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04/22/2009
In its silver anniversary year the aquarium unveils a big secret
A brand new special exhibition, “The Secret Lives of Seahorses,” awaits summer visitors to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. In addition, extended weekend hours, the return of the popular “Aquarium Adventures” programs, a World Ocean Day Celebration and a last chance to visit the captivating “Wild About Otters” special exhibition makes the nation’s No. 1 family aquarium a hot spot this summer.
Seahorses have been celebrated in art, literature and mythology for centuries, so you’d think we know a lot about them. Since unveiling “The Secret Lives of Seahorses,” on April 6, aquarium visitors have discovered that nothing could be further from the truth. With a head like a horse, a snout like an aardvark, a belly pouch like a kangaroo, a prehensile tail like a monkey and the ability to change colors like a chameleon, seahorses are anything but ordinary.
It’s one of many surprises in 2009 that await visitors at the world-renowned aquarium.
The aquarium’s grand opening on October 20, 1984 launched a new era in ocean conservation awareness and aquarium design – sparking the “Age of Aquariums” in more than two dozen cities across the United States.
It’s been a trendsetter among aquariums for a quarter century. It was the first to successfully exhibit great white sharks, create the world’s largest living deep-sea exhibits and living kelp forest exhibit, design galleries especially for kids and families, and pioneer mesmerizing jellyfish exhibits on a grand scale. Its Seafood Watch program is transforming the global seafood market by helping consumers and businesses choose sustainable seafood. Through ongoing conservation outreach, research programs and engaging exhibits the aquarium will continue to inspire ocean conservation throughout 2009.
One such program, Aquarium Adventures, takes visitors deeper into Monterey Bay this summer. Visitors can go behind-the-scenes with aquarium experts, take part in a sailing excursion aboard a 65-foot research vessel, put their kids in SCUBA gear for a diver’s-eye view of marine life, feed an abalone or a sea urchin, scoop plankton from the bay using the same tools as scientists, and discover where “Doc” Ricketts set up his laboratory on Cannery Row. For a full lineup of Aquarium Adventures program details and previews visit www.montereybayaquarium.org/adventures .
A new Aquarium Adventure in 2009 lets guests attend a “Family Seashore Sleepover” on four summer nights: Friday, June 12, Saturday, July 11, Saturday, Aug 29 and Friday, September 18. Aquarium fans can sleep under their favorite exhibits and experience the aquarium after hours. Special presentations, feeding opportunities, a midnight snack and continental breakfast are all part of this exclusive evening. Space is limited, so interested visitors will need to book early.
The latest and biggest splash this summer, however, comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be found in the aquarium’s newest special exhibition. “The Secret Lives of Seahorses” highlights more than 15 species of seahorses and their kin, including sea dragons, ribboned pipehorses, dragon pipefish and shrimpfish and their precious marine habitats in the wild.
“Seahorses are wonderful ambassadors for ocean conservation because they live in the most endangered habitats in the world – coral reefs, sea grass beds and mangrove forests,” said Ava Ferguson, senior exhibit developer for “The Secret Lives of Seahorses.” “When you save a seahorse, you also save some of Earth’s most precious marine habitats.”
The multimedia galleries in “The Secret Lives of Seahorses” connect visitors with conservation stations that provide the tools they need to help save these fascinating animals. As visitors explore the mysterious underwater world of seahorses in four multimedia galleries, they learn that seahorses and their kin, grow up, choose mates and give birth in surprising ways.
And if you need more time to partake in summer aquarium activities – you’ve got it!
Enjoy an off-season experience during the peak summer season each Saturday and Sunday from Fourth of July weekend through Labor Day weekend (July 4-September 6). The return of “Evenings by the Bay” means the aquarium will remain open until 8 p.m. – providing two extra hours to explore “The Secret Lives of Seahorses” and all of the aquarium’s exhibits. The evening also includes live music, special programs, and an opportunity to have dinner in the ocean-view Portola Restaurant.
In conjunction with the international observance of healthy oceans, the aquarium will celebrate the 70% of our planet covered by water at its annual World Ocean Day Celebration on June 6 and 7. The event-filled weekend will be dedicated to honoring ocean ecosystems, as well as learning about land-to-sea connections and the role people play in assuring the health of the ocean for future generations.
While at the aquarium, don’t miss the opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most spectacular oceanic seabirds, a Laysan albatross. Visitors can meet Makana, the only Laysan albatross in any zoo or aquarium in the world, during her 15- minute program in front of the Kelp Forest exhibit. The daily program highlights the global threats albatross face from plastics pollution and what each of us can do to make a difference.
Elsewhere, the award-winning “Splash Zone: Ocean Homes” family exhibit continues to enchant visitors and to build magical and lasting connections with the ocean for children of all ages. The expanded Enchanted Kelp Forest, Coral Reef Kingdom and Rugged Rocky Shore galleries that opened in 2008 are home to visitor favorites like a colony of blackfooted penguins, a den of moray eels and water play areas. With double the space for families, visitors can now journey through an enchanting underwater forest, stroll beneath a sunlit kelp canopy, delight in the wonders of pot-bellied seahorses and pharaoh cuttlefish, pop up next to penguins and much more.
New behind-the-scenes tours also continue in 2009, giving visitors the opportunity to learn other secrets about the aquarium. Find out what it takes to care for animals and exhibits at the aquarium on a dynamic, guided 50- minute tour, which are offered several times a day for $12 per person for the general public and $10 per person for members. An expert guide, state-of-the-art headset technology and explorations that take you to where the day’s action is most intriguing, make this a must-see addition for repeat as well as first-time aquarium visitors.
General admission tickets, as well as behind-the-scenes tickets, are now available online at www.montereybayaquarium.org. There’s no service charge to print tickets at home or pick them up upon arrival, and just a small fee to receive tickets by mail. Either way, advance tickets are a great way to avoid ticket lines on busy days.
This summer is the last chance to see the aquarium’s first-ever freshwater special exhibition, Wild About Otters, which closes on September 13. The popular exhibition highlights two feisty species of freshwater otters and more than 30 species of tropical freshwater fishes and reptiles.
In addition to special exhibitions, the aquarium’s acclaimed permanent exhibits include playful sea otters; a towering three-story kelp forest; an interactive “Mission to the Deep” exhibit; touch pools and other hands-on exhibits; and a million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, home to sharks, tuna, ocean sunfish and other open-ocean animals. There are daily feeding shows in the Kelp Forest, sea otter and penguin exhibits, as well as daily auditorium programs featuring high-definition video clips that take visitors into the deep sea and waters around the world to learn about sharks, jellies and otters.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium, acclaimed as one of the world’s finest, has attracted more than 44 million visitors and has won national awards for its permanent and special exhibitions, its architecture, and its cultural, educational and economic impact.
All exhibits and programs except Aquarium Adventures are included with 2009 aquarium admission of $29.95 adult; $27.95 senior (65+) and student (full-time college, with I.D.); and $17.95 children 3-12 and the disabled. (2009 prices). Children under 3 are admitted free of charge. Discounted tickets for members of the military and their families can be purchased in advance at many California and Nevada installations.
Located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey, the aquarium is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and in summer and major holiday periods from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Christmas Day); with extended weekend hours on Saturdays and Sundays, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. from July 5 though September 6. For more information visit www.montereybayaquarium.org or call (831) 648-4888.
The mission of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the oceans.
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Editors: Contact Public Relations for images or video b-roll of the aquarium’s special exhibitions, highlights of permanent exhibits and galleries and summer programs.
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