Adventures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Located next to the ocean in historic Cannery Row, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is bursting at the seams with fantastical sea creatures.  It is full of wonderful adventures just waiting to happen!

The jellyfish are my favorites!  These sea nettles trail their long tentacles in order to catch plankton.  Stinging cells on their tentacles paralyze the prey so they can move it to their mouths for a sea snack.

The Moon jelly, or Medusa luna, is so beautiful, I can’t stop staring!

Another attraction at the aquarium is the giant kelp forest.  You may inadvertently find yourself swaying side to side with the gently moving kelp as fish swim peacefully by and huge silvery schools of sardines swirl in the light.  The 28-foot high forest is one of the tallest in the world.

These Tube anemones anchor themselves two feet or more into the sand so that if a predator threatens them they can quickly disappear!

“I’d like to be, under the sea, in an octopus’s garden, in the shade”, goes the Beatles song.  You may find yourself humming along to this tune when you see the octopus’s garden at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  At least I did.

Monterey Bay Aquarium even has penguins!  You can learn so much about them during the twice-daily penguin feeding times.  These penguins are from South Africa and are fast and agile swimmers.  They are super cute!

Strawberry anemone and other sea creatures appear so magical and mesmerizing.  This just makes me want to be a mermaid so I can live somewhere this pretty.

A sagacious stingray (we don’t know if he really is wise, but I think he probably is!) glides through a school of sardines or anchovies.  I still have trouble discerning the difference between those two teenie weenie fishes.  We are told that anchovies swim with their tails going up and down, and sardines swim with their tails going side to side.  It’s hard to tell from a distance!

A leopard shark cruises the kelp forest, looking for worms, clams, and other creatures to suck from the sand.

Of course, there is nothing cuter than sea otters.  The sea otters at the aquarium are rescued animals unable to survive in the wild.  It is so fun to watch them frolic and play in the water.  The aquarium runs a wonderful program that saves sea otters by rescuing, treating and releasing injured otters, providing surrogate parents for stranded pups, and finding homes for sea otters who can’t return to wild.  Sea otters almost became extinct in the early 1900s because they were hunted for their soft, luxurious fur.  As a result, in California, there were only about 50 sea otters by the 1930s.  Although the population has grown over the years, conservation efforts continue to preserve this adorable and beloved endangered species.

Where: Monterey Bay Aquarium is located at 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940

Admission: Adults aged 18-64 are $49.95, Children ages 3-12 are $29.95 and under 3 free.  Students are $34.95 ages 13-17 or with college ID.  Seniors 65+ are also $39.95

Hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily

Phone: 831-648-4800

Website: Monterey Aquarium

Helpful Info:

• Refreshments are available on site at a restaurant, cafe and coffee bar inside the Aquarium
• Daily Shows & Feedings provide fun educational experiences for all ages, including sea otter, penguin, open sea, kelp forest, and seabird feedings
• Parking is available in numerous parking garages in the area and there is metered street parking
• The entire aquarium is wheelchair accessible
• Tons of educational, fun and hands-on experiences for children
• If you want to avoid the crowds, I recommend going between 2 pm and 5 pm on weekdays
• If you are staying at a local hotel, check for partner deals with the aquarium including 2-day tickets for the price of 1-day

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