In late August, Rachael and I went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I hadn't been in nearly 10 years and there was a seahorse exhibit that was nearly over. I didn't know that there were so many kinds of seahorses. Our favorite one was the Leafy Seadragon. It honestly looked like kelp, especially when it had it's head pointing downward. Not to mention, it was large. I'd only ever seen small seahorses, but this guy was close to a foot long.
There was a baby Loggerhead Turtle. We didn't realize until seeing this guy that the displays have two-way glass. When the various creatures are looking at you, they are really looking at their own reflection.
The aquarium does a fair amount of rescue and rehabilitation. In the aviary, there are a number of birds with broken winds or hurt legs. Birds that can be released eventually are. We learned from one of the workers that most of the birds here no longer can fly, but it's because they are fed so well that they are too fat to take flight.
Some of the displays can make you feel quite small. This is a school of anchovies. (I'm pretty sure these were the anchovies.)
And it is amazing how close you can get to some of the different creatures. This guy is a Leopard Shark. He kept circling the tank. I'd never seen a shark with eyes like his.
But my favorite thing to look at is the jellyfish display. It always has, and it probably always will be. I took a gazillion pictures, but I'll not overwhelm you guys with them all.
My favorite David Attenborough documentary is the The Blue Planet: The Deep. I'm pretty sure this guy shows up in it. (I think it is a ctenophore.) It doesn't actually shine light. It has cilia that reflects light.
Near the display was a set of lamps that were made to look like moon jellyfish. When I showed Mum this picture, she thought they were really jellyfish. I wish I could have a lamp like this in my room.
Especially because Moon Jellyfish are my personal favorite jellyfish.
7 comments :
This is really cool! How amazing is the leafy seadragon?
The leopard shark's eyes are amazing. I couldn't stop looking at them.
What a fun day.
Seahorses and jellyfish are so cool.
I want one of those lamps too!
I love aquariums. I'm not a super fan of the zoo, but an aquarium? I'm so there.
Wowwwww!! Very cool photos, and amazing displays!! I love going to aquariums too. Thanks so much for sharing. Those jelly fish lamps were great too!
Wow, those are some really neat jellyfish and that seahorse is amazing! Of course, your skill with the camera amazes me, as always.
Besides the otters, the jellyfish are my favorite! And I love them all - they are so beautiful - except when they are in the ocean that I want to be playing in!
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