Tuesday 10 March 2015

Down in Monterey….

 

Monterey began as a canning community where everyone in town were involved in the sardine industry.  A few of its original warehouses along Cannery Row have been converted to restaurants, shops, galleries and most notably, the aquarium.  Some old cannery buildings have been left to decay along the shore.  Seated beside the ocean at Schooner’s Restaurant, we watched sail boats, sea kayakers, dolphin and sea lions while we savoured a late afternoon, seafood lunch after our first day of discovery at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

P1000334

P1000652     P1000876      P1000664

P1000656

P1000655

P1000661

P1000851

P1000840

P1000843

Monterey is now a tourist destination featuring high-end hotels, shops and eateries.  The heritage of Cannery Row is celebrated throughout the town in banners, sidewalk tiles and sculptures.  Author John Steinbeck’s fame is honoured here for his book titled “Cannery Row” as well as his empathy for the rough and challenging lifestyle of the times.  Fisherman’s Wharf features a row of seafood restaurants each boasting the best chowder, candy stores and souvenir shops where every item features a fish, boat, shell or seal.  We both had cradled a bowl of warming chowder, one recommended by a local; as we strolled along the docks beside the grey and misty harbour.  The Marina is packed with fishing and sailing boats and the Old Monterey Fish Company remains busy with the daily catch selling to the restaurants and the general public.  The memory of the cultural happenin’ “Monterey International Pop Festival” in 1967, is only a faded memory in the old County Fairgrounds where it took place.  The concert marked the ‘Summer of Love” and represented California’s counterculture.  Check out some old footage on U-Tube or watch the DVD of the festival showing greats like The Who, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Ravi Shankar and Otis Redding.

P1000835

P1000331

P1000845P1000844

P1000332   P1000668   P1000669

P1000653

P1000836P1000837

P1000645     P1000846

P1000883

P1000874

P1000887

P1000849P1000857

P1000854

P1000871

P1000882

P1000861

A few years ago we watched an intriguing documentary on the construction of the Open Sea Exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The incredible viewing window constructed of 13 inch thick acrylic, holds back a million gallons of seawater.  The tremendous exhibits and leading edge conservation philosophies have made Monterey’s Aquarium a world renowned sight and a destination at the top of our list.  The Aquarium was built in a restored Sardine Factory and a fine display of photographs, machinery and memorabilia from the 1800’s, inform and honour the past.  The old boilers and machines used in the canning process give great insight into the canning industry.  We purchased a two-day pass and needed that time to effectively view all the displays.

P1000338            P1000343

P1000827

P1000339 

P1000341   P1000644

P1000342

P1000344P1000642

Our journey began at the Kelp Forest where twenty eight foot high kelp reach for the sunlight at the top of the tank.  It grows about four inches a day and requires a weekly trim.  The schools of Sardines were fascinating as they traversed the tank together, flashing their silver backs with the rhythm of a disco beat.  Around them swam Leopard Sharks, Sea Turtles, a crazy lumbering Garibaldi, who stopped at the window as if to peer out at us, some stocky Rock Fish, and a number of Cabazon who “hung” in the kelp leaves snoozing.  In a fifteen minute program, a diver entered the tank and was literally swarmed as he hand fed the masses of fish.  All the tanks are refreshed constantly with seawater from the Monterey Bay.  Later in the same area, an Albatross was on display with her keeper.  Injured, she will spend her days living at the aquarium and helping to educate the public about her amazing species.  Note that my photos do no justice to the displays or the creatures therein.  You must experience them in person!

P1000365

P1000363

    P1000361        P1000355

                                                                                                                                                            I can stare at you too!

P1000350

P1000356

P1000377    P1000369

P1000379

P1000345

                                                                                                                                                   just hangin’ out in the kelp forest

   P1000527          P1000548

P1000535

There are a numbers of smaller displays where a variety of urchins, coral, crabs, seaweeds, sand dollars, rays, seahorse and shellfish could be observed.  Throughout the Aquarium, there are experts who will answer questions or provide insight.  There are many touch pools where hands-on experiences are encouraged.  Enthusiastic school groups flocked to those areas taking more I-phone pictures than actually looking at things first hand.  Oh technology!  Do I sound like I am 99 years old?

P1000388

P1000624

     P1000416          P1000423

P1000414

P1000435

P1000625      P1000419

An exciting display format can be viewed in a number of areas at the Aquarium.  There are plexiglass cylinders that hold hundreds of Anchovies who swim together round and round as if in a centrifuge.  Their movements are mesmerizing and looking closely, you can see their mouths opening and closing regularly to take in the food particles.  In a large circular room, a huge aquarium panel follows the curve of the walls. Spectators stand in the middle and turn with the movement of the Anchovies revolving around the giant ring; a silver and blue spectacle.  In another display, glass walls allow viewing of Mackerel who swim together in one direction and the movement never ceases as if it is a film loop playing over and over.  Hand out the popcorn we could watch for hours!

