Featured Site - Monterey Bay Aquarium

Monterey Bay Aquarium

With so many activities going on in September, it was hard to choose one as our Featured Site. But our crack research team took a vote, and we overwhelmingly decided on the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We also made it part of our contest this month!

So, what's so great about an aquarium? Well, if you haven't been yet, then you're in for a surprise. It's enormous at 322,000 square-feet, and to help make it meaningful it's broken into themed exhibits like the Kelp Forest, Touch Pools, and Jellyfish. Everywhere you go there are large-scale windows that let you spy on sharks, schools of fish, and turtles. You actually feel as though you're diving underwater and moving among the sea creatures!

And this September 7 and 8 they have a special treat -- Otter Days! There are special presentations, a movie called "A Sea Otter Story" from PBS, a dress-upprogram for young kids, crafts, and prizes! Some lucky families will be chosen to receive a behind-the-scenes tour of the Sea Otter Program and watch close-up while the otters are fed. (Side note: a sea otter eats up to 25% of its body weight every day, which costs $10,000 a year to feed a single otter. Yikes! I thought baby formula was expensive!)

You can see "Mae" and "Rosa," the Monterey Bay Aquarium's resident otter stars, along with their friends, as they play with each other in the 55,000-gallon exhibit. It is filled with plants, fish, and rock that make it look like their natural habitat. These otter are in a conservation program because they were separated from their mothers by heavy surf as young pups, and then rescued by aquarium staff. Ultimately, the program's goal is to rehabilitate and return these sea otters to the wild.

This is definitely a place worth purchasing a year's membership for only $85 (family pass), and start by going to this great event. Young children to teens will enjoy the various exhibits and activities offered at the Aquarium.

Some fun things to do in the Otter theme:

Quick Facts:

Hours - 10:00am-6:00pm
Tickets - Adults $17.95, Student $14.95, Child $7.95, Under 3 FREE
Visitor Info & Tickets - (831) 648-4937
Food - available in their Cafe (good food - try the clam chowder!), or you can bring in a lunch to eat on the deck.
Audio Tours - available for $3 in different languages (English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese)
Parking - there are many parking lots around Cannery Row ranging from $3-$7
Directions - click here

For future "Featured Sites" please give us your suggestions: sites@sanjosefamilies.com