I feel fortunate to live only an hour away from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It's a must see destination whenever a friend or relative visits us in Santa Cruz, and although I've been there at least ten times, I'm always ready to go again.

The aquarium has a very good web site, http://www.mbayaq.org/ , which has all the details about hours, ticket prices and exhibits. There's even a web cam with a view of the huge "kelp forest" tank updated every minute at http://www.mbayaq.org/efc/efc_hp/hp_kelp_cam.asp .

Unfortunately, the aquarium has become so popular that you need to plan carefully to avoid a crowd induced vacation breakdown. Here are a few tips:

When to Go

The best time to visit the aquarium is on a weekday outside of the summer tourist season. This will provide your best hope of seeing what you want to see without standing shoulder to shoulder with other visitors, and your best hope for actually being able to talk to the docents and experience the various hands-on exhibits. It's really fun to pick up a starfish or pet a ray, but not if you have to wait twenty minutes to do it.

Getting Your Tickets

The worst thing you can do is walk up to the ticket window to buy same day tickets because the line is often very long and entry is rationed when there are too many people inside. On a good day you'll be inside in ten minutes, but be prepared to wait two hours on a busy day.

A better way to get tickets is to order them online at the aquarium web site. You can do this up to one day in advance, but you should order as early as possible because the number of tickets made available for online sale is limited. It is also possible to buy tickets at many of the local hotels.

Regular adult tickets are about $16, so be sure to have any student, senior, or disabled IDs in order to take advantage of discounts.

Getting to the Aquarium

Cannery Row, the tourist area around the aquarium is very congested. This may seem silly, but I guarantee it will save you time and frustration: use the map provided on the aquarium web site to locate one of the two main parking garages, and plan a route that takes you directly to one of them but avoids the streets nearest Monterey Bay, which can be gridlocked. Know your route and do not follow the signs that take you to the heart of Cannery Row, which is best explored on foot.

What I Like to See

Both of the aquarium's large tanks, The Kelp Forest and the Outer Bay tank, are spectacular. Seeing a huge shark or sun fish up close is an experience you and your kids won't forget. Check the schedule and be sure to watch when a diver goes down to feed the critters.

I always stop to pet the rays, which takes a lot of patience because they are wary, and I also stop by the "tidepool petting area" to pick up a starfish, crab, or whatever is on display.

The sea otter display is another top attraction. You can watch these charming creatures from both a surface and an underwater vantage point.

The aquarium is a serious educational institution, and it doesn't gloss over anything. Maybe you've wondered where whales and dolphins, with their streamlined bodies, hide the equipment needed to conceive and feed their young. If you look carefully at the full sized models hanging from the ceiling, you'll be able to identify the sex of each by counting the barely visible genital and mammary grooves. Who knew?

What About Lunch?

The aquarium has its own restaurant and cafe, with prices that range from almost reasonable to unreasonable. On a busy day, the lines are impossibly long. Fortunately, there are scores of restaurants and snack shops within a few minutes' walk. But for me the best way to experience the aquarium and the Monterey Bay is to bring my own food and drink in a day pack and have a picnic on one of the aquarium's outdoor decks overlooking the bay.


Recommended: Yes