Exhibit Updates

Awesome Sights off Our Ocean-View Decks
May 16, 2012
People love our exhibits, but did you also know you can see amazing things right off our ocean-view decks? In May we were seeing humpback whales!


Baby Octopuses Behind the Scenes
May 09, 2012

Baby Octopuses Behind the Scenes

Look what’s happening behind the scenes at the Aquarium! We’re working with this species, the California two-spot octopus, for possible future exhibit. Aquarist Alicia Bitondo looks pretty happy about how it’s going so far!


Sandbar Shark on Exhibit!
May 01, 2012

Sandbar Shark on Exhibit!

For the first time ever, the Aquarium is exhibiting a sandbar shark, in our million-gallon Open Sea exhibit. The male shark, originally from Hawaii, has been growing up behind the scenes in our Animal Research and Care Center in Marina. The new shark, which went on exhibit April 26, is 43 pounds and measures four feet, six inches.


Draw a Jelly!
April 25, 2012

Draw a Jelly!

Want to exercise your artistic skills? At “The Jellies Experience” you can draw a digital jelly and launch it into a virtual ocean with creations made by other visitors, and get a copy via e-mail! It’s turning out to be one of the most popular features of the new exhibit.


An Honor from the AZA
April 18, 2012

An Honor from the AZA

Every five years since we opened in 1984, the Aquarium has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This includes exhaustive on-site inspections and interviews, including animal care, veterinary, conservation, research, education, safety/security and pretty much everything we do! We’re so proud of this honor, and our team!


Giant Jellies!
April 12, 2012

Giant Jellies!

Are they real, or not? Our new special exhibition, “The Jellies Experience,” features these stunning, illuminated acrylic models suspended from the ceiling.


World Turned Upside-Down
March 21, 2012

World Turned Upside-Down

The upside-down jelly is one of the species you can see in the “Jellies Experience,” which opens March 31. The special exhibition immerses visitors in a world of animals that have no heads, hearts, brains, bones or true eyes yet have survived for hundreds of millions of years and rank among the ocean’s major predators. We cultivate many of these species right here at the Aquarium!


Learn Why this Sea Star is Called "Knobby"
March 15, 2012

Learn Why this Sea Star is Called "Knobby"

Want to get a better feel for our oceans? Our Touch Pools allow you to reach out and touch animals like this knobby sea star, and many other animals.


Remembering Toola
March 03, 2012

Remembering Toola

We are saddened to announce the death of Toola, a female sea otter who was arguably the most important animal in the 28-year history of our Sea Otter Research and Conservation program. The first otter ever to serve as a surrogate mother for stranded pups, Toola raised 13 pups over the years and was a visitor favorite in our sea otter exhibit. She was approximately 15 years old when she died on March 3rd of natural causes and infirmities of age.

"Toola was without question the most important animal in the history of our program," said Andrew Johnson, manager of the aquarium's Sea Otter Research and Conservation program. "She showed us that exhibit otters could successfully raise orphaned pups for return to the wild. She inspired a critical piece of legislation that is helping protect sea otters. And she inspired millions of visitors to care more about sea otters. We will miss her."


New! Ocean Travelers Plastics Gallery in the Open Sea Wing
February 29, 2012

New! Ocean Travelers Plastics Gallery in the Open Sea Wing

Our newest gallery uses art installations and sculptures to explore the impacts of marine debris on ocean wildlife like Laysan albatross, humpback whales and green sea turtles. The stunning artwork is made from everyday plastic items that frequently find their way into our waterways and into the oceanic food web.


Joy and Otter 572: Playing with Purpose
February 23, 2012

Joy and Otter 572: Playing with Purpose

This may look like just a pile of fur, but it’s actually the newest addition to our sea otter exhibit: a male pup, shown with his companion, Joy. At 10 weeks old, he spends most of his time eating, playing with toys and grooming!


An Otter Pup for Valentine's Day!
February 15, 2012

An Otter Pup for Valentine's Day!

