Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
B2
C6
C5
Sights
Monterey Bay Aquarium
AQUARIUM
www.montereybayaquarium.org
; 886 Cannery Row; adult/child 3-12yr/youth 13-17yr $40/25/30;
9:30am-6pm daily Jun, 9:30am-6pm Mon-Fri, to 8pm Sat & Sun Jul-Aug, 10am-5pm or 6pm daily Sep-
May; )
Monterey's most mesmerizing experience is its enormous aquarium, built on the former
site of the city's largest sardine cannery. All kinds of aquatic creatures are featured, from
kid-tolerant sea stars and slimy sea slugs to animated sea otters and surprisingly nimble
800lb tuna. The aquarium is much more than an impressive collection of glass tanks -
thoughtful placards underscore the bay's cultural and historical contexts.
Every minute, up to 2000 gallons of seawater is pumped into the three-story
kelp forest
,
re-creating as closely as possible the natural conditions you see out the windows to the
east. The large fish of prey are at their charismatic best during mealtimes; divers hand-feed
at 11:30am and 4pm. More entertaining are the sea otters, which may be seen basking in
the
Great Tide Pool
outside the aquarium, where they are readied for reintroduction to the
wild.
Even new-agey music and the occasional infinity-mirror illusion don't detract from the
astounding beauty of jellyfish in the
Jellies Gallery
. To see marine creatures - including
hammerhead sharks, ocean sunfish and green sea turtles - that outweigh kids many times
over, ponder the awesome
Open Sea
tank. Upstairs and downstairs you'll find
touch
pools
, where you can get close to sea cucumbers, bat rays and tidepool creatures. Younger
kids love the interactive
Splash Zone
, with interactive bilingual exhibits and penguin
feedings at 10:30am and 3pm.
