Next is the Amber Forest exhibit, which replicates a Giant kelp forest with Garibaldi, California scorpionfish, and other representative organisms. The first exhibit is the 142,000-US-gallon (540,000 l) three-story Blue Cavern tank, which houses animals that live in the waters surrounding nearby Catalina Island. The Southern California & Baja Gallery features the varied habitats of this region. Ī diver addressing a group of visitors using a specially adapted mask in the Blue Cavern exhibit Southern California & Baja Gallery The aquarium is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The aquarium sees 1.5 million visitors a year and has a total staff of about 1,875 people, including more than 1,500 volunteers and about 375 employees. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction. The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific ) is a public aquarium on a 5-acre (20,000 m 2) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States.