Fish!

A longish drive ahead of us, we head off to Monterey Aquarium. I'm not sure why fish are so fascinating, but I would argue that an aquarium is better than a zoo. Maybe it's because I've been to so many zoos that I've seen just about everything they have to offer.

In any case the Monterey Aquarium is fantastic. We spent a ridiculous amount of time touring the place. We saw penguins, sea otters, sting rays, sharks, octopuses, birds, and the only naturally grown kelp forest in the world.

The stars of the show for me were the jellyfish and the deep bay. The largest jellyfish exhibit in the world stretches almost the entire building. Every shape, size, and color are presented in an eerie phosphorus glow. Poor Dale Chihuly's art was outclassed by nature.

The deep bay was an awe inspiring experience. It was very simply a long glass window in a dark hallway. The window looked into a featureless expanse of deep blue water. Then a 6 foot sea turtle glides by followed by a school of tuna, each as large as I am. It's quite a humbling experience when faced with so many creatures larger and faster than you.