> NOW PLAYING: Monterey Bay Aquarium Krill Waves Radio
i live within driving distance of the aquarium over in monterey, and every so often i get the chance to go visit. normally, i go there with a friend of mine, or with my mom, but today i went with just the company of my sketchbook.
there's a flow to ducking in and out of the exhibits. typically, i start with the open sea on the second floor-- where the large schools of mackerel and what i believe are sardines live, as well as a variety of jellyfish and other invertebrates, and finally, the largest tank in the aquarium, with more sardines, bluefin tuna, dolphinfish, and more. they currently have one hammerhead shark in the aquarium.
my favourite fish in the aquarium is either the pacific mackerel or the rainbow trout/steelhead. i just generally really like trout, i think they're great, but when it comes to the mackerel....
there's just something weirdly comforting about them, i guess? i don't know if comforting's the right word. their vacant stares and general seemingly purposelessness are alluring to me. it's entrancing to watch them swim in the same direction, over and over, with no end in sight. the viewport for these guys is like, 5 by 3 feet, if i had to guess? the purple striped jellies are directly next to them, too. i have no clue where they come from or where they're headed, and neither does anyone else! (other than the aquarium employees, i guess.)
the last section of the open sea is this huge tank with a bunch of different fish in it. i was actually kind of lucky this time, i got to see two feedings-- here, and at the kelp forest later on. i didn't even plan on it. just ended up at the right place at the right time.
dolphinfish are very fucking fantastic. they kind of look like the bay area rapid transit. yellowfin tuna are the most shaped fish ever. and i am such a huge sucker for sharks, so the scalloped hammerhead was my favourite there.
just below the open sea is the deep sea exhibit. they've got even more jellies here, but i honestly didn't stick around long for them. there's a big sort-of-room with a huge screen that shows different bioluminescent creatures floating around, and if you sit in the corner you're impossible to see. just you, the deep-sea lights, and the other aquarium visitors who may or may not be blocking your view. they play some ambient music too.
around the middle of the deep sea is the whalefall room. there's huge spider crabs that i didn't end up sketching, since i really wanted to hone in on the whale skeleton.
(speaking of whalefalls, check out this video.)
the exhibit ends with deep sea isopods, which you can actually touch! the water is cold as hell. it spits you out by the seabirds, and then you can go back upstairs to either cross over to the kelp forest or go back down to the main lobby.
monterey bay aquarium accommodates roughly two million visitors a year. cannery row, where it's located, used to be home to a sardine cannery. i'd guess that it's probably one of the more famous aquariums in the world, and for good reason! it's got a huge diversity of species, interactive daily 'shows', and it's probably very well-funded.
the kelp forest is one of their most notable exhibits, and it's my favourite one. it's mostly because that's where the leopard sharks are. they've got three rows of benches in front of it. before i'd even started applying to colleges, i wanted to go to college in monterey so i could study in front of the kelp forest. it'd be good for me, i think. unfortunately CSU monterey has the literal most boring campus ever, and i didn't end up applying there. there's a sliver of a chance that i'll end up in santa cruz, but i most likely won't... it's a nice thought, though.
the drive to santa cruz is a pain in the ass, anyways.
