Exhibit Updates
January 31, 2012
We're Culturing Cuttlefish!
Love cuttlefish? Our husbandry staff has cultured several generations of pharaoh cuttlefish behind the scenes, and you can often see them in our Splash Zone exhibit. Sign up for our text alerts when here and watch a lively feeding session!
January 19, 2012
Leopard Sharks
Did you know that leopard sharks sink unless they’re swimming? Fortunately, being close to the bottom is a good thing, since these sharks like to graze the seafloor for crabs, clam siphons, fish eggs, and the burrowing, hot-dog-shaped fat innkeeper worm.
November 18, 2011
Remember Kit—our rescued sea otter pup? She's back on exhibit and she's not so little anymore. Turning two in January, Kit is now fully grown and one of our largest adult females! As we'd hoped, she's been behind the scenes serving as a companion to other young rescued sea otters awaiting release as part of our Sea Otter Research and Conservation program.
November 02, 2011
We are deeply saddened to announce the death of the young great white shark released nine days ago off the coast of southern California. The 4-foot, 10 inch, 52-pound shark, was transported south to Goleta (Santa Barbara County) by the Aquarium's animal care staff on October 25 and released that afternoon. He appeared to be doing well before the release team lost sight of him as he swam away. According to data from an electronic tracking tag, he died soon afterward.
"This is a very difficult day for all of us, and for everyone who saw and cared about this animal," said Jon Hoech, the Aquarium's director of husbandry. "Based on the shark's behavior and condition prior to release, we had every confidence that he'd do well back in the wild. Unfortunately, that's not how things turned out. We're surprised and saddened by the outcome.”
August 09, 2011
The giant keyhole limpet is no ordinary snail. Its body can grow to be almost 10 inches long. You can see a four-inch example in our Kelp Forest Touch Pool in the Splash Zone.
July 06, 2011
New Otter Pup Featured on Our Tumblr Blog
The youngest and smallest sea otter pup ever to go on exhibit at the Aquarium made her debut June 28. Pup 540 was found washed up on a Cayucos beach in California on April 28, and is now paired with a surrogate, Joy. You can find videos, images and the story of 540 on our new Tumblr blog.
July 04, 2011
Our Open Sea exhibit opened July 2, after being under construction for almost a year. Learn how we made this million-gallon exhibit a better environment for our animals and a better experience for you.
Exhibit: Open Sea
June 21, 2011
We have a new exhibit highlighting the California spiny lobster and moray eel in the Splash Zone. It includes 20-plus lobsters, eight eels and 300 red rock shrimp, also known as California cleaner shrimp!
June 21, 2011
How many aquarists does it take to move a green sea turtle? Our two largest turtles were moved to the Animal Research and Care Center during the renovation of our Open Sea exhibit (formerly the Outer Bay). In this slide show, you can see them being moved back into their newly refurbished home, which opens July 2.
Exhibit: Open Sea
June 20, 2011
Our first snowy plover chicks of the season hatched behind the scenes. Each year plovers in distress and abandoned eggs are brought to the Aquarium, one of the main rehabilitation sites for shorebirds in northern California. Our goal is to release these chicks to the wild!
June 09, 2011
Our two male African blackfooted penguin chicks—the first ever born at the Aquarium—are back on exhibit in the Splash Zone. Pebble and Tola, born earlier this year, were moved behind the scenes until they learned how to swim and get comfortable with people.
May 23, 2011
Our Animal Research and Care Center may be understated on the outside, but it's bustling with activity inside, with hammerhead sharks, green sea turtles, giant tunas and other animals. While the building isn't open to the public, it's playing a critical role in housing some of the animals you'll see our Open Sea galleries this July.
May 23, 2011
For the first time ever at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of our weedy sea dragons is carrying eggs. In late April, aquarists saw the animals performing a courtship dance. When they came in the morning of April 27, the male was carrying about 30 eggs.