P1000386

P1000387

P1000383

P1000710

P1000711

The highlight of our day were the two large Octopus.  Each cephalopod had its own space and they were both very active while we watched them unfurl their legs, twist upwards, apply and unstick their suckers from the glass and roll over with a gentle motion.  The lighting made them glow purple with orange highlights against the blue waters.  Both played with their “floaty toys”.  We were fascinated by them and learned, on our second day at the aquarium, that we were extremely lucky to have seen them in action as on our second day, they lay curled and motionless so that visitors were not even sure what they were viewing.

P1000390

P1000392

P1000393

P1000399

There are outdoor viewing decks of the ocean around the Aquarium where visitors can watch seabirds, experience the changing tide and view, dolphin, sea lions and otters.  They even provide binoculars for guests to borrow; what a brilliant idea!  Many exhibits show the negative impacts that humans have had on the oceans and sea life.  They promote awareness and provide many suggestions for people to help the environment.  A Seafood Watch consumer guide is available in pocket-size, listing best choices of fish to eat and those to avoid.  For information, go to seafoodwatch.org   Visitors can stand under a glass dome as a powerful wave crashes over top.  As you look up at the mass of water and hear its roar, you feel the excitement of the sea and respect its power.  Outside, the wave splashes into a pool where seabirds and aquarium guests get cooled with salty spray.

P1000451

P1000675

P1000579

P1000578

P1000614

Aquarium Day Two: Penguins, Sea Otters, Open Sea, Jellies and Tentacles!

P1000824

Our day began at the Sea Otter tank where two otters on land, played in their plastic tube and sorted ice cubes from a bucket.  The third one gave a close up swimming display and showed off its ability to float and rest easily on the water’s surface.  It even seemed to have “a moment” with the photographer giving me a few winks and knowing smiles though the glass.

       P1000682           P1000697

P1000688

P1000703

The Penguin display is wonderful as visitors can get very close to the birds.  The tuxedo-wearing fowl are natural born actors and call and pose constantly for the audience to enjoy.

P1000564         P1000557

P1000563            P1000598

P1000600

P1000584

We watched some Tufted Puffins and Murs swimming madly underwater in pursuit of fish before we entered the amazing Special Exhibit called “The Jellies Experience”.  It is one of two temporary exhibits and what a thrill it was!  The tanks glow with an ethereal turquoise and lit from above with fluorescent light, the jellies look magical.  Soft music sets the tone for the displays as folks watch many varieties of jellies float, seemingly free of gravity, gathering tiny food particles.  It is difficult to grasp the reality of their existence, thinking at times, that you are watching an animated film or a screen saver.  Their names are as interesting as their forms: Comb, Sea Nettle, Blubber, Egg Yolk, Mediterranean and Moon Jellies are a few.

P1000718

P1000721

P1000734             P1000728

P1000729

P1000732

P1000741

P1000740 P1000750 P1000745

Chris filmed this flashing jelly on his phone.

Flashing_Jelly

The Open Sea Exhibit was astounding!  Its window is 35’deep x 93’wide x 52.5’ high.  Visitors sit or stand in front of the massive body of water to watch Rays, Blue fin and Yellow fin Tuna, Bonito, Ocean Sunfish, Barracuda, Sea Turtles and Sharks including some bizarre looking Hammerheads and an amazing school of over 3000 Sardines.  Spectators wait to see what species will swim past next, at arms reach!  These are deep water fish so the lighting is appropriately low as it would be in their natural ocean habitat.  We watched the mighty creatures in awe for over half an hour from our bench in the gallery.  At feeding time, the room filled, the crowd was asked to sit on the floor and silence fell.  From above, krill and squid and small fish were poured into the tank and nature’s hierarchy took over with the larger species feeding first, then the huge school of sardines and last, the rays, turtles and smaller species came up from the bottom, what a spectacle!

P1000756

P1000794

P1000791

We ended our enriching visit to the Monterey Aquarium at the Special Exhibition “Tentacles”.   As well as the live creatures, mankind’s age old fascination and superstitions with sea creatures were represented.  Movies posters like the Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Minoan Pottery replicas, 18th Century Blown Glass and Victorian illustrations show human fear and fascination with the unusual “tentacled” entities. The tanks held a variety of Octopus, some tiny with long almost string-like tentacles, Squid, Cuddle Fish and the amazing Nautilus.

         P1000795           P1000800

P1000804

P1000801

      P1000796               P1000818

P1000810

Can’t get to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for awhile? Watch Open Sea webcam on your computer!

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.