Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Monterey Bay Aquarium

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Another Two Parter . . .

We had a stupendous time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium yesterday, but unfortunately, my pictures are not what I hoped. I think this has to do with the 6-21 inch Plexiglas in the tanks, the sometimes murky water, the low light, and most of all, operator error (I know about shutter speed, it just eluded me for the day).

So beware, these aren't all they could be.

That said, all can be enlarged with just a click.

On entering the aquarium, I saw this.
It says everything about this most special place.


Since I never got a good shot of a sea otter
when we were down at Elkhorn Slough,
I thought I'd include this one.


They have the most special way
of displaying all their sea life.
This is like touring an anemone garden in 360 degrees.


Anemone's are some of my favorites.


But then,
I'd never seen sand dollars
in their natural habitat.


They also have a beautiful aviary for rescued birds.
This little fella has a broken wing.


Patty, Maxine and Laverne


We stepped out for lunch to see some of Cannery Row.
Steinbeck is one of my favorite authors.


While many of the buildings are brand new,
a few old ones remain.


This has to be one of the most scenic bays in all of California


Back to the Aquarium to see the jellyfish.
Jellyfish amaze me, so graceful and serene.


Next month
there will be a new exhibit on jellyfish.
Hope we can make it back.


I love these ponds where you can see above
and below the water.


And now for the treat of the day,
the Sea Horses.
While there were hundreds to be seen
these next two were the ones that captivated.

This is the Leafy Sea Dragon


And this is the Weedy Sea Dragon


Try as I might,
I couldn't get a clear shot of either one.
Then I remembered that my iPhone has a video camera . . .

On to Part 2

3 comments:

Gaelyn said...

Aquariums are so fun to visit, especially as I don't do scuba, almost like an alien environment. Your jellyfish captures are Excellent, and all others superb!

Russ Krecklow said...

You've outdone yourself here, Kate. Those photos are wonderful!! Shooting through the glass without breaking anything is truly an art, and very magical pictures are the result! Thanks again for sharing. I may like these even better than pelicans, now.

Jerry and Suzy said...

They may not be the finest pictures in the world, but they are still captivating! We got a great shot of a Leafy Sea Dragon at the aquarium on the Oregon coast (Seaside? Newport? Can't remember which town.) We have been to the Monterey Bay Aquarium several times (when we lived in California) and would love to go again, but there are so many places we haven't seen yet. So many things to do, places to go; so little time!