Journey Into the Abyss: San Francisco’s Science Museum Showcases the Mysterious Life Beneath the Waves.

March 20th, 2025

California Academy of Sciences is a jewel of San Francisco. This large science museum located in the heart of Golden Gate Park, hosts a planetarium, a rainforest, an aquarium and a natural history museum (think dinosaurs).  So, when I was invited by the South Florida Insider to report on a new exhibit opening there, I was excited to see the new addition to this wonderful museum.

The new exhibit titled “Unseen Oceans” is an extension of the aquarium exhibit.  “Unseen” refers to ocean creatures that live so deep within the ocean, they are impossible to see without special equipment that can withstand the enormous pressure of their habitat. Most of this specialized equipment are unmanned, high pressure, underwater drones equipped with video cameras, lights, and maneuvering mechanisms. Also, the water is quite dark and most of these deep living creatures are quite small.

Bringing these deep-water animals to the surface for research, and to exhibit, is nearly impossible due to the great pressure change between the ocean depth they live in and the ocean surface.  Just like scuba divers, rising to the ocean surface is a slow process to prevent the “bends”.  These sea creatures, who are very delicate, would not survive this 1000 times pressure difference.

As a result, unlike most of the aquarium that features living sea animals, this exhibit instead displays these deep see animals using 3D printed models.  These 3D models are usually an enlarged version of the animal itself. For example, the blown up Phronima resembles a monster-like creature. In fact, it may have been used as the basis for the alien creature in the Alien movie.  Its actual size is a small dot to the naked eye.

Many marine animals that live in the deep oceans have another special characteristic: they glow. Known as biofluorescence, molecules with animal’s body creates this process. Some animals closer to the water’s surface also exhibit biofluorescence but it is more common the deep ocean.

At the California Academy of Science one learns the amazing variety of life in our oceans. From the very large to the very small, from those that live close to sea surface to those that live in the cold, dark, deep sea. This museum lets you experience all of that and more. And if you plan to visit don’t miss the albino alligator.