They move like living question marks, anchoring themselves with delicate tails while their eyes swivel independently to scan the water around them. They are the only animals on Earth in which the male carries and gives birth to the young.

And after a years-long absence they are back at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center on Stearns Wharf. 

Nine giant Pacific seahorses (Hippocampus ingens) are at on display at the Sea Center’s Dive In: Our Changing Channel exhibit. The species is the largest seahorse in the world and native to California’s coastline.

Visitors can now observe the group of seahorses, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week. No reservations are required to view the seahorses, but general admission applies.

The giant Pacific seahorse’s typical northern range ends around San Diego and Los Angeles. But as ocean temperatures rise and warm southern currents push increasingly into the Santa Barbara Channel, these animals, along with many other southern species, can be found farther north than ever before, the Sea Center reports.

The Sea Center said it has intentionally incorporated the seahorse display into its climate change education, as these animals can help visitors explore the real and measurable effects of climate change on local marine ecosystems.

“Seahorses are a fascinating animal, and topics such as range expansion and contraction are great talking points in the climate change discussion,” said Rich Smalldon, Sea Center director.

“We hope people view them as ambassador species on the front lines of that conversation, a reminder that human activity has far-reaching implications for life on our planet,” he said.

The Sea Center first welcomed six Giant Pacific Seahorses in 2019, received from the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro, California.

With a natural lifespan of three to five years, the original seahorses passed away in 2024, and the habitat was temporarily changed to an urchin barren display, depicting the disruption seen in kelp forests when purple urchins proliferate unchecked.

The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted operations at zoos and aquariums that exchange animals to preserve genetic diversity, putting a new generation of seahorses out of the Sea Center’s reach for several years. 

In late 2025, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium successfully established a new breeding pair, and the Sea Center received four seahorses to restart its display. In February 2026, five more arrived.

“The two institutions have been invaluable partners, sharing knowledge and resources to provide the best care for these animals beloved by Santa Barbara visitors,” the Sea Center said.

The most surprising father 

Part of what makes seahorses so compelling, especially for younger visitors, is their remarkable biology. It is the male seahorse who becomes pregnant. The female deposits her eggs directly into the male’s brood pouch, where he fertilizes and carries them for roughly two weeks before giving birth to fully independent young.

A single male can carry up to 2,000 eggs at once. Newborns emerge at just 9 millimeters in length, smaller than a fingernail. As in most species that create so many young, most of the young do not survive.

In the wild, giant Pacific seahorses are listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Populations have declined by an estimated 50-90 percent in many areas, driven by incidental capture in shrimp trawl fisheries and demand for traditional medicine.

For more, visit sbnature.org/seacenter.