“There’s a hamburger head shark!”
This shout came from a child in awe and surprise as he watched a hammerhead shark swish its body and swim around the giant tank.
I was on the second floor of the Open Sea Exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Below me, a group of children and adults lined the floors sitting crossed-legged, ready for the feeding. After a disappointing visit to the Slough and not seeing a single ray, I was ready to see some sea animals. Here at the Open Sea Exhibit stingrays, tuna and sharks were hanging out together.
It was Monday and not all of the animals in the exhibit get fed everyday, so only the turtles and the sardines were dining today. A sea turtle munched on some lettuce and bell peppers at the top of the tank. A school of shiny sardines whirled up from the narrow bottom of the pool to get their share of fish flakes. However, the sardines weren’t the only hungry fish in the tank that day. The Mahi Mahi snapped at the tornado-like school in an attempt to secure a snack. How do all these animals co-exist and not eat the wrong food? The presenter explained that the animals at this exhibit have been “target trained” to recognize a specific visual whenever their food is coming, essentially a “visual dinner bell.”
I wasn’t able to catch the penguin feeding on time, but I stopped by the exhibit anyways to say hello to the African blackfooted penguins. Joey and I went to the side of the penguin exhibit because the front was way crowded with school kids and this gorgeous lady, named Rey, approached the window. Another penguin named Boulders, walked near the window searching for pebbles, he didn’t seem to notice us. He was too busy finding that perfect rock. When other penguins walked near her, Rey would walk away and pretend she wasn’t hanging out with us. When the penguins left, she came right back to the window. I would like to think that Rey posed for this picture.
The word “tentacles” may evoke thoughts of sushi or Cthulhu or maybe even kinky Japanese anime porn. I understand, the thought of those longs arms coming after you can be terrifying. For me, I find tentacled sea creatures very interesting in a totally non-creepy way.
“Tentacles” is Monterey Bay’s newest exhibit. The exhibit focuses on four tentacled sea creatures: the octopus, the cuttlefish, the squid and the nautilus. I had just finished Cuttlefish: Kings of Camouflage, a Nova documentary a few weeks earlier and couldn’t stop telling my friends fun facts on the baffling creature.The cuttlefish has luminescent skin that can change color, shape, texture and can light up like a show. The light show is used to hypnotize its victims, then attacks while the prey is awe-struck by the illusion. The flamboyant cuttlefish is a little guy that prefers to walk rather than swim and is not only beautiful, but is also considered poisonous. I was filled with joy to witness a flamboyant cuttlefish in person and pressed my face against its glass display like a child.
The exhibit featured displays of the cephalopods’ influence on art, history, and literature. These included excerpts from the works of H.P. Lovecraft, a painting of “Contessa with squid,” ninth century pottery decorated with octopi, and a clip from the 1955 science fiction/horror film, “It Came from Beneath the Sea.” Throughout the exhibit were steampunk/tentacles mash ups like the cuttlefish one featured below.
Another big exhibit is the Jellies Experience, a psychedelic-themed exhibit exploring all sorts of jellyfish. This was my second time going through the exhibit, but I enjoyed it just as much as the first time. There are some fun, interactive displays throughout the exhibit. The thing I admire most about jellyfish is that they appear majestic and very touchable, but those stringy tentacles are just luring you in to sting you.
While lunching in the cafe, Joey read that if we visit the Guest Services desk, we would receive a pin for our anniversary. We proudly wrote, “1st anniversary” on the pins and wore them for the rest of the day. People noticed and congratulated us on our anniversary. I felt special, like it was our honeymoon all over again. One year of marriage! Woot!
Rockfish were one of many fish varieties I tried for the first time on our honeymoon last year. It was exciting to see what they looked like before they were cooked and put on my plate. I particularly liked the description of the Kelp rockfish because they sound very similar to Joey.
After our visit to the aquarium, Joey and i took a stroll down Cannery Row. Does the name sound familiar? It probably takes you back to your high school days. Cannery Row is the name of a very popular John Steinbeck novel, written about this very street in Monterey.
In the morning, Cannery Row is a quiet place. A little after 10 a.m., stores were beginning to open, garage doors were going up, and there were very few people walking around. I could hear my footsteps as I walked down hill toward the aquarium. At 5 p.m., Cannery Row is bustling with people, mostly school kids and tourists. Monterey is a good place to explore and learn more about the author so imperative to the history of California’s central coast and valley.
We ended the day by dining at Bubba Gumps on Cannery Row, where I ordered and devoured the Shrimper’s Heaven. I promised all the prawns I saw at the aquarium that I would be eating their friends later, and I did.
Suggested Book: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck is an obvious and appropriate choice. I also highly recommend East of Eden. It is significantly longer, but worth the read!
Drink of choice: Hot drip coffee, 3 sugars, 3 creamers.
This is part three of a four part series on traveling to and around Monterey, CA.