I've heard a lot of great things about this aquarium, so as part of the trip to Carmel/Monterey, the aquarium was number 1 on my list of things-to-do.

First impression was that we were in for something special given the length of the line waiting to buy tickets. It was a Saturday so I suppose the line was to be expected, and it lasted for maybe 15 minutes.

The aquarium has a huge collection of jellyfish and some cute otters. The otters were really cute. They floated on the surface with eyes closed, occasionally scratching themselves until feeding time, at which time they're wide awake! They have been trained to perform simple tricks which was interesting to see as I didn't know otters could be trained. A section of the aquarium is directly connected to the Pacific Ocean, which makes it somewhat different from other aquariums I have been to, such as SeaWorld San Diego and Long Beach Aquarium.

There is also a collection of starfish which is interactive in that you can touch and feel them. You can also see seaside birds in an enclosed environments - the birds are used to humans so they were not shy at all and simply carried on with the business.

All in all, this is an interesting aquarium, and I'd recommend it if you like animals in general. You can easily spend at least 2 hours at a minimal.

Rated as one of the top aquariums in the world, Monterey Bay Aquarium delivers on its promise to "inspire conservation of oceans." No matter the age, when people visit the aquarium, their eyes fill with wonder and excitement. We have been back to the aquarium time and time again, each time we visit, there is always something new to experience.

A Few Star Exhibits:

Sea Otters - Even though these furry and lively animals do not do "tricks" as in Sea World, they are great fun to watch for kids and adults alike. They especially like to "show-off" by swimming right up next to the windows when they see children.

Giant Octopus - Have you ever seen a giant octopus up-close? Here is your opportunity at the aquarium. People surround this exhibit to capture pictures and look in awe at the amazing creature.

Outer Bay - I never realized how beautiful jellyfish are until this exhibit opened in 1996. They feature the largest collection of jellyfish in the United States. But not only do they show jellyfish, they also have a gorgeous 1 million gallon tank filled with sea turtles, sharks, tuna, and other outer bay creatures.

Splash Zone - For the kids, or the kid in all of us. This section of the aquarium is designed for the little ones to explore and interact with ocean creatures. The biggest hit for everyone-the penguins!

Ticket prices vary by age. Adult tickets are $24.95. Child, student, and disabled tickets are also available for purchase at different rates. For more information, please visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.

If you go to Monterey Bay, this is a must see!

"The Aquarium" as I like to call it is one of the bigggest aquariums on the west coast. I love this place and is one of the reasons that I continue to go back to Monterey as much as I do. Basically any marine/sea animal that is found along the California Coast you can find an exhibit for it here. It is a great place for the whole family to go to with enough simpleness to the exhibit that kids can learn but not to simple that it turns off adults. It also has plenty of interactive things to do there. It used to have a touch pool where you could play with the stingrays but that exhibit has been turned to an interactive playground for the kids. None the less it is still a great place to go to and spend a morning or afternoon there.

Best part i liked was the jellyfish exhibit. It uses alot of blacklighting so you can really details that come out on the jellies but it does leave the room a little dark. Some kids might find it a bit scary.

We love marine life and have been wanting to go forever. It was a lot of fun, but super crowded and there were a TON of kids. Our fault for not thinking that would be the case. But, there were a few really poorly behaved kids that made the experience less enjoyable. That said, the deep sea feeding (outer bay exhibit) was awesome, the otters were super cute, and the kelp forest feeding was cool too. We thought it would take a lot more time than it did. Plan for about 3 hours.

You cannot go to Monterey without going to the aquarium! It is a definite must. Even if you aren't traveling with kids, it's still a great place to visit.

It costs around 20 bucks, and you can spend a good 2 or 3 hours inside just looking at the wonderful marine life. Get a visitor's guide in the front so you can catch otter- or penguin-feeding time. (On a side note, in case you DO have kids, the Monterey Aquarium has the feedings on webcam. You can get the kids excited a few days earlier by showing them this!)

You can also rent out scuba gear and they will take you on a short snorkeling lesson. It was a bit pricey, though, so we passed and were able to enjoy ourselves just fine.

There are a few stations where you can actually touch a stingray or a starfish or an urchin!
This is a great place for kids, but aren't we all kids at heart? I'd definitely go again, and you should too!