Exhibit: The Secret Lives of Seahorses
May 23, 2011
What can you learn from a sea otter’s whisker? Oceans of information, according to a new research project. By testing just a few whiskers for their chemical makeup, scientists can learn about sea otter diets and the productivity of the waters they live in.
January 31, 2011
Our first-ever African blackfooted penguin chick, hatched in the Splash Zone exhibit on January 8, has been transferred behind the scenes. Staff will now hand-raise the chick, whose sex remains unknown, for the next two months before slowly re-introducing the chick back to its "Splash Zone" exhibit.
January 20, 2011
Our common murres are anything but common. These birds are often mistaken for penguins as they “fly” fearlessly underwater past fishes that are five times their size. We recently added seven new murres to our Monterey Habitats exhibit.
November 26, 2010
Just as human divers have problems when they come up from the deep, rockfish that are caught and brought to the surface can suffer pressure-related ailments. Fortunately, the Aquarium has developed innovative ways to ensure the health of rockfish destined for our exhibits.
November 18, 2010
A Diver's Dream Job
What's it like to work in husbandry at the Monterey Bay Aquarium? For diving enthusiast Brianne Fitzgerald, it's the culmination of a dream. She gets to dive—and call it work—almost every week.
October 26, 2010
We recently released two healthy sevengill sharks into Monterey Bay. Within weeks, they were replaced by two more sevengills, collected near San Francisco—one measuring almost eight feet.This rotation of sevengills through our Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit is great for shark fans—and shark conservation.
September 23, 2010
For the first time ever, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is displaying shortsnout seahorses. Seventeen of these tiny seahorses (up to three inches) were added to the Secret Lives of Seahorses special exhibition.
Exhibit: The Secret Lives of Seahorses
September 22, 2010
Imagine if the first task of your day was to feed shrimp to an octopus, unload a truckload of live sardines, or don a wetsuit and swim with sharks. Welcome to the workaday world of our aquarists, whose lives are as varied as the bay itself.
July 23, 2010
For the second time ever, a rescued sea otter pup has gone on exhibit. The female otter, currently known as “502,” is 16 weeks old and weighs just over 17 pounds. She was found stranded on Morro Strand State Beach June 30, and visitors can see her playing and learning from her companion, 12-year-old Joy.
June 30, 2010
The Aquarium recently acquired 10 juvenile green sea turtles, five of which are now happily settled in our special exhibition, Hot Pink Flamingos: Stories of Hope in a Changing Sea. The turtles were part of a “clutch” of 82 born at SeaWorld San Diego in October 2009.
Exhibit: Hot Pink Flamingos
June 16, 2010
Sharks, tunas and sturgeon may be some of the Aquarium’s favorite fishes, but for many, the humble sardine holds a special fascination. Ever wonder where our 20,000 sardines all come from?
May 18, 2010
What does it take to grow the stunning spotted jellyfish in our Hot Pink Flamingos special exhibition? About four months of constant care and vigilance, that’s what. Behind the scenes, Aquarist Tommy Knowles works painstakingly to grow the jellies you see on display.
Exhibit: Hot Pink Flamingos
May 06, 2010
Last November we released a great white shark that had been with us for more than two months. That shark, and more than 180 others that have been tagged in the Aquarium’s White Shark Program, have provided invaluable information on where white sharks are traveling and how we might better protect them.
April 27, 2010
In mid April Karl Mayer, animal care coordinator for the Aquarium’s Sea Otter and Research and Conservation organization (SORAC), discovered two very special pups in Elkhorn Slough. Both had been born to otters that had been reared behind the scenes at the Aquarium.
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
April 01, 2010
Kit Goes to Summer Camp
Kit, the youngest sea otter ever to go on exhibit at the Aquarium, was moved behind the scenes April 5 with her nine-year-old companion, Mae. There, Kit will be able to interact with other otters and learn new skills. In their place you'll see Toola, who is 12-13 years old; and Joy, who is 11. And don’t worry: Kit will be back—a little bigger perhaps, but as rambunctious as ever, and hopefully with a few more skills in her repertoire!
