jellies, halibut and life beneath the pier, along with horn and swell sharks. The aquarium's compact scale makes it a relatively focused stop that can fit easily into a visit to the Santa Monica waterfront. It is particularly suited to travelers interested in Southern California marine ecosystems and interactive learning rather than a large, international aquarium collection.