The front shop has a bit of older looking souvenirs, things, stickers and shells...obviously. the best part, which is also kinda sad...they have live seals! Although the seals have a an extremely limited amount of space, it was cool to see them up close. You can buy bags of food for them at a really low price. Their aquarium is a sad thing to see. They seem to be closing soon, I hope they do right by the animals and send them somewhere where they can thrive.

This place closes at the end of the month. It is understandable why this place was targeted by animal rights advocates to be closed down.It is filthy, dark, and left my heart aching for the animals left at the facility. Small dungeon type tanks with little to no area for the large fish, and eel, to move. The rocks and pebbles inside are sickenly dirty. The glass is filthy.I dont know what fate awaits the inhabitants when it closes. Which is also heart wrenching. However, nothing should have to be kept uncared for like this.

If your around here, you need to see this place. Great....

Great shopping area and kayaking was a good experience ...theres a great beach once you get over the dunes feels like your own private beach

From the outside it looks like a fun place, but that changes once you’re inside..The seals have just very little space to move, and the fish live in very small tanks. Its really sad to see.They seem not to care about the well-being of the animals.This place should be closed down. We will not go back here if they don’t change a lot

Sad to see this place going out of business. It was fun seeing the sea lions. And fish.

Cute little souvenir shop. With a very small aquarium. Unfortunately due to lack of funding the sea lions are no longer houses here and the aquarium/gift shop will be closing soon. Very nice employees. Go by soon to see the huge octopus that still resides until closing. Neat little museum of local artifacts.

The shop has many souvenirs and a small aquarium in it. Its about a couple bucks to feed the seals and tour the aquarium. This place is very small, seems old and unkept. For the price you pay I think its worth it but in a way its not something I will visit often but at least once to experience it.

Must go feed the seals. A small family owned place. Better then the Monterrey Bay Aquarium!!!

This is a fun place to take your kids. It has been around for years and has rescue seals that you can feed as well as some big built-in aquarium so you can see some unusual fish. The kids love it.

Been visiting here since I was a kid and now I bring my kids. Good memories. Cash only!

My family used to stay in Morro Bay every year, 40 years ago. The Aquarium was always a must see on every trip. I was blessed to take my Son there in 2017. He loved thowing the seals fish. And listening to them bark and talk . We will take him back as often as possible.

Closing 2018 sad to see it go . So many great memories

My husband and I came in last Oct. I was saddened to hear that The Aquarium was closing its doors. My best childhood memories are here and i will always cherish them. Best wishes to the family. And a big thank you.

Fun to feed the seals. Be ready with cash to go in the aquarium. Very friendly staff. Not a big place, but enjoyed seeing the octopuses. Worth the time to see!

I love this aquarium. My best childhood memories are at this aquarium. I took my children there twice and was so sad last time to see that they will be closing. We have driven from Sacramento to Morro Bay just to come to this aquarium and it is well worth it.

We really enjoy this place. It is one of a kind as it is still owned and operated by the family. They take great care of their sea life and the tanks/habitats. It is cash only to see the sea lions and other sea life and for the food but they do have a gift shop that takes credit cards. They make their own Pomegranate jams and syrups and even provide some recipes. We go there each time we are in town to show our support! They are so nice and we hope they get to stay in their location!

Great space to walk and learn. Published schedule of feedings to see all of the fish and sharks come out. Great explanation of various local species. Strong emphasis on small habitats and how they fit in to global structure.

Its a great place to bring children. Alot of hands on experience. As two older adults, we enjoyed it. And, it has a very reasonable access fee.

It was fun feeding the fish, but I have to admit I wondered about their well being in the small tanks and performing all day. The tanks of fish inside didnt seem well maintained. A couple of the tanks had fish that appeared dead or close to dead.In general, it was very small and probably a nice stop for small children. I probably wont go back.

I will have nightmares about this place. The gift shop had cool decor... that’s the only positive thing I can say about this place. The tanks were filthy. The fish were not lively or seemed in any happy spirits; I think a couple were actually deceased or close to it. The seals were in a small area. It was so sad. I just started crying. How can they shut a plant down out here but not this inhumane place. Charge more if you have to or just don’t do the aquarium.