March 31, 2010
Our new special exhibition, Hot Pink Flamingos: Stories of Hope in a Changing Sea, is now open. With disarming humor, a hopeful tone and compelling animals, the Aquarium is trying to jump-start a conversation about climate change.
Exhibit: Hot Pink Flamingos
November 27, 2009
Keen-eyed visitors may have noticed some new inhabitants waddling around the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Splash Zone penguin exhibit. Four female African blackfooted penguins—three juveniles and one adult—recently arrived from the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore.
November 10, 2009
Since opening on April 6, The Secret Lives of Seahorses special exhibition has become one of the most popular in the history of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It’s also been a labor of love for the Aquarium’s husbandry staff.
Exhibit: The Secret Lives of Seahorses
November 04, 2009
A young female white shark on exhibit since August 26 was tagged and returned to the wild shortly after sunrise November 4. It marks the fifth time that the Aquarium has exhibited a white shark and returned it to the wild. The shark was healthy and feeding at the time of release, and an electronic data tag will track its movements.
October 23, 2009
Just hours after closing the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s popular “Wild About Otters” special exhibition, workers erect temporary walls and a flurry of activity descends. Where visitors once stood, now there’s only dust, piles of debris and a steady stream of Aquarium staff packing boxes and pushing hand trucks. What happens when an exhibit ends? Where do all the animals, plants and props go?
Exhibit: Wild About Otters
October 17, 2009
Just two days after being released into Elkhorn Slough, otter 451 is struggling. Confused and hungry, he starts pacing back and forth in narrow channels, looking for food. At one point, he tries to hike overland to get to another part of the Slough.
August 25, 2009
The Ocean Research & Conservation Association Eye-in-the-Sea deep-sea web cam is providing remarkable live footage from the depths of Monterey Bay, including a gaggle of hagfish feeding on a harbor seal carcass. ORCA is working with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to help solve the mysteries of this dark, cold and complex world.
July 27, 2009
Aquarist Ann Greening gets ready to place a plastic “target” in the water to summon the pelagic rays over for their daily feeding, but it’s not really necessary. They heard her come in, and they’re already flopping about in front of her in anticipation of today’s mixture of squid, fish and shrimp.
July 13, 2009
In late June, Monterey Bay Aquarium staff were on a routine collecting trip off of San Francisco. It hadn’t been a particularly successful day, but that was about to change. “We were just about to pack it up and head back to the harbor,” said Senior Aquarist Kevin Lewand. But just then, Senior Collector Joe Welsh brought in a 7-foot, 5-inch, 113-pound male sevengill shark. It’s now thriving and on display in the Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit.
July 02, 2009
Three cowcod rockfish recently went on display at the Monterey Bay Aquarium—the first time these rare and beautiful fish have been exhibited in any public aquarium. There are close to 100 rockfish species worldwide, but the cowcod (Sebastes levis) is one of the largest.
June 18, 2009
Dua, one of four Asian small-clawed otters at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, has learned to play the piano as a behind-the-scenes "enrichment." Our husbandry staff created this activity to give Dua something interesting to do, extend his feeding time and make use of his incredible dexterity—a trait he shares with others of his species.
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
June 16, 2009
Each year from March through September, tiny snowy plover chicks appear on beaches along California’s coast, looking like balls of fluff with two stick legs. “We call them cotton balls on Q-tips,” says Monterey Bay Aviculturist Donielle York. “They’re adorable.” These small shorebirds are also in trouble.
June 09, 2009
While seahorses get star billing in our new special exhibition, “The Secret Lives of Seahorses,” they share the stage with many other animals—including everything from sea slugs to sea moths, firefish to zebra gobies. Here are some exhibit animals you're likely to see this summer.
Exhibit: The Secret Lives of Seahorses
June 04, 2009
Just when you think you’ve seen all the charismatic animals in the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Kelp Forest exhibit, a lumbering giant catches your eye. It’s the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas), a fish that can reach 500 pounds but is so gentle it likes to have its chin scratched by divers.
