What's New

Evenings by the Bay

This summer join us for an evening by the bay! The Aquarium will stay open until 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday from July 5 through August 31. In addition to all your favorite exhibits, enjoy dinner with an ocean view in the Portola Restaurant, and live music featuring outstanding student musicians from the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Jazz Education Program.

Come Sail with Us

Become a marine scientist for a day and work alongside Aquarium guides, or enjoy a spectacular sunset sail with wine and cheese. You’ll get a unique view of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary aboard the Derek M Baylis, a 65-foot sailboat designed for ocean research.

New: Behind-the-Scenes Tours

Get an insider’s view of the Aquarium. Each 50-minute tour will give you a chance to interact with our staff, discover the hidden life of animals and learn about our ocean research. Cost is $10 per person plus admission.

Summer-Full of Fun: New Daily Activities

Summer fun starts at the Aquarium on June 14 with the new live musical Watt a Waste, and the return of the popular "acto" ¡Basta Basura!. We’ve got all your favorite feeding shows and activities as well.

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.

The Leaping Fish

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.

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.

Last Chance to See Jellies: Living Art

The popular, award-winning special exhibition Jellies: Living Art is closing on September 1. 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.

Newly Updated 2008 Pocket Guides

Our Seafood Watch pocket guides have been updated to include fish caught in the Great Lakes (the Central U.S. guide), as well as revised recommendations for marlin, sea scallops and Atlantic herring/sardines. Wild-caught salmon from CA and OR has been removed from the West Coast Seafood Guide because the fishery is closed for 2008. Learn more about the update.

Download a printable pocket guide or order pocket guides. You can also view pocket guides on your mobile device at mobile.seafoodwatch.org.

Discovering Ocean Secrets

See what it takes to tag bluefin tuna and the rarest of sea turtles, the Pacific leatherback, in an online video from the KQED Quest show featuring one of our partners, the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) program.

World Ocean Day Photo Contest Winner

From over 200 photo entries, the winner of our Ocean Action Team's second annual World Ocean Day Photo Contest is Becky Kelly with her photo of "Hawksbill in Cozumel, MX 2008." Thank you to everyone who participated in the contest.

Satellite Tag Pops Off

We recently recovered one of two electronic tags attached to our third white shark. The tag detached on June 12, nearly three weeks earlier than programmed. A first glance at the data shows the shark swam south straight and fast, averaging 40 miles a day. Researchers will learn more about the shark’s journey as they analyze the data in the weeks to come.

Seafood Watch in the News

In early June, Seafood Watch was featured in a national NBC news story about sustainable seafood on the Nightly News. The story focused on overfishing and what people can do to make a difference. You can watch an archived version of the story online.

Online Gift & Bookstore Catalog

The Aquarium's online Gift & Bookstore catalog offers a selection of special items relating to the Aquarium's exhibits and history, as well as the Monterey Bay area. Items featured in the catalog are available for purchase by phone.