Going to miss it... I visited as a child, brought my kids and for the last visit I brought 2 of my grandkids... wasnt much left to see but still enjoyed the shop and visiting with the owners son...sad to see it go

Great experience for all ages. Better get here soon, they are shutting down by the end of 2017 so progress can destroy another family owned business. Great people have been in this business for over 55byears.

I am pretty sure the 5 star reviews on this place are either done by the owner or mistakenly linked. I seriously dont know why the government has not closed this place, grandfather law or not this place is disgusting. Theres a sign on the side of the building saying something to the effect of, our animals were born in captivity, releasing them to the wild would be inhumane. I call BS. If you are reading this review thinking about going, please do not support this place. Drive 40 minutes north and you can see hundreds of sea lions on the beach.

Visit this gift shop. They have exclusive and beautiful gifts. Most of them are handcrafted by local artists.

Cute little place that hasnt changed throughout the years. The only thing thats changed is the price of the feeder fish for the seals. The aquarium they have on the inside could probably use a little updating but I believe they are ran off of donations or a good portion of it is ran off donations so Im sure that has something to do with it. Whenever I have out of town guests we usually make a trip there everybody loves the feed the seals. I wish the old one would have been a little more active but it just laid on the duck never even moved. We used to be able to get it to clap its hands and make noise but I didnt want to do that this time. we must have gotten there on day everybody was being lazy because the other two seals werent being very active as well. Next time out of town guests come we will be sure to be back. Thanks for all you do to help rescue!

I love this place, Ive been coming here since I was 2 and I always have to visit the Morro Bay Aquarium. Yes its not at its best, but I look forward to coming here every time, I just love Morro Bay

Love this place so sad its closing afted 55 years. The city wont renew the lease on the property so they had to shut down. The seals and other animals have been relocated

There is nothing good that can come of leaving this place open. The fishes are miserable, Im sure the people that work here /anyone that comes into contact with this place is also miserable. You can feel the depressed energy from these magnificent animals and it hurts. Owners- if you believe in any kind of universal law - equilibrium, karma, whatever you want to call it, you will recognize that it is high time to correct your wrongs and close this place down. Youre in California, you have overwhelming options and resources.Patrons- Please invest your time and money in something that will uplift you - ie, not here.

Please do NOT contribute to this place. I have never seen more sad animals in my entire life. I wish I had read the reviews before we made a last minute decision to stop in before heading home. I cannot urge you enough to not go here. Like another reviewer said, I’ll live with the crushing guilt of giving $3 to this depressing and inhumane facility. For such a beautiful town, such a huge disappointment, if anyone knows who to contact to move forward the process of shutting this place down and moving these animals to happier homes, please let me know.

Love the Morro Bay Aquarium! Weve been coming for years, sorry to see it will be closing in 2018! Get in and experience the fun while you still can...

We have been coming here for years & we came today just to find out that they closed down. It was very a little disappointing & sad to find out they are permanently closed, we were just hoping they moved or something.

I thought it was gonna be bigger, its pretty small and dont have so much to see

Seals seem very unhappy and place pretty run down. You can see seals free nearby and they are in nature. They say they only have rescued ones but I didnt feel confident about that.

I enjoyed this place. Its a cool place to feed seals that feels like old morro bay. If you want something fancy then the bay is the place for you

It is my first time in Morro bay, and I just get excited, I truly recommend this beutitiful beach.

Friendly staff and always enjoy going to see the small aquarium.

Such a fun place to visit. We have been here several times over the years. The seals are the main attraction. Too bad they will be closing this year.

This place is horrible, I own fish and know to care for them and I can tell you this place is is a joke. They have fish together they fight, their is dead fish in the tanks, the tank water is discussing, the fish tanks are ALL TO SMALL of the fish, and they had sick fish. Not to mention they dont have an ac and all of the tanks leak drops of water on the floor so it is very humid in the fish room, and it is dark it is like a basement. I AM DISCUSSED AND WILL NEVER RETURN.

