We were in Monterey with the kids for three wonderful days. This aquarium isn't what I would call just an acquarium, but a labor of love by one of the scions of the Hewlett-Packard clan.
What makes it amazing? First, the exhibits are out of this world. For instance, they have a million gallon tank where tuna can really go 40 mph around and around. It is an amazing model of the open ocean. Second is the deep water exhibit. They have creatures that were literally 10,000 feet below sea. Something you can see no where else.
The place is vast and it is right next to the Monterey Bay, itself an amazing place. Make sure to take a kayak while you are there. The kelp forests out there are amazing and typically a seal will try to jump onto your kayak and give you a kiss. (I'm not kidding!).
Perhaps the best thing about the place though is the advocacy and awareness. This is where the kids learned about overfishing. We still have their awareness card. For instance, it tells you that Chilean Seabass is really Patagonia Toothfish and has been hunted out of existence in a few years. And that essentially all the fish from the Atlantic is endangered and you shouldn't eat most of the shrimp you see because the farmed ones are destroying the environment and the rest are essentially stripmined destroying the seabeds.
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