San Diego’s favorite natural history museum is talking trash this season — and it’s absolutely beautiful. The San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) in Balboa Park has opened “Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea,” a dazzling exhibition that transforms ocean debris into more than 25 larger-than-life marine sculptures.
Wander among suspended jellyfish blooms, walk through an 18-foot whale ribcage, and meet a whimsical cast of creatures with their own names: Dexter the Dungeness crab, Eli the eel, and Annie the anemone. Look closer and you’ll discover each sculpture is a mosaic of discarded plastic bottles, flip flops, lighters, rope, and even toothbrushes — all collected from coastlines across the United States. The pieces come from the Washed Ashore Project, an Oregon-based nonprofit that fights marine debris through art.
The 3,000-square-foot gallery is packed with interactive learning stations, and the fun extends beyond the art: on Friday nights the space turns into an ocean-themed “dive bar” for the beloved Nat at Night series, and Sundays bring a rooftop brunch with sweeping Balboa Park views. The exhibition is on view through February 28, 2027, free for members and included with general admission. Five floors of nature, giant-screen films, and a powerful message about protecting our oceans — summer at The Nat is one for the books.
Photo: The Nat
