Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the Bay Area's most beloved attractions. Located two hours south of San Francisco on the Monterey Peninula, the aquarium is housed in a huge facility with a vast number of sea-dwelling animals in residence.

Check out this popular Monterey attraction.

The Monterey Aquarium is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, whether you're a child or adult. There are literally thousands of different ocean animals to view, along with many hands-on exhibits that allow you to interact with the wildlife. Have you ever touched a manta ray or let a sea anemone attach its suckers to your finger? At the aquarium you'll have a chance to do all of this and more.

The aquarium website is a great place to see which new exhibits are on display and what events are taking place.

If you're interested in visiting the Monterey Aquarium but can't get to the area, you're in luck! The aquarium staff has set up a series of online attractions so that you can check out the goings-on of ocean life without leaving the comfort of your home.

• There are many educational podcasts you can listen to that explain many facets of marine life and biology. You can listen to these either on your computer or on an MP3 player.
• Do you want to watch a fishy feed frenzy? How about a movie on shark conservation? Then you should check out the aquarium's video library for hours of interesting information.
• If you're on Twitter, you can follow the aquarium for updates on events and other fun perks.
• To keep up with exhibits and news, check out the official aquarium blog.

If you eat seafood, you might be interested to know that the aquarium keeps a running list of what fish are safe to eat. Here you can print out a pocket guide or download an iPhone app that will help you to select sustainable kinds of fish to eat. Help keep both your body and the environment as healthy as possible!

It's always fun to watch sea life in its natural environment, and now you can actually see what's going on with the aquarium's wildlife from your computer. Kids in particular love the aquarium's web cams because it's like they can go to the beach whenever they want. Web cams start their live feeds at 7am and end at different times throughout the evening.

• Splash Cam keeps tabs on the penguin troop, which are always up to something entertaining.
• Do you love otters? Then check out Otter Cam to watch these furry critters play in their pool.
• Kelp Cam lets you watch a large tank full of fish as they go about their business. You might even be lucky enough to see a diver in the tank, feeding the fish or cleaning the glass.

You can touch a manta ray!

If you're interested in visiting the aquarium, there is a fee for entry. These fees help support the aquarium's staff and non-profit operations – it takes a lot of money to keep the exhibits beautiful and the facility in tip-top shape! The admission charges in 2009 were:

• Child admission (ages 3-12): $17.95
• Student admission (ages 13-17 or with college ID): $27.95
• Adult admission (ages 18-64 and not in college): $29.95
• Senior admission (65 years or older): $27.95

For help or to order by phone, please call (866) 963-9645 during business hours. If you are interested in aquarium coupons, they may be available.

Aquarium hours vary depending on the date, so be sure to check the aquarium's calendar. General hours are:

• Monday through Friday – 9:30am to 6pm
• Saturday and Sunday – 9:30am to 8pm

Parking near the aquarium can be difficult, so there are several parking garages for visitors. Directions and parking information is available online.

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