Exhibit Updates
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!
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
May 09, 2012
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!
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
May 01, 2012
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.
Exhibit: Open Sea
April 25, 2012
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.
Exhibit: The Jellies Experience
April 18, 2012
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!
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
April 12, 2012
Are they real, or not? Our new special exhibition, “The Jellies Experience,” features these stunning, illuminated acrylic models suspended from the ceiling.
Exhibit: The Jellies Experience
March 21, 2012
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!
Exhibit: Jellies
March 15, 2012
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.
Exhibit: Multiple Exhibits
March 03, 2012
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."
February 29, 2012
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.
Exhibit: Open Sea
February 23, 2012
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!
February 15, 2012
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.
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!
Exhibit: Open Sea
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!
January 19, 2012
Leopard Sharks
Did you know that leopard sharks 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.
November 18, 2011
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.
November 02, 2011
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.”
August 09, 2011
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.
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.
June 20, 2011
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!
November 26, 2010
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.
March 26, 2009
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.
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