Monterey Bay Aquarium
Posted on Jul 21, 2009 under Archives | No Comment
Monterey Bay Aquarium
During my big driving trip to cover a coastal getaway story, I was on my way from Pebble Beach to Half Moon Bay and decided to stop off at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Located on the site of a former cannery on Cannery Row in Monterey, it is the second largest aquarium in the world, holding over 35,000 plants and animals.
I was lucky to visit just after the “Secret Lives of Seahorses” exhibit opened.
Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit
The exhibit features more than 15 species of seahorses, sea dragons, pipe horses and pipe fish. Here are some pics of the cute creatures:
Baby seahorses
seahorses
The aquarium is huge. My favorite part was a million gallon tank which features one of the largest single-paned windows in th world. On exhibit in the tank are stingrays, jellyfish, otters, giant kelp, sharks and other sealife. Here are a few pics:
one million gallon tank
scary eel
Shark
big orange fish
The aquarium also has a second floor outside terrace area that offers beautiful ocean views.
Outside view
On my way out I caught two animals waiting for their close up – here are pics:
Otter
Penguin
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey Cannery Row, 110 miles south of San Francisco, 330 miles north of Los Angeles, open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, tickets range from $18 to $30.