This nonprofit aquarium doesn’t host the most dangerous and exciting animals like great white sharks or dolphins. Instead, you get a glimpse into what inhabits the west Coast’s waters. From starfish to jellyfish to small sharks, you are sure to find a species you never knew existed, much less lived in the same water you are looking out at.

You can explore on your own or take a tour. Depending on when you go there, you may catch a temporary exhibit or event.

Photo: ocean discovery Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0