Monterey Bay Aquarium
One of the world’s great aquariums, this highly regarded establishment is found in the tiny California coastal city of Monterey. The average attendance is 1.8 million (in a town of 35,000) and this is done without the benefit of typical, crowd-pleasing attractions. There are no killer whales, dolphins, seals or sea lions, and the only mammal species on display are the three different species of otter. However, the aquarium has many brilliant exhibits, a terrific children’s section, and wide, clean hallways to prevent overcrowding. It is often compared to John G. Shedd and Georgia Aquarium in a good-natured dispute over which of the three is North America’s greatest aquarium. Monterey Bay has won 4 AZA exhibit awards, and is a must-see for anyone remotely interested in aquatic life. The location is convenient for studying the coast of California for signs of sea otters, seals, sea lions and migrating grey whales, as they and other marine life can occasionally be seen swimming off in the ocean directly outside of the aquarium.
Exhibits:
Kelp Forest
A 28 ft. (10 meter) high tank that is a living, breathing forest packed with numerous species of fish. This two-storey tank is one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world, and is a marvel of modern technology. A wave machine gently rocks this “forest†back and forth, and allows it to grow 4 inches a day. Divers go in and hand feed the many denizens of this habitat, including wolf eels, leopard sharks and schools of other fish. Slightly over 2,000 gallons of sea water are pumped through the tank per minute, there are over 100 species of seaweed, and the structure contains 1.5 million litres of water.
Outer Bay
The stunning one-million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit is home to the largest community of open-ocean animals to be found in any aquarium. Blue fin tuna, hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, stingrays, and the largest jellyfish collection in the United States all reside in this enormous tank. The largest species that was ever in the tank was an 880 pound ocean sunfish, and there have now been 3 great white sharks kept at various times in the aquarium’s largest exhibit. The main viewing window is 56 feet long and 17 feet tall, and set in a darkened theatre to heighten the viewing capabilities.
Otters
Sea otters, African spotted-necked otters, and Asian small-clawed otters are all on show for the public in a series of different exhibits.
Splash Zone
A fantastic children’s section that contains over 45 interactive exhibits for kids of all ages, and has been called one of the best areas for youngsters in North America. There are also plenty of animals here, including African black-footed penguins, swell sharks, cuttlefish, zebra moray eels, crabs, octopus, sea horses, etc.
Sandy Shore & Aviary
A coastal wetland that celebrates life in Elkhorn Slough (pronounced "slew"), one of the largest coastal wetlands in the state, located in the heart of Monterey Bay's coast. There are many kinds of birds, including foraging sandpipers, snowy plovers, long-billed curlews and black-necked stilts. This section of the aquarium isn’t very big but is quite well done.
Other Creatures of the Deep
Monterey Bay Aquarium is packed with an enormous variety of species that have not been mentioned in the above exhibits. Giant pacific octopus, lingcod, a number of eel species, crabs, lobsters, archerfish, snakes, turtles, frogs, jellyfish, sharks, and a bewildering array of other fish species. Even without cetaceans or pinnipeds it remains one of the best aquariums on the planet.
One of the world’s great aquariums, this highly regarded establishment is found in the tiny California coastal city of Monterey. The average attendance is 1.8 million (in a town of 35,000) and this is done without the benefit of typical, crowd-pleasing attractions. There are no killer whales, dolphins, seals or sea lions, and the only mammal species on display are the three different species of otter. However, the aquarium has many brilliant exhibits, a terrific children’s section, and wide, clean hallways to prevent overcrowding. It is often compared to John G. Shedd and Georgia Aquarium in a good-natured dispute over which of the three is North America’s greatest aquarium. Monterey Bay has won 4 AZA exhibit awards, and is a must-see for anyone remotely interested in aquatic life. The location is convenient for studying the coast of California for signs of sea otters, seals, sea lions and migrating grey whales, as they and other marine life can occasionally be seen swimming off in the ocean directly outside of the aquarium.
Exhibits:
Kelp Forest
A 28 ft. (10 meter) high tank that is a living, breathing forest packed with numerous species of fish. This two-storey tank is one of the tallest aquarium exhibits in the world, and is a marvel of modern technology. A wave machine gently rocks this “forest†back and forth, and allows it to grow 4 inches a day. Divers go in and hand feed the many denizens of this habitat, including wolf eels, leopard sharks and schools of other fish. Slightly over 2,000 gallons of sea water are pumped through the tank per minute, there are over 100 species of seaweed, and the structure contains 1.5 million litres of water.
Outer Bay
The stunning one-million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit is home to the largest community of open-ocean animals to be found in any aquarium. Blue fin tuna, hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, stingrays, and the largest jellyfish collection in the United States all reside in this enormous tank. The largest species that was ever in the tank was an 880 pound ocean sunfish, and there have now been 3 great white sharks kept at various times in the aquarium’s largest exhibit. The main viewing window is 56 feet long and 17 feet tall, and set in a darkened theatre to heighten the viewing capabilities.
Otters
Sea otters, African spotted-necked otters, and Asian small-clawed otters are all on show for the public in a series of different exhibits.
Splash Zone
A fantastic children’s section that contains over 45 interactive exhibits for kids of all ages, and has been called one of the best areas for youngsters in North America. There are also plenty of animals here, including African black-footed penguins, swell sharks, cuttlefish, zebra moray eels, crabs, octopus, sea horses, etc.
Sandy Shore & Aviary
A coastal wetland that celebrates life in Elkhorn Slough (pronounced "slew"), one of the largest coastal wetlands in the state, located in the heart of Monterey Bay's coast. There are many kinds of birds, including foraging sandpipers, snowy plovers, long-billed curlews and black-necked stilts. This section of the aquarium isn’t very big but is quite well done.
Other Creatures of the Deep
Monterey Bay Aquarium is packed with an enormous variety of species that have not been mentioned in the above exhibits. Giant pacific octopus, lingcod, a number of eel species, crabs, lobsters, archerfish, snakes, turtles, frogs, jellyfish, sharks, and a bewildering array of other fish species. Even without cetaceans or pinnipeds it remains one of the best aquariums on the planet.
