What a grand idea it was to turn the old sardine cannery into the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It makes it so much more interesting and even packs a little history into your day. Dad was so interested that he even bought a book about the cannery row days.
That it was originally a cannery is most evident at the entrance where the old boilers are still in place.
The first exhibit you encounter is the kelp forest. It is a huge round tank with everything from large schools of tiny, silver anchovies doing their synchronized swimming act, to a lone leopard shark. It is almost hypnotizing with the kelp swaying in the water and all the fish going round and round.
Of course we loved watching the otters at play. The river otters were having a wonderful time chasing around and jumping on each other, but who can resist the cute, fuzzy face of the sea otters. Don’t you wish you could take one home with you?
A whole section of the Aquarium was dedicated to jellyfish. They are amazing creatures. We saw some that were as small as a quarter.
And some that were at least a foot and a half in diameter. And the colors were absolutely fabulous. They are so beautiful, but so deadly.
Doesn’t this look just like a Dr. Seuss forest? I kept expecting a little man to pop out and say, “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.”
After leaving the aquarium we spent some time walking around Cannery Row. It is a very lively and happening place. We couldn’t believe how much it had changed since the last time we were there. It has become a fun tourist attraction in itself.
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