The Marine Life Institute seen in the movie "Finding Dory" is a fictional aquarium/marine life sanctuary, but it is largely inspired by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the worlds largest aquariums, home to more than 30,000 marine creatures, birds, mammals, and plants. In the movie, the Marine Life Institute is depicted as a rescue and rehabilitation center and premiere aquarium located in Morro Bay, California. The aquarium in the movie is vast, with an array of pools and educational exhibits. Some of the outdoor pools are up against the water from the bay, giving a contrast between the real/natural world and the artificially created ones of the aquarium. The two-story sea otter habitat and penguin-filled Splash Zone exhibits are also featured in the movie.