Regular Hours
10 a.m.–6 p.m. Daily
Closed Dec. 25
Summer (May 26–Sept. 1)
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
Summer Weekends
(July 5–Sept. 1) Sat. & Sun.
9:30 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Holidays
9:30 a.m.–6 p.m.
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Exhibit Updates
December 18, 2008
Spotted Comb Jellies in the Drifters Gallery
Spotted comb jellies drift along ocean currents, but they also swim on their own. They’re actually expert rowers; they beat “combs” or rows of tiny hair like oars to move through the water. As they swim, these combs diffract light and shimmer in beautiful rainbow colors.
These breathtaking jellies made their world debut at the Aquarium in 2002, and are now on exhibit in the Drifters gallery in the Outer Bay exhibit.
November 20, 2008
Calling All Jellyfish Fans—Moon Jellies are Back
You can now see moon jellies—of Jellies: Living Art fame—in the Outer Bay exhibit. Some of these luminous jellies are so big and full, you’d think you’re looking at the moon in the sky, while others have bells no bigger than bottle caps. These mesmerizing orbs pulse through the water with energy and grace.
Did you know moon jellies once journeyed into space? In 1991, 2,500 juvenile moon jellies hitched a ride into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia, as part of a study on effects of weightlessness. Next time you visit, be sure to check out these moonlike space travelers.
November 06, 2008
The data tag fitted on the young white shark we released from the Outer Bay exhibit in early September popped free and has reported in ahead of schedule. Data recorded on the tag, which we recovered at the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara, shows that the shark remained near the Channel Islands and was doing well in the wild.
September 12, 2008
The young white shark returned to the wild on Sunday, Sept. 7 was caught and released in the Santa Barbara Channel early Thursday (Sept. 11) by a commercial fisherman working. From the description the fisherman gave us, she's in excellent condition and appears to have recently fed. Still, her being caught 4 days after being release is a reminder of the threats sharks face in the ocean.
September 07, 2008
The young white shark brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on August 27 was tagged and released on September 7. While she was swimming well in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, the shark fed only one time during her stay, and the Aquarium’s animal care staff decided it was best to return her to the ocean.
September 02, 2008
“Ziwa,” our newest African spotted-necked otter pup, was born behind-the-scenes in June and is now on exhibit. The 12-week-old female is the fourth freshwater otter pup born at the Aquarium. Her name is the Swahili word for “lake” or “pond,” the natural habitat of her species. Come see her at her new home in Wild About Otters next time you visit.
August 06, 2008
As Small as It Gets: Juvenile Lumpsuckers
Several juvenile Pacific spiny lumpsuckers that recently arrived from the Vancouver Aquarium in Canada are now on exhibit. At three months, the lumpsuckers are only about a third of an inch long or the size of a bean. However, they're complete with fins and the suction cups on their bellies this species is known for. Check out the mini-lumpsuckers hanging out on kelp fronds near the touch pool in the Enchanted Kelp Forest gallery.
July 17, 2008
Combine an eel with a sucker fish and throw in a little superhero spunk and you’ve got a leaping blenny. These small (maximum four inches long), blue-grey fish navigate the rocky intertidal zones of their Indo-Pacific habitats in two ways—swimming in the water and leaping between rocks. They can even breathe air when out of water. It’s rare to see these fish on exhibit in the Western World, so stop by and check them out the next time you visit the Splash Zone exhibit.
July 03, 2008
A Juvenile Wolf-eel on the Move
A juvenile wolf-eel was recently moved from Splash Zone to the Deep Reef gallery and is now happily hanging out in the left side of the wolf-eel exhibit. During the past year and a half, this little eel has grown from 4 inches in length to 24 inches and it’s still got some growing to do. An adult wolf-eel can measure 80 inches and weigh up to 41 pounds. Some divers claim that these fierce-faced fish can bite a broomstick in half, but in reality, wolf-eels are not dangerous unless provoked.
Exhibit: Monterey Bay Habitats
June 12, 2008
Now-Sept. 14 (Sun.)
The popular, award-winning special exhibition Jellies: Living Art is closing on September 14. During its six-year run, the exhibition has dazzled millions of visitors with a unique blend of stunning jellies and the artwork they inspired. Don’t miss this last chance to immerse yourself in the world of jellies.
May 22, 2008
Healthy and Growing—Our New Ocean Sunfish
The newest resident of the Outer Bay exhibit, an ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is settling in well. When it arrived at the Aquarium in January, it weighed only 55 pounds (25 kilograms), a lightweight for a species that can grow up to 5,000 pounds. It’s now estimated to weigh about 85 pounds (38 kilograms). Most afternoons you can see the sunfish basking on the surface of the exhibit, eating squids and white fish that our aquarists have prepared for it.
April 18, 2008
New Stars of Splash Zone: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers
Lumpsuckers are tiny animals, often described as “ping-pong balls with fins.” A giant lumpsucker can be five inches long, but most are closer to one inch. They are slow, inefficient swimmers, but they’re very good at attaching themselves to solid objects like rocks or kelp, thanks to a suction cup-like disk on their bellies. Come see our quartet of these cool creatures in the Enchanted Kelp Forest gallery.
April 10, 2008
Common Murres in Splash Zone
With their white bellies and dark backs, common murres look a lot like penguins. They swim like penguins too—“flying” under water with their short wings. But these amazing birds aren’t even related to penguins! They're pelagic seabirds that spend most of the year at sea. They live in the northern hemisphere, including the Monterey Bay. The next time you visit, be sure to check out the murres in their new Splash Zone home.
March 17, 2008
Welcome back blackfooted penguins and other favorite animals, such as cuttlefish, clownfish, seahorses and sea dragons. Discover a place where families can explore the ocean together.
February 05, 2008
For the third time, we’ve said farewell to a young white shark after it spent a few months with us on exhibit. The male shark was released in Monterey Bay on February 5, 162 days after he was placed in our Outer Bay exhibit. He’s carrying tracking tags that will report back with detailed information about his travels.
November 30, 2007
Meet Makana
Makana, our beautiful Laysan albatross, is making appearances daily at 11:15. You'll have a chance to see this amazing bird up-close, ask questions and learn about the global threats albatross face from plastics pollution. The location of this presentation varies, so please check with Information Desk when you arrive.
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Do fish sleep?
It appears that whales and dolphins sleep half the brain at a time,
often leaving just one eye open during these quiescent periods. For
animals that hunt at night, these periods may occur during the daytime,
and they are more like short "catnaps" than extended periods of deep
sleep. Some baleen whales have been observed motionless on the surface
for minutes at a time, and are probably catnapping.
Many species of fishes keep moving day and night throughout their lives.
This includes all tunas and billfishes, and many species of sharks.
These fishes likely do not need deep sleep, and although they may slow
down for periods of time, they remain sufficiently conscious to navigate
and respond to stimuli when necessary.
Do whales sleep?
Whales (and their cousins dolphins and porpoises) do sleep or rest, but differently from the way we humans sleep. They appear to rest at the surface, with a slow, rhythmic bobbing action that is called "logging" (they may resemble a floating log in the water). Since whales and dolphins are conscious breathers (we humans breathe involuntarily-whales have to decide when to take each breath), they have to be awake to breathe.
Researchers have been able to record brain activity in captive dolphins and have noticed that when the animals rest, half their brain "sleeps" while the other half stays active. In this way they can still breathe and also stay alert for danger and quickly respond if necessary. So we think that whales and dolphins rest their muscles by floating at the surface and rest their brains one half at a time.
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