Say hello to a young male sea otter pup that joined our exhibit February 14. At eight weeks, he was the youngest pup ever go on exhibit, and weighed 15 pounds. He came into our care at two weeks of age and weighing barely six pounds, after being rescued January 5 in Cayucos.


A Rare Spotting: the Beautiful Spotted Comb Jelly
February 08, 2012

A Rare Spotting: the Beautiful Spotted Comb Jelly

We only exhibit spotted comb jellies (Leucothea pulchra) when they’re present in the bay—and we had them in early 2012 in the Drifters Gallery, which is part of the Open Sea exhibition. We’re the only aquarium to exhibit these fragile jellies, so it's always a good idea to have a look while they last!


We're Culturing Cuttlefish!
January 31, 2012

We're Culturing Cuttlefish!

Love cuttlefish? Our husbandry staff has cultured several generations of pharaoh cuttlefish behind the scenes, and you can often see them in our Splash Zone exhibit. Sign up for our text alerts when here and watch a lively feeding session!


Leopard Sharks
January 19, 2012

Leopard Sharks

Did you know that leopard sharksAnimal Guide sink unless they’re swimming? Fortunately, being close to the bottom is a good thing, since these sharks like to graze the seafloor for crabs, clam siphons, fish eggs, and the burrowing, hot-dog-shaped fat innkeeper worm.


Kit is Back on Exhibit
November 18, 2011

Kit is Back on Exhibit

Remember Kit—our rescued sea otter pup? She's back on exhibit and she's not so little anymore. Turning two in January, Kit is now fully grown and one of our largest adult females! As we'd hoped, she's been behind the scenes serving as a companion to other young rescued sea otters awaiting release as part of our Sea Otter Research and Conservation program.


Aquarium Saddened by Death of Young White Shark
November 02, 2011

Aquarium Saddened by Death of Young White Shark

We are deeply saddened to announce the death of the young great white shark released nine days ago off the coast of southern California. The 4-foot, 10 inch, 52-pound shark, was transported south to Goleta (Santa Barbara County) by the Aquarium's animal care staff on October 25 and released that afternoon. He appeared to be doing well before the release team lost sight of him as he swam away. According to data from an electronic tracking tag, he died soon afterward.

"This is a very difficult day for all of us, and for everyone who saw and cared about this animal," said Jon Hoech, the Aquarium's director of husbandry. "Based on the shark's behavior and condition prior to release, we had every confidence that he'd do well back in the wild. Unfortunately, that's not how things turned out. We're surprised and saddened by the outcome.”


No Ordinary Snail
August 09, 2011

No Ordinary Snail

The giant keyhole limpet is no ordinary snail. Its body can grow to be almost 10 inches long. You can see a four-inch example in our Kelp Forest Touch Pool in the Splash Zone.


New Otter Pup Featured on Our Tumblr Blog
July 06, 2011

New Otter Pup Featured on Our Tumblr Blog

The youngest and smallest sea otter pup ever to go on exhibit at the Aquarium made her debut June 28. Pup 540 was found washed up on a Cayucos beach in California on April 28, and is now paired with a surrogate, Joy. You can find videos, images and the story of 540 on our new Tumblr blog.


Snowy Plover Chicks Hatch
June 20, 2011

Snowy Plover Chicks Hatch

Our first snowy plover chicks of the season hatched behind the scenes. Each year plovers in distress and abandoned eggs are brought to the Aquarium, one of the main rehabilitation sites for shorebirds in northern California. Our goal is to release these chicks to the wild!


Rockfish Under Pressure
November 26, 2010

Rockfish Under Pressure

Just as human divers have problems when they come up from the deep, rockfish that are caught and brought to the surface can suffer pressure-related ailments. Fortunately, the Aquarium has developed innovative ways to ensure the health of rockfish destined for our exhibits.


Octopus with prey maze
March 26, 2009

Octopus Games

Recently, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's giant octopus exhibit has been looking a little like a preschool play session. Several days a week, aquarist Adam Frantz has been challenging the two, 11-pound octopuses with balls, jars with hidden treats inside, and plastic mazes. It’s all part of the Aquarium’s “enrichment program” for these inquisitive and intelligent animals.