Meet the Locals!
Visit the Aquarium
Reopening Notice
To do our part in reducing the spread of COVID-19, Heal the Bay is following guidelines from the Los Angeles County Department of Health, City of Santa Monica, and the CDC. For the health and well-being of all, take proper precautions to limit the spread of illness.
Please follow these guidelines:
- All guests are required to wear a face mask covering both mouth and nose at all times, unless guest is 2 years or under, or has breathing difficulties.
- Guests will maintain a 6ft distance from others when able and feasible.
- Guests will not attend if they are sick with a fever and/or respiratory symptoms. Guests will also not attend if they have come into contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days.
- No food or drink is allowed on the Aquarium Patio.
- Our staff will be following COVID safety protocols put forth by LA County Department of Public Health, City of Santa Monica, and the CDC.
- Our staff will wear masks at all times.
- We have hand sanitizer dispensers located around the Aquarium Patio for guest convenience and use.
- Get the COVID-19 vaccine when it’s your turn.
- Get the flu shot to prevent influenza if you have not done so this season.
For more information, visit Los Angeles County Department of Public Health and view the LA Mayor’s Directive about COVID-19 LA City Guidelines.
Questions? Contact us or call (310) 393-6149 x200
Location
Heal the Bay Aquarium
at the Santa Monica Pier
1600 Ocean Front Walk
Santa Monica, CA 90401
How to find us
Admission
Adults and kids 13+: $5.00
Kids 12 and under: FREE with an Adult Ticket Purchase (Children MUST be accompanied by an adult)
Group rate: $10.00 for a group of 5 (regardless of age)
Tickets can be purchased in advance or at our Admissions booth for timed entry.
About Us
Under the Santa Monica Pier, come see what Heal the Bay’s work is all about: Protecting the people and animals who call the Bay home. With over 100 local species on exhibit, hands-on activities for small frys, and daily educational programs, our award-winning Heal the Bay Aquarium is the perfect place to immerse yourself in marine science without getting wet.
Plus, you can visit our Shop for zero-waste goodies, plushies, green travel items, limited-edition Heal the Bay gear, and more! Browse some of the items in our online Shop.
What’s New
- Take your class on a virtual Field Trip.
- Have you seen Baby Shark Watch yet?
- Learn about our interactive SEA Education program.
- See us LIVE on Facebook and Instagram.
- Care for local wildlife species by making an Aquadoption.
- Rent a manual Beach Wheelchair at the Santa Monica Pier.
Hours
WE’RE OPEN!
Saturday & Sunday:
12pm-4pm
At this time, Heal the Bay Aquarium is only operating our new outdoor patio exhibits, which include two animal displays: tidepool creatures and the full lifecycle of sharks with shark pups!
Contact Us
Call us at (310) 393-6149
For the coolest updates and cutest critters, follow us!
What's Going On?
Wednesday at the Aquarium
From live animal feedings to summer camp and conversations with our aquarium scientists, join us for our virtual events.
For more info on Aquarium & Heal the Bay events:
Current Exhibits
Two-spot Octopus
Even though it's small in size, this animal is super smart and can blend in very well to their surroundings.
Touch Tanks
L.A.’s most colorful stars hang out here, along with hermit crabs, sea urchins, and cucumbers not meant for your salad.
Rocky Reef
Celebrate the subtidal zone with mesmerizing moray eels and the cuddly-looking sea hare.
Kelp Forest
Kelp can grow up to 2 feet per day and provides vital habitat for our kelpfish, rockfish, and wolf eel.
Tidal Surge
Juvenile fish, anemones, and more live life in the splash lane as a simulated tide rises and falls every 5 minutes.
Dorothy Green Room
Embark on water’s journey through L.A.’s urban landscape to the shore in this interactive exhibit.
Sea Jellies
Meditation time. Watching our moon jellies drift and float takes the sting out of a hectic day.
Under the Pier
Get a glimpse of life beneath the Santa Monica Pier. Be sure to double-check the sand: Some of our halibut and rays like to lay low.
Sharks
Catch our horn and swell sharks cuddling in this open-top exhibit and let us explain why you have nothing to fear.
Catch of the Day
A rotating cast of the noteworthy critters our dive team finds on their weekly specimen-collecting expeditions.
Kids Corner
Six pint-sized tanks house a variety of animals like newborn sharks, tiny tube anemones, and—is it a fish or a rock band?—the sarcastic fringehead.
Dive Deeper
Can’t quite get your Aquarium fix in one afternoon visit? Here are three ways to hang with us more often.
Learn
From school field trips to camps to professional development for teachers, our educational programs instill passion for the ocean for all ages.
Volunteer
Aquarium volunteers support public programs by interpreting at touch tanks, ensuring the success of private events and attending outreach events all over LA.
Aquadopt
When you “adopt” one of the animals, the animal stays with us, but your good karma stays with you. Plus, enjoy free visits to the Aquarium for a full year.
Host a Virtual Birthday Party
Make your party planning easier while supporting Heal the Bay.
Invite your friends and family to a fin-tastic, all-virtual birthday party at Heal the Bay Aquarium– it’s the next best thing to actually being under the sea!
Customize your party with an VIP Aquarium Tour, with the option to upgrade to a live animal feeding experience. Choose from a two-spot octopus, juvenile giant sea bass, moray eels, baby wolf eel, the fish of the Kelp Forest Exhibit, or baby swell sharks. Add-ons include digital party favors to keep the fun activities going at home.
