Rocky Shore

The shoreline is the border between two worlds, a fluid boundary where the water advances and retreats with the rhythm of the tides.

Here, barnacles stand on their heads and wave their feathery legs in the current and a rainbow of brilliant ochre stars cling to rocks.

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Location: First floor
Ecosystem: Rocky shore

Featured animals

Coralline sculpin

The coralline sculpin is colorfully camouflaged—it blends in well as it hides among seaweeds and rocks.

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Giant green anemone

The giant green anemone gets much of its namesake color from the symbiotic relationship it has with the microalgae that live in its tissues.

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Hermit crab

A hermit crab moves into larger shells as it grows, fighting other hermit crabs for the shells if necessary.

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Monkeyface prickleback

This fish doesn’t move around much, seldom traveling more than 15 feet (4.6 m) from its home.

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Two visitors smiling and leaning over a touch exhibit at the Aquarium, reaching toward a ray in the water — Touch and interact with bat rays in the touch pool.

A white-spotted anemone with fully extended tentacles attached to a colorful rocky reef in the Rocky Shores exhibit gallery — A white-spotted anemone (*Urticina lofotensis*) in the Rocky Shore gallery.

Cool facts and features

Family of three reacting with delight and open mouths at an exhibit at the Aquarium

Walk-through tunnel

The walk-through tunnel in the wave crash exhibit is one of the most popular family photo spots in the Aquarium—timing your shot is part of the fun. Our wave crash gallery pumps about 600 gallons of water and "crashes" every 30 seconds. That's more than 500,000 gallons per eight-hour day.

Intertidal zones

The concept of intertidal "zones" was first described by Monterey biologist Ed Ricketts in his landmark book, Between Pacific Tides, which also influenced the design and layout of the entire Aquarium.