Taking the Tots to Monterey's Aquarium

After the exertions for a week or more packing and unpacking dozens of boxes of belongings during Emily's move to a new apartment, we decided yesterday to make the 90 minute journey to one of my favourite spots in California, Monterey. It has a world-class aquarium which was the focus of our visit and for maybe 3 hours Emily, Ella, Flynn, Dot and myself were bewitched by beautifully produced marine settings and displays.

The aquarium runs movies; touch-pools where kids like Ella could stroke star-fish, kelp, shell-fish and other sea creatures; feeding sessions - we saw sharks, penguins, and sea otters all being plied with their rations, but along with interesting commentaries about their lives and idiosyncrasies; and huge tanks with all manner of interesting sea-life. There are particularly large and impressive collections of jelly-fish, swarming sardines and anchovies, blue- and yellow-fine tuna of massive proportions, hammerhead sharks, turtles and so on.

Here are some of my favourite images of the day, ending with us eating ice-creams in a little park with sculptures of characters from the novels of John Steinbeck, including the well-known Cannery Row. He lived here and is indelibly associated with the town. I add a picture of Cannery Row, which actually exists. First up, Ella and Flynn  met one of the seemingly hundreds of helpers and guides who showed them a container of jellyfish.

Then we went to the kelp forest to see a diver feeding all manner of fish, including some smallish reef sharks.

Here Ella is having fun touching shell-fish.

And here we have some of the many beautiful jelly-fish, which so attracted Ella and Flynn.

Hanging out together they are in the midst of viewing tuna, sharks, turtles, sardines and so on.

And more jelly-fish.

Viewed by these three dudes.

Feeding time for penguins from South Africa.

More time in a touch-pool, but this time looking at kelp.

Cannery Row.

Memorial to Steinbeck's novels.

Eating delicious ice-cream nearby.

By the way, we also saw wild sea otters and seals afloat in Monterey Bay. A visit is well-recommended.

AS