Birch Aquarium is a public aquarium in La Jolla, a community of San Diego, California. It serves as the public outreach center for Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, with over half a million people visiting the aquarium each year. The aquarium houses more than 3,000 animals representing over 380 species. The hilltop site provides views of La Jolla Shores and the Pacific Ocean.