After 55 years they are getting ready to close. I love this place so many memories. See it before its gone

We visited on recommendation by another shop owner and were very disappointed. The sea lions are obviously not well cared for and are in tiny pools that offer no stimulation. Workers were rude and will not be going back.

Loved seeing the seals but it is a little sad. Not sure they should be in there. It is cheap and you get close but the whole experience, left me feeling a little bad for the animals.

Coming here was one of the worst experiences Ive ever had, I will be forced to live the rest of my life with the crushing guilt that I contributed to this disgusting joke of an aquarium. all of the animals were sick, injured, or already dead at the bottom of their tank while other animals swam around them. One of the sea lions was very ill looking, they were kept in very small, shallow pools. The fish were kept in goldfish size tanks despite being giant exotic sea life that took up 1/3 of the tank. The fish were all lying in the rocks, the tanks were deteriorating and there was even a giant octopus squeezed into a tiny tank by itself. Happy to.hear theyre closing, I strongly encourage everyone to avoid this place like the plague.

The gift shop is nice, but the aquarium is so sad. The animals look depressed. Their environments are small and dirty.

3 stars doesnt mean not to go, 3 stars means its ok. It is $3 to get in and the $3 is a good deal. You get to see seals, and feed them, my 2 year old boy loved it. The gift shop is nice, I just am not that type of person. They did have some cool stuff, but I am not going to spend my money on it.

Dear god do not enter this house of horrors. Tiny cinder tombs of depressed and decaying fish, Traped in a prison of bordom and torment. If This is indicative life on the estuarie floor I hope to never return as a harbor fish. I cant imagine how horrifically awful the captive sea lions pathetic existance was. Thank god its over now, the place is barbaric.

This place is sad. The seals live in tiny enclosures smaller than most hotel pools. The last time I went one of the sea lions was swimming in circles and looked to be going crazy from living in such a small enclosure. Then when you go into the back room to look at the other animals everything looks half dead in dirty looking tanks. Upon leaving this place I felt angry and sad. This place seriously needs to be shut down.

Theyre closing in September after 55 years. Its a Morro Bay Icon...seals are gone....but still fish tanks & history. Sorry to see them close.

If I could give 0 stars I would. $3 Per person for a reason. My boyfriend and I immediately wanted to leave. Spent about 1 minute in there because my heart sank and I felt so bad contributing to their profit. Depressing and horrible for the animals. Definitely animal abuse. Not sure why they are allowed to keep animals here. Should continue solely as a gift shop NOT an aquarium. These animals should be moved to the Monterey Aquarium. Even the fish and starfish. The seals and sea lions have tanks about as long as their bodies. The environment is dark and tanks and animals look neglected. We immediately walked outside to leave this review. No wonder they dont allow refunds. Do NOT go into the aquarium. We were just walking around the area and happened to go inside. Seals sound distressed, not hungry. BOYCOTT or CLOSE this place.

Been coming here since I was very young.pretty sad that it is closing I only hope that my daughter gets to visit before it closes.I had the privilege to meet the owner and family, super good folks and I wish them the best in their future.

Be careful because she charged us 1 xtra t shirt. Otherwise good place to shop.

Cute gift shop. Noisy fun for the kids. Three pokestops in range.

(disclaimer) Look I get it theres a lot of complaints with a sea lions being trapped in a small confined place. If you are someone who is currently upset or mad with the conditions of this Aquarium then you should honestly do something about it. Write something to the city of Morro Bay.Ever since I was a little kid I used to come to this direct location its like going back into a Time Warp very old school it hasnt changed much since I was a little kid lolol. I wish there was more to do at the current location.The reason why Im giving this location a 5 is because, I am surprised!! on how long this aquarium has been open to the public. Please be advised, if you feel bad for sea lions or any animal life you may not have a enjoyable time attending to this place.I hope in the near future this aquarium can be remodeled to have a better Showcase of sea life. I love the concept of the idea that you can feed the sea lions and be pretty up close and personal.

