Day 5 - Monterey & Aquarium
We had heard so much about the Monterey Bay Aquarium over the years, we just had to stop and see for ourselves. We were not disappointed. 
After parking at a public parking garage for $5, we walked about 3 short blocks down to the aquarium which occupies some old wharf-front buildings.
My favorite exhibit was the 
3 story tall coral reef aquarium (see right).
Throughout the aquarium, there were hands-on displays and the whole second floor of the second building was dedicated to kids under 6 with play spaces, hands on and water play. They also had an enormous shark tank with a recent addition of a juvenile great white shark. The shark tank also included tuna, rays, and barracuda. A section of the shark display featured shark myths and mysteries from around the world. It was a look at how the shark was viewed by various cultures.
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Click on this photo to see the kids activity for the Pacific northwest indians. |
A rotunda entryway to this area sports the anchovie circular tank built into the ceiling. What a visual effect of thousands of these silver bullets schooling and shimmering.
Click on these photos to get a better look. |
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Another very cool display just near the kids splash zone was the jelly fish display. Like little alien space ships, they ride the invisible currents of inner space gently pulsating and glowing eeriely in the light.
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Adventure 2004
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