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Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey

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New Monterey Bay Hotel
Panoramic coastal views in historic Cannery Row. Opens 6/14. Book now!

Jellyfish - Monterey
Jellyfish
by rsilva
Monterey Bay Aquarium tips and photos posted by real travelers and Monterey locals.

886 Cannery Row,
• 86 Photos
• 70 Reviews

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Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Tip Rating:
  • This aquarium is apparently one of the largest in the world.

    It has a great variety of animals and makes for a very interesting day trip, although you need more than one to fully explore it.

    I am not very good at identifying the species, but take a look at my travelogue to see what you can expect to see.

    An adult ticket is $19.95, children (3 thru 12) pay $10.95. Other discounts apply, check website for more complete information.

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium
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  • This Aquarium is housed in an old historic cannery building. We didn't arrive until noon, so we ate lunch in the Aquarium's Portola Cafe. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food. We ordered a tasty clam chowder and delicious raw oysters. This was an outstanding aquarium. There is a large variety of fish, a kelp forest tank, blackfooted penguins, otters, a sea turtle, jellyfish, shore birds, and a little bird I particularly liked, that I believe was called a common Murre. This was a little diving bird that reminded me of a little penguin. There were also many other exhibits to see and short programs to listen to. There is also a touch pool that both children and adults will enjoy. The Aquarium is open 9:30 - 6:00 summers and holidays, and 10:00 - 6:00 the rest of the year. Don't go too late in the day. I would allow for at least three hours to explore this aquarium. In 2004 it cost $19.95 for adults, and $8.95 for children ages 3 - 12. Under age 3 children are enter the museum free of charge. The photo was taken by my husband.

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: This Aquarium is located in Monterey at the west end of historic Cannery Row.
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium Fish Tanks
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  • Large fish tank in Montery Bay Aquarium - Monterey
    Large fish tank in
    Montery Bay Aquarium
    by cnango,
    1 more photos
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    Here I am looking at one of the large fish tanks 20 years ago. At that time the Aquarium was quite new and very impressive. It has the largest aquarium window in the world and it holds a million gallons of water.

    UPDATE: The Monterey Bay Aquarium has expanded a lot since then and is even more impressive. The second picture is the Anchovy tank which is part of the new Outer Bay exhibit which we saw on an Aquarium visit in 2005.

    Here is a website where you can view some of the Aquariums sea life via live web cams:
    http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/cam_menu.asp

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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: The Aquarium at Monterey Bay
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  • A look from outside the Aquarium - Monterey
    A look from outside the
    Aquarium
    by Luisanna
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    You must see the interesting exhibits that the aquariums has.

    From the kelp forest, the sea otters, the jelly fish to the sharks. Just a little information on the aquarium Cannery Row was what people used to call Monterey Bay. The bay is 25 miles wide, and the aquarium is at the southern shore. Back about 1903 people started huge canning companies on the shores of Monterey Bay. Fisherman would catch huge schools of sardines in and around the bay. In 1945, Monterey Bay had become one of the biggest fishing ports in America. In about 1946, after 60 years of fishing for sardines, the catches were almost nothing, and the canneries started closing. In 1977, four biologists at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station wanted to have an aquarium built just for Monterey Bay. Seven years later money was donated, and the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation was created to get the aquarium built. They used an old sardine cannery, and redesigned it into an aquarium.

    One particular thing my kids loved was the touch pools which encourage people to put there hands on the stars the bat rays.

    I highly recommend a trip to the aquarium you'll enjoy every minute of it. Have fun......

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: The Aquarim at Monterey Bay
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  • The aquiariam is filled with many exhibits that are very intersing for all age groups. From the kelp forest to the sea otters to the sharks.... my kids really enjoyed the trip here. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who has children. Besides that aquirium the Moneterey Bay area is a beautiful place to visit.

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area, Montery, California 93940
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: A world famous aquarium, now even better
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  • Get there early for best viewing of popular tanks - Monterey
    Get there early for best
    viewing of popular tanks
    by TheTravelSlut, 4 more photos
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    The Monterey Bay Aquarium is as fascinating as it is educational and inspirational. It is great for persons of all ages and features many interactive exhibits, great views of the Monterey Bay area and is conveniently close to many other Cannery Row attractions.

    For only the third time since 2004, we have a young white shark in the Outer Bay exhibit. He arrived on August 28, and will remain in the million-gallon exhibit as long as he's in good health and hasn't grown too large for us to return safely to the wild.

