3/10 Monterey Bay Aquarium plus

3/10/10 Wednesday


Photos:  http://silverserenity.shutterfly.com/1368
Monterey Bay Aquarium Day!

This is one of our favorite spots in the area. From Marina to the Aquarium is 10 miles. The Aquarium is on the Bay and at the end of Cannery Row. Dad was able to get us a free pass which was wonderful.

First for us to visit was the Sea Otters. This year there was a new addition, a pup of three months. They were so much fun to watch play in the water.

At noon was a jelly fish program we wanted to attend so for about 45 minutes we went to the Kelp Forest Tank. With luck we were there in time to watch the diver feeding the fish. The Kelp Forest Tank is very large as you can tell from the photos. Just as soon as the diver entered the water, the fish came in looking for food. Yes in the photos you will also see a shark looking to be fed!

Following the Jelly Fish movie and discussion, we visited The Outer Bay which housed the Jelly Fish exhibit. This exhibit has not changed in the past 5 years but we still love to see it. The adult Jellies are so slow and fluid in their movements. The babies move much faster and jerky. Some have to be magnified 50 times to be able to see them. Some have “lights” in their bodies (photo 4110.) Some are almost invisible (photo 4113.) But they all have a beauty of their own in spite of the fact that the box jelly fish can kill a human.

Another highlight was the Seahorses. So many different kinds. It is still a toss up which we liked the best – the Weedy Sea Dragon or the Leafy Sea Dragon. Both are so unique. Surprisingly the Leafy Sea Dragons were pretty large.

Outside (photo 4164) was a perfect place to have lunch and sit in the sun while watching for seals, sea lions and sea otters that swim in the Bay.

Back inside again we visited more of the large tanks with a variety of fish. They also have tanks where you can touch starfish and other fish and plants that are harmless to humans. Another popular exhibit was the penguins. I attempted some photos but you can see just how fast they are by the blurred photos.

After about 3 hours we left the Aquarium and headed down Cannery Row. There are still some of the older buildings here from when they canned fish here. There was a street singer hoping for money. Hate to say it but I think more were paying him to hush! Along Cannery Row are many types of stores from the souvenir type to the Nestle Toll House Store to Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant and everything in between. We both had a session in an Aqua Massage unit that massages you with water pressure. Not as good as a real massage but better than nothing.

Last for the day was a fast trip down Fisherman’s Wharf. Winter is a slower time for this area. In the summer all the restaurants are out giving sample of their chowder in hopes of luring you in for a meal. Today there were only three. This late in the day there was none of the whale watching ships in dock. Many of the shops had sales going on.

It was a full day…..now back home for supper!