The ocean is so vast that while we have an idea of what we might find, we could come up with something entirely different. You never really know what you're going to see until you're out there. Before you approach the exhibit, you'll pass through a realistic rock canyon leading down towards the exhibit. The entry plaza beyond offers space for a relaxing snack while you listen to cascading waterfalls near the entrance doors. Through the entry doors, prior to entering the tunnel, you'll encounter interpretive panels, which relate to what you are about to see.
Waves surge, causing a forest of kelp to gently sway back and forth in the current.
A rocky reef looms in the middle distance, with colorful sea stars and giant green anemones visible on the boulders. Large wolf-eels, surf perch, tiger rockfish and kelp greenlings are seen swimming within the many rock outcroppings. Further along, the tunnel's opaque floor gives way to a window underfoot. Here you'll look straight down to the simulated ocean floor. The big tunnel will then veer off into the second section.