California Sea Life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Best Things to Do for Families in Monterey, California's Cannery Row
Jul 29, 2009
Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best places to see sea life on the California coast. Widely considered to be the finest aquarium in the country, it features more than 35,000 animals, fishes, birds, reptiles and plants, found primarily in Monterey Bay but also in marine habitats around the world.
Things to Do in Monterey's Historic Cannery Row
The aquarium covers more than three acres at the end of Monterey's historic Cannery Row, made famous by John Steinbeck's Depression-era novel of the same name. It was built on the site of the Hovden Cannery, the largest of the area's fish-packing plants and the last to close in 1972. Though most of the award-winning facility was purpose-built, it retains some of the original elements and style of the old cannery.
Since its opening in 1984, the aquarium has become a world leader in ocean conservation. It is also one of the best family attractions along the Pacific Coast Highway, with things to do for all ages.
California Sea Life at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
California's Monterey Bay, which has some of the world's most fascinating and diverse sea life, is part of the largest protected marine area off the US mainland. The aquarium extends right into the bay, with one billion gallons of fresh seawater piped through the tanks each year.
The aquarium's 34 galleries contain some 200 exhibits that showcase the range of marine habitats found in the bay. Highlights of the Ocean's Edge galleries include:
- The Kelp Forest: a mesmerizing three-story exhibit where leopard sharks, wolf-eels and shimmering sardine schools weave among fronds of giant kelp
- Sea Otters: watch these inquisitive mammals swim and play above and below the surface in a two-level exhibit that mimics their wild environment
- Monterey Bay Habitats: deep reefs, shale reefs, sandy seafloor and the wharf are contained in this 90-foot-long exhibit, home to sharks, seabirds, starfish and a host of other creatures in between.
The aquarium's Outer Bay galleries focus on the open ocean and the marine life found in the temperate waters of the Eastern Pacific. Highlights include:
- The Outer Bay: hammerhead sharks, bluefin tuna, barracuda and other giant predators glide through one of the tallest aquarium exhibits on earth.
- Jellies Gallery: delicate and mysterious, a range of jellyfish species drift through a dreamlike backdrop of royal blue
- Seahorses Gallery: the Secret Lives of Seahorses, the aquarium's newest exhibition, examines these curious, magical and threatened creatures of the deep.
Family Attractions at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Several attractions at the aquarium are particularly geared for families. Visitors can stroke sea stars, bat rays, abalone and other marine creatures in a variety of touch pools. A walk through the open-air aviary gives a close-up look at many elusive shorebirds and their habitat.
The colorful Splash Zone is full of activities aimed at children up to age 12. It blends live animal experiences with interactive demonstrations, play areas and hands-on learning galleries that let kids explore how ocean-dwelling creatures survive. The Splash Zone is also home to blackfooted penguins, a family favorite.
Feeding Time Shows at the Monterey Bay Aquarium
Feeding time is as popular with visitors as it is with the animals. Aquarium staff feed the penguins each morning and the sea otters three times daily in shows that are highly amusing as well as informative.
Divers hand-feed the fish twice daily in the kelp forest, and can talk to the audience through a special two-way communications mask during the demonstration. There are also feeding shows in the Outer Bay several times a week.
Visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is open daily, except Christmas Day. For current opening hours, admission prices and directions, visit the aquarium website.
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Read about the latest Seahorse Exhibition at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
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