May 19, 2009
When you’re part of the husbandry staff at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you never know what you’ll discover when you come to work in the morning. On May 14, Senior Aquarist Veronica Franklin found that the number of Asian vine snakes in the Wild About Otters exhibit had nearly doubled overnight.
Exhibit: Not on Exhibit
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April 27, 2009
There’s a bit of a slugfest taking place in the new Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit, but it’s not what you think. The Pacific seahorses are sharing their exhibit with the enigmatic sea hare and the brightly colored navanax.
Exhibit: The Secret Lives of Seahorses
April 16, 2009
Birds in the Sandy Shore/Aviary exhibit of the Monterey Bay Aquarium are celebrating spring. The ruddy duck, red phalarope and other shorebirds are all showing their enthusiasm for the season with bright breeding plumage.
April 06, 2009
No sooner had Monterey Bay Aquarium aquarist Todd Love placed two spectacular Puget Sound king crabs on exhibit than it seemed they were multiplying. Or were they? In fact, the two crabs had molted, shedding their brilliant orange-and-red “exoskeletons” to grow new ones that provide growing room.
March 26, 2009
Recently, the Monterey Bay Aquarium's giant octopus exhibit has been looking a little like a preschool play session. Several days a week, aquarist Adam Frantz has been challenging the two, 11-pound octopuses with balls, jars with hidden treats inside, and plastic mazes. It’s all part of the Aquarium’s “enrichment program” for these inquisitive and intelligent animals.
March 18, 2009
Monterey Bay Aquarium member Tom Powers was enjoying a beautiful day of freediving off the coast of Ventura, California, when he came across “the largest lobster I’ve ever seen”—weighing an astounding 11 pounds. He wrestled the California spiny lobster out of its cave—losing a few inches of his Kevlar glove in the process—and took it home, intending to give it pride of place on his dinner table....
March 06, 2009
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is breaking records with animal healthcare. Two special shorebirds that have lived at the Aquarium since the mid 1980s are the oldest individuals of their species at any U.S. zoo or aquarium....
February 23, 2009
The white sturgeon, ponderous and primeval-looking, is one of the most popular animals in the Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit. And no wonder. Sturgeon are the largest freshwater fish in North America....
February 05, 2009
Take a close look at the shark case on exhibit in the Enchanted Kelp Forest Touch Pool, and you'll see a wriggling swell shark inside its leathery case. While most sharks bear live young, the swell shark packages its offspring in tough cases and abandons them at sea. (Other egg-laying sharks include the horn shark and cat shark.) Nourished by a yolk, also contained in the egg case, the embryo may take up to a year to hatch, depending on water temperature.
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January 29, 2009
It may be the dead of winter, but for the Aquarium's giant octopus and cuttlefish, it feels a little like spring. Both laid eggs in January, which are plainly visible to Aquarium visitors.
November 20, 2008
Calling All Jellyfish Fans—Moon Jellies are Back
You can now see moon jellies—of Jellies: Living Art fame—in the Outer Bay exhibit. Some of these luminous jellies are so big and full, you’d think you’re looking at the moon in the sky, while others have bells no bigger than bottle caps. These mesmerizing orbs pulse through the water with energy and grace.
Did you know moon jellies once journeyed into space? In 1991, 2,500 juvenile moon jellies hitched a ride into orbit aboard the space shuttle Columbia, as part of a study on effects of weightlessness. Next time you visit, be sure to check out these moonlike space travelers.
November 06, 2008
The data tag fitted on the young white shark we released from the Outer Bay exhibit in early September popped free and has reported in ahead of schedule. Data recorded on the tag, which we recovered at the Channel Islands near Santa Barbara, shows that the shark remained near the Channel Islands and was doing well in the wild.
September 12, 2008
The young white shark returned to the wild on Sunday, Sept. 7 was caught and released in the Santa Barbara Channel early Thursday (Sept. 11) by a commercial fisherman working. From the description the fisherman gave us, she's in excellent condition and appears to have recently fed. Still, her being caught 4 days after being release is a reminder of the threats sharks face in the ocean.