    The Monterey bay Aquarium has one of the best websites you will find and even has live webcasts. Exhibits change periodically so be sure to check the website 1st to determine is open and closed and what is available that you really want to see. Some of the exhibits include:
    Giant Octopus
    Jellies: Living Art
    Kelp Forest
    Life on the Bay
    Mission to the Deep
    Outer Bay
    Rocky Shore
    Sandy Shore & Aviary
    Sea Otters
    Splash Zone & Penguins
    Wild About Otters

    Regular Hours
    10 a.m.-6 p.m. Daily
    Closed Dec. 25

    Holidays
    9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

    Admission prices (in USD) are as follows as of Sept. 2007
    Adult $24.95
    Child (3 thru 12) $15.95
    Child (under 3) Free
    Student
    $22.95
    Senior (65+) $22.95
    Disabled $15.95
    Military Discount

  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: 2 pieces of advice when visiting...
  • Tip Rating:
  • This place is wonderful - my husband and I (no kids) are members and go at least once a month.
    Advice:
    1) If there is any flexibility in your plans, go on a weekday. It may still be crowded, but the line goes fast.
    2) The event not-to-be-missed is the feeding in the kelp tank, the schedule is currently 11:30, 4:00.
    If it is a crowded day, get a place to sit/stand early, and relax while watching the kelp sway in the waves...

  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
  • Rate   Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Monterey Bay Aquarium: Excellent Monterey Bay Aquarium
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  • This excellent, well designed, Aquarium is located against the Pacific Ocean at Cannery Row. Fish and wildlife from both California and around the world are displayed. Popular exhibits include sea otters and penguins. You can even watch fish feedings as a diver enters the tank with handouts. A stingray petting area is included.

    If you want to watch the sea otter feeding, press your nose against the glass early as a crowd develops long before the lunch bell rings.

  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: At the end of Cannery Row
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
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    Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium
  • Tip Rating:
  • The best aquarium on the west coast and Travel Channel's 8th "Best Shark Encounters Without Getting Wet"! Though the Monterey aquarium is the only place in the world that has been able to keep a great white shark for more than 16 days, they recently released the young male they had been taking care of. No great white sharks there now, but there are plenty of other species, plus they have a new otter exhibit that opened in March! The aquarium is the 9th most visited park in California with just under 2,000,000 visitors a year.

    After eight months in town I finally got around to checking out the aquarium. Regular admission is about $25, but if you know someone who is a member or a donor, you can get in for free. While fish are interesting, our main reason for visiting was to see the otters. Besides the ever popular sea otter exhibit, they have a new river otter display with three or four species from around the world. We also enjoyed the kelp forest, the penguins, the glowing jellyfish, the massive giant octopus, and the huge tank with the butt-ugly sunfish. This is a great destination for young children as many of the displays are interactive and the kids can touch shells and even the live manta rays. We spent about 3 hours here, and that was plenty. With kids, I could see spending a little more time as there is plenty to keep them busy, but about a half day would be enough to drive me crazy. Summer crowds are massive, especially on the weekends, so try to visit in the off season and/or on weekdays.

    The Monterey Bay Aquarium occupies the site of the former Hovden Cannery on Cannery Row. When the Hovden Food Products Corporation closed in 1972 the facility was vacant until the aquarium was opened in 1984. In the center of the aquarium buildings is a corridor called Hovden Way, which offers public access to a coastal overlook. This area looks into the Monterey Bay over an area of kelp, birds, sea lions, and otters.

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
  • Rate   Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
    Monterey Bay Aquarium: Monterey Bay Aquarium is good for Old and Young
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  • Not all that long ago it was discovered that the sea kelp forest off the Monterey Bay was both large and deep. In fact, the kelp forest depth rivals the redwood trees in height, and so within that submariner aboreal habitat there is quite a wide variety of sea life. The Aquarium focuses in on this fact as well as upon the tide pool life that is common, particulary along the Pebble Beach coastline. The gift shop is complete with multilingual publications and unique souvenirs. It takes about two hours to tour the aquarium, so devote a full morning, or even a day to this great place.

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  • Phone: (831) 648-4800
  • Directions: Cannery Row area
  • Website: http://www.mbayaq.org/
  • Rate   Not Helpful  1   2   3   4   5  Very Helpful
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