Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey

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Part two of my Aquarium tips with more pictures in and inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The Monterey Bay Acquarium is one of the Highlights in walking around Cannery row of Monterey and is an important things to do in the area. It is located near the southern end of Cannery row. It was once one of the famous Sardine Cannery when Monterey was a booming Seafood town but went bust in the 1970's and in 1984, it was restructured and mane into the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This huge aquarium holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display mostly of local species of Plants and Sea Animals plus a smattering of foreign species. Their kelp forest is huge and is housed in the largest window pane glass aquarium in the world.

Hours:

Open every day except Dec. 25
Regular hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Winter: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer/holidays: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Summer weekends: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Adult Admission

Ages 18-64 and not in college.

$32.95
Child Admission

Ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free.

$19.95
Senior Admission

Ages 65 and over.

$29.95
Student Admission

Ages 13-17 or in college.

$29.95

According to wikipedia:

The centerpiece of the Ocean's Edge Wing, is a 10 meter (33-foot) high 333,000-US-gallon (1,260,000 l; 277,000 imp gal) tank for viewing California coastal marine life. In this tank, the aquarium was the first in the world to grow live California Giant Kelp. Visitors are able to inspect the creatures of the kelp forest at several levels in the building. The largest tank in the aquarium is a 1,200,000-US-gallon (4,500,000 l; 1,000,000 imp gal) tank in the Open Sea galleries (formerly the Outer Bay), which features one of the world's largest single-paned windows.

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this will be a two part tip with more pictures in and inside the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

The Monterey Bay Acquarium is one of the Highlights in walking around Cannery row of Monterey and is an important things to do in the area. It is located near the southern end of Cannery row. It was once one of the famous Sardine Cannery when Monterey was a booming Seafood town but went bust in the 1970's and in 1984, it was restructured and mane into the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This huge aquarium holds thousands of plants and animals, representing 623 separate named species on display mostly of local species of Plants and Sea Animals plus a smattering of foreign species. Their kelp forest is huge and is housed in the largest window pane glass aquarium in the world.

Hours:

Open every day except Dec. 25
Regular hours: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Winter: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer/holidays: 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Summer weekends: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

Adult Admission

Ages 18-64 and not in college.


$32.95
Child Admission

Ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free.


$19.95
Senior Admission

Ages 65 and over.


$29.95
Student Admission

Ages 13-17 or in college.


$29.95

According to wikipedia:

The centerpiece of the Ocean's Edge Wing, is a 10 meter (33-foot) high 333,000-US-gallon (1,260,000 l; 277,000 imp gal) tank for viewing California coastal marine life. In this tank, the aquarium was the first in the world to grow live California Giant Kelp. Visitors are able to inspect the creatures of the kelp forest at several levels in the building. The largest tank in the aquarium is a 1,200,000-US-gallon (4,500,000 l; 1,000,000 imp gal) tank in the Open Sea galleries (formerly the Outer Bay), which features one of the world's largest single-paned windows.

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.

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Did the Carmel Monterey trip. We loved Carmel and the little town of carmel by the sea. It so happened the day we were there it was Concours on the avenue. Exceptional cars and fabulous restaurants.

At at AW shucks clam chowder was divine. The oysters were really fresh and fish tacos were divine. Oh and the Bloody marys' are awesome.

Also at at the Clint Eastwoods Hogs Breath Inn, Nice service but the food was a little out dated and nothing special. i wouldn't eat there again. I had the Lobster shrimp special sauteed in Butter garlic My husband had the Prime rib, his was better.

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We lived in California when I was little, but we moved from here in 1966 when I was three before this aquarium existed. At least one cannery was still operating at that time. The Monterey Bay Aquarium wasn't started until 14 years later.

I took my daughter and her friend on a whirlwind trip of the state that included this aquarium My husband is an aquarium fanatic, so I have been to a lot of aquariums with him. This was the best one I have ever been to. The shows were spaced out and the traffic was regulated well so everyone coul see everything.

The Kelp Forest exhibit holds approximately one-third of a million gallons or 1,268,109 liters. Montery was the first aquarium in the world to exhibit a living kelp forest.

Adult Admission Ages 18-64 and not in college. $29.95
Child Admission Ages 3-12. Children under 3 are free. $19.95
Senior Admission Ages 65 and over. $27.95
Student Admission Ages 13-17 or in college.$27.95

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We spent one morning at the aquarium in Monterey. It was very informative and the jellyfish exhibt was awesome. There are large decks that extend the length of the back of the aquarium that lookout over the ocean.

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We had a fun afternoon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

They have some lovely sea creatures here, especially the sea otters. There are some really huge tanks and so you get a chance to see big fish, sharks and rays swimming around. The kelp tank is good and is well worth plannng your time to get to see one of the Kelp Forest Feeding talks by one of the keepers. They have a diver in the tank, who helps out in the talk.

It's not cheap to get into the aquarium, so give yourselves enough time to get your monies worth out of the visit. We were virtually the last people to leave.

Try to avoid the aquarium on a crowded day, it definitely changes your experience in a less than positive way. If you can't, it is still worth a visit if you are in Monterey. Tickets can be a little pricey, but they are for a good cause and you get to see and learn a lot. In my opinion, the best parts of the aquarium are the sea otters and the jelly fish, but there are other awesome things there as well.
There is a large section for kids to play. There is an outdoor section that is pretty awesome. Bring a sweater because it can get windy outside, but it is worth getting a chill because of the opportunity to view wildlife. While I was there this past visit, I was able to see at least 2 seals and 2 sea otters.
Tickets can be pricey, but if you are a member of AAA, you may be able to get $3 off. If you have the time and are trusting enough to do so, you can also find tickets on craigslist. It is better to buy your tickets in advance because the ticket line can get long.

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This is one of the best aquariums I've ever been to. Its different compared to Sea World, because the aquarium's focus is exhibits, rather than trained animal shows. Most of the exhibits center around sea life local to the Monterey and Northern California coast areas. They have sea otters, of course, and you can see them being fed during several regularly scheduled "feedings" that they do during the day. Other things to see include sharks, jelly fish, birds (albatross), kelp forests, and penguins just to name a few. We enjoyed the "hands on" area in which you get to touch various creatures in a tide-pool like setting.

One of the more interesting things we say during our trip was an exhibit called "The Secret Lives of Seahorses". It featured many different kinds of seahorses, including one species that looked like a swimming plant! (see my pictures attached to this tip).

The jellyfish seemed to glow in the dark, and some looked like miniature amusement park signs complete with "tracer lights".

If you come to Monterey, don't miss this attraction. Its good for all ages, but especially for children - they'll love it.

In the evening for the hour or two before closing, there was a jazz band playing on the day we visited.

Actually under the Pacific Ocean to be exact! Unbeknownest to many, the area surrounging the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a Marine sanctuary and is home to one of the largest Kelp Forests in the world (one of the reasons the Pacific Coastline in these parts is a nice murky green color). The Aquarium is a must do if you'll be out in Monterey. In addition to sharks, stingrays, and barracudas...(oh my!) and a very cool Jellyfish exhibit (but go soon...this exhibit is closing down in mid-2008), you can also learn the history of the old Cannery that used to be housed there....pull out your copy of Cannery Row by Steinbeck before you end that way for an extra enriching experience.