September 07, 2008
The young white shark brought to the Monterey Bay Aquarium on August 27 was tagged and released on September 7. While she was swimming well in the million-gallon Outer Bay exhibit, the shark fed only one time during her stay, and the Aquarium’s animal care staff decided it was best to return her to the ocean.
August 06, 2008
As Small as It Gets: Juvenile Lumpsuckers
Several juvenile Pacific spiny lumpsuckers that recently arrived from the Vancouver Aquarium in Canada are now on exhibit. At three months, the lumpsuckers are only about a third of an inch long or the size of a bean. However, they're complete with fins and the suction cups on their bellies this species is known for. Check out the mini-lumpsuckers hanging out on kelp fronds near the touch pool in the Enchanted Kelp Forest gallery.
July 17, 2008
Combine an eel with a sucker fish and throw in a little superhero spunk and you’ve got a leaping blenny. These small (maximum four inches long), blue-grey fish navigate the rocky intertidal zones of their Indo-Pacific habitats in two ways—swimming in the water and leaping between rocks. They can even breathe air when out of water. It’s rare to see these fish on exhibit in the Western World, so stop by and check them out the next time you visit the Splash Zone exhibit.
July 03, 2008
A Juvenile Wolf-eel on the Move
A juvenile wolf-eel was recently moved from Splash Zone to the Deep Reef gallery and is now happily hanging out in the left side of the wolf-eel exhibit. During the past year and a half, this little eel has grown from 4 inches in length to 24 inches and it’s still got some growing to do. An adult wolf-eel can measure 80 inches and weigh up to 41 pounds. Some divers claim that these fierce-faced fish can bite a broomstick in half, but in reality, wolf-eels are not dangerous unless provoked.
June 12, 2008
Now-Sept. 14 (Sun.)
The popular, award-winning special exhibition Jellies: Living Art is closing on September 14. During its six-year run, the exhibition has dazzled millions of visitors with a unique blend of stunning jellies and the artwork they inspired. Don’t miss this last chance to immerse yourself in the world of jellies.
May 22, 2008
Healthy and Growing—Our New Ocean Sunfish
The newest resident of the Outer Bay exhibit, an ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is settling in well. When it arrived at the Aquarium in January, it weighed only 55 pounds (25 kilograms), a lightweight for a species that can grow up to 5,000 pounds. It’s now estimated to weigh about 85 pounds (38 kilograms). Most afternoons you can see the sunfish basking on the surface of the exhibit, eating squids and white fish that our aquarists have prepared for it.
April 18, 2008
New Stars of Splash Zone: Pacific Spiny Lumpsuckers
Lumpsuckers are tiny animals, often described as “ping-pong balls with fins.” A giant lumpsucker can be five inches long, but most are closer to one inch. They are slow, inefficient swimmers, but they’re very good at attaching themselves to solid objects like rocks or kelp, thanks to a suction cup-like disk on their bellies. Come see our quartet of these cool creatures in the Enchanted Kelp Forest gallery.
April 10, 2008
Common Murres in Splash Zone
With their white bellies and dark backs, common murres look a lot like penguins. They swim like penguins too—“flying” under water with their short wings. But these amazing birds aren’t even related to penguins! They're pelagic seabirds that spend most of the year at sea. They live in the northern hemisphere, including the Monterey Bay. The next time you visit, be sure to check out the murres in their new Splash Zone home.
March 17, 2008
Welcome back blackfooted penguins and other favorite animals, such as cuttlefish, clownfish, seahorses and sea dragons. Discover a place where families can explore the ocean together.
February 05, 2008
For the third time, we’ve said farewell to a young white shark after it spent a few months with us on exhibit. The male shark was released in Monterey Bay on February 5, 162 days after he was placed in our Outer Bay exhibit. He’s carrying tracking tags that will report back with detailed information about his travels.
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