This place is ihumane, cruel and just wrong! Anyone who visits or helps keeps this hell hole open has no compassion towards living creatures. This is a slow death for them, this is abuse, this is not how we we’re meant to treat any kind of living species. Can you imagine the pain they go through? Swimming in circles for the rest of their poor lives, that is no way anyone should live. SHUT IT DOWN!!!

My son and I were saddened and horrified that the city/state allows this to be called an aquarium. We understand these animals are rescues and cant be returned to the wild, but it is inhumane to keep anything living in such sensory deprived, dirty and small conditions. There is zero attempt to provide any habitat whatsoever. A huge sheep fish was literally in a tiny cement cage, covered with algae with nothing but a cender block. Large, despondent eels were in a cement cage with nothing but Pvc pipe. The seals were doing repetitive motions like they were insane. Owner said they were closing soon and selling the animals to Six Flags in Ventura. I hope these animals are removed immediately and give some type of habitat. Shame on the owners.

The Jewel of Monterey is closing and the city is taking over their space. Kind of sad.

This place is gross. Like, actually disgusting. How its still open boggles my mind. You can hear the distressed cries of the seals from the streets. I visited once when I was younger, and these creatures have about a 10x10 foot concrete cell to call home. How anyone sees this as fun or entertaining is beyond me, these people just like to make money off of naive tourists and cruelty. If you want a better spot to see wildlife in a humane way, the seals are normally hanging out along the bay, the Rock is always a great place to spot them along with otters and marine birds! I would also recommend checking out the Morro Bay State Park. They have a natural history museum whose staff keeps tabs on wildlife activity in Morro Bay and will let you know the best places and times to view them. Dont give your money to this terrible place.

The building looks too small to take care of marine mammals plus you can hear the animals cry from outside. Im very happy I didnt give money to these people to see seals in tiny cages

Lot of dad fish. That was my second time visit. But less people and not organized equipment, didnt clean aquarium. ..I think need shut down. I dont understand... some government must do inspection.

Local biologists and animal lovers alike are calling for a boycott of this awful place before they can renew the lease in 2018. The conditions here are disgustingly inhumane, with tiny enclosures only big enough for the seals to swim in circles all day with no toys, companionship, or stimulation of any kind. They also grow fat because the owners allow people to feed the seals all day instead of feeding them the controlled diet they do need to thrive. This is more prison than aquarium. Please do not take your children here, there are much better places in Morro Bay to observe seals in their natural habitat, not locked in a shallow tank for us to gawk at.Do not support this business.

Interesting and different

We had a great time at the aquarium the kids loved it definitely made some memories

My favorite Bay to go to. We got married here 6 years ago. Its very relaxing, romantic & quiet.

Great prices and nice staff

Quaint little store. We went in to see the Seals, but that part was closed. The store was affordable.

Historic place (50 years) but it is going to be closing soon. I believe the gift shop is going to be moving to a different location but the aquarium will not be reopening.

Horrible and I am beyond happy this is closing. Do not support these criminals.

Small, dirty, sad looking seal and sea lions. Glad to hear they are building a bettrr and bigger one to finally give those poor animals better habitats and lives

It was fun to feed the seals, but it just made me sad on how small their tanks are. Not sure if they have bigger tanks at night, but it seems sad. The fish inside look sad and half dead. Their tanks look extremely dirty and empty. My heart was sad the whole time.

HORRIBLE. The seals are in tiny pools. Like little wading pools. They are miserable. This place cant close down fast enough.

Love this place! And you can feed the seals and look at the fish in tanks kinda like and aquarium

ITS A SHAME ITS GOING TO CLOSE DOWN. ITS A PLACE MY KIDS LOVED TO GO

Great place to take the kids. Gift shop has some excellent options and feeding the seals is always a blast.

I dont even really want to give it any stars. It was a very sad and not maintained little aquarium. Yes, the cost is cheap but the seals had no room and the actual tanks for the fish etc were old and disgusting. I immediately walked out after walking in and was so sad and disappointed. I am glad that they are closing!

The Sea lions are fun to feed. This is the place to go to view dead or dieing fish. Their are liviler fish coming off of the fishing ships unloading at the dock.

