Central Coast Sea Life and Sea Shore

Come and experience the sounds of the sea shore as well as representative local specimens. Activities for even the youngest visitor.

The Central Coast Sea Life and Sea Shore exhibit features information on multiple local sea habitats including, The Greater Ocean, Estuary, Kelp Forest, Sandy Beach, Coastal Dunes, and Rocky Intertidal.

Explore the sights and sounds of our Local Sea Shore.

Local sea life specimens.

The above photo is of a Sheep Crab

Did you know this animal begins life as microscopic plankton?

The Sheep Crab on display at the museum was harvested from the Santa Barbara Channel and is on loan from the Herald Morgan Family.

Above is a fossil bone of a Baleen Whale from the Miocene Age. Approximately 12,000,000 Years old.

From the Ralph Bishop Family Collection

 

Test Your Knowledge. A fun interactive Sea Life Quiz.

The Ralph Van Meter Memorial Shore Bird Collection, Jewels of the Sea, features various birds, shells, and other sea life from the coast line.

Wooden Plovers and Terns donated by The Santa Maria Valley Carvers.

 

(Photo Above) Is of a Cormorant-The only bird that swims.

Come watch, Life at the Ocean's Edge, our new video program about the Western snowy Plover and the California Least Tern. Our Video System includes headphones for private listening as well as a traditional sound system for group viewing.

Come and see the display Sharks! with real great white shark mouth and teeth. Other sharks can actually be touched. This multisensory exhibit has something for all ages. It Features fossil great white teeth as well as modern shark egg sacs and an Angel Shark Cartilaginous Brain Case.

Lent from the Ralph Bishop Family Collection

As part of the unveiling of the new shark display each child visitor who attended had a chance to win one of 20 shark's teeth from various sharks which inhabit the Central Coast Waters. These photos are of two of the children who won.

 

Black Coral looks like a plant but is a colony of animals!

There are hundreds of types of coral. Black Coral is very unique because it is found in very deep water over 120 feet deep. It has been reported being seen in the Santa Barbara Channel.

Thank you to everyone who made this exhibit possible!

You'll also find a Coyote in this exhibit room!

The sound you are listening to on this page is waves