This place supposedly rehabs sea mammals. The poor animals cry out desperately all night long because they are kept in tiny unstimulating watery cages. The pictures of the Morro Bay aquarium are downright disturbing. The animals would be better off dead than rehabilitated here. Please do not visit or support this cruel place until the owners find better circumstances for their animals. You can see free seals and sea lions right in the wild in Morro Bay without paying for the cruel mess that is Morro Bay Aquarium.

A good place to bring the family but could use a bit of touching up and expansion.

My daughters Loved feeding the seals. The seals put on a great mini show.

Love the seals but they need more space for them

I enjoy my every time I come great shop too

Perhaps the most depressing aquarium ever. It consists of a total of two rooms. One room is open air and has three seals in cramped quarters, and the second room has a handful of fish, eels, and other aquatic creatures in dingy tanks.

Love going there to see the sea lions sad to see it close.

Hell on earth for marine animals. All the animals look sick, discolored and are extremely docile. If you take a snorkel or scuba dive in the local marina or near Morro rock youll see these exact animals playfully interacting with one another. This aquarium is immoral, unethical and a prison for these poor animals. One sea lion has spent 30 YEARS in a cubical-sized cage in this aquarium- you can hear his/her cries from down the street. The owners deserve prison time for this cruel money-making scheme. Dont be fooled, THIS IS NOT A REHABILITATION CENTER.

Very sad to visit. The staff are really friendly but this place is so run down and is in some desperate need of some love!

Love this place been going since i was a child but it is closing down soon

Breath taking, just check their schedule for any special events so that you dont end up in a mob of people.

Its not meant to be over the top for a local aquarium. I enjoyed every bit of it for what is was. Thank you!!

Do not support this business! Ive lived along the coast and sea lions do not howl like that unless something is terribly wrong. The facilities are poorly maintained and literally stink (go to the right of the building in the parking lot and take a whiff).

Gift Shop Was Reasonable. Fish And Mammals Were Awesome

Small but was fun. For only a couple of bucks definitely worth it.

My girlfriend and I went here on a whim after eating lunch in Morro Bay without any prior knowledge of this place. At a $3 entry fee, it seemed like it could be somewhat enjoyable. However, outside of the building you can hear the seals and sea lions cry in agony. Inside, the living conditions were awful; seals/sea lions are forced in dingy tanks barely big enough to fit their bodies in with no toys, the only thing they have to do is cry out and beg for food. Deeper within the aquarium, the fish live in conditions that are just depressing. A good portion of the fish were dead, and those living reside in filthy and tiny tanks. Do not support this business, the owners do not deserve to turn any profit from this pathetic excuse of an aquarium.

Took the kids they love it! The staff is super friendly.

Its neat. The best part is the seals.

We love coming here always a great time with the family

How can you not love a day in Morro Bay, Weather great, ocean sounds always a good time

Awesome place to visit in Morro Bay - inexpensive gifts - and very friendly atmosphere to browse around

Love coming here and seeing the seals they are helping

If you visit and are casually walking downtown with kids you will probably want to stop here but be prepared! You need cash to get in, cant use atm or credit. Once in you will need to buy fish if you wish to feed the seals. Im not huge in animal rights but anyone can see its just kinda sad! There are usually 4 seals that can swim between 4 enclosures...and they are small and usually dirty! Small kids will enjoy the experience of feeding them hearing them and them doing tricks. Then off to the other room which is always hot and stuffy! Kids tend to be bored and run thru it fast...if it is possible for fish to have depression these all have it! Slightly lifeless just sad! My kids enjoyed it when they were little but now they are older and realize...I do think they have another tank for the seals but who knows

A friend of mine writes: a deplorable, cruel and absolutely third-world operation called The Morro Bay Aquarium. A handful of unfortunate seals and sea lions are confined in tiny concrete bathtubs and for $2.50 the public can enter and throw fish at them. They claim to be an educational outfit. They only thing they are teaching anyone - much less children - is that its all right to be cruel to animals.

Animals deserve better than this. Close this nasty prison down and let the animals live out the rest of their lives in a large, natural habitat. This is horrific.