l'acquario di Monterey / the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Sea nettles

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Another week, another edition of the Friday Favorite Linky Party launched by Sandi of Whistlestop Cafe Cooking.

Ever since I moved to California, the area around Monterey and Carmel has held a special place in my heart. The Carmel Mission (dedicated to San Carlos Borromeo) is very nice, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a jewel, the coast is beautiful. And then, there is the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of our favorite destinations any time of the year.

The last time we were there, we saw two special exhibits, Wild About Otters and The Secret Lives of Seahorses, and we also visited the permanent exhibits. This was the first time I used my new camera, so the photographs are not special. The Aquarium, on the other hand, is a very special place and we are always excited when we visit it. If we drive there for the day, we park in Pacific Grove, drink a cappuccino there, and then walk on the trail along the coast that leads you to the Aquarium. Once inside, we lose track of time, especially when we look at our favorite creatures: jelly fish (meduse).

Seahorse in Italian is cavalluccio marino or ippocampo. A few interesting notes from the Aquarium web site:

Seahorses, sea dragons, pipehorses and pipefishes come in many shapes and sizes, but beneath the surface they’re all fish, with fused jaws and bony plates in place of the scales normally associated with fish.

Perhaps what most distinguishes seahorses from the rest of the animal kingdom is their unique life history—the males become pregnant and give birth. Seahorse fathers shelter their young in protective pouches, while sea dragon and pipefish fathers carry their young on spongy patches on the undersides of their tails.

Pacific seahorse

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Weedy sea dragon

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Leafy sea dragon (in my opinion, the most amazing member of the family)

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The Aquarium has some leafy sea dragons in their permanent exhibit, so this was not our first encounter with these amazing creatures. In the photo, two of them swim together. They are very elegant.

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Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post: 

l'acquario di Monterey

or launch the l'acquario di Monterey  audio file [mp3].

 

Comments

[Christine]

I think your photos are quite wonderful, Simona. Clay and I have got to get down to Monterey soon. I'm ashamed to say that we've never been to this wonderful aquarium.

[Simona Carini]

Thanks, Christine. I hope you and Mr CC get to visit it soon. It is a special place (a bit crowded on the weekend, as you can imagine). One year we also participated in one of the whale-watching trips they organize.

[Ivy]

Thanks for sharing these photos. I love visiting acquariums and this one must be very special. Have a wonderful weekend.

[Natasha]

Our whole family loves to visit aquariums (our favorite one is in Mooloolaba in Queensland) and my favorite creature is definitely the seahorse. I agree with you that the leafy sea dragon is spectacular!

Best wishes for a lovely weekend,
Natasha

[Laura]

Simona, I used to live near Palo Alto so I used to take the kids to the aquarium often. I love it, I can never get tired of it. I also love the amazing job they do protecting the sea otters habitat and their rehabilitation program. Your photos are great, can't wait to see more!

[Paz]

What a fun place. I like to say the word, "ippocampo." I will say it all day today. .-)

[Simona Carini]

You are welcome, Ivy. Same to you.

Thanks for visiting, Natasha. Same to you.

Ciao Laura. It's an amazing organization. We also never get tired of visiting the Aquarium.

It is indeed a lovely word, Paz: it's of Greek origin. I also like it a lot.

[Lisa]

I went to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium once, years ago, and just loved it. What a wonderful place. I remember watching the otters (or was it sea lions? both?) on the rocks outside, as well, on a beautiful, sunny day.

I second Christine's comment that your photos are great! Thanks for the look and the trip down memory lane.

[Simona Carini]

You are welcome, Lisa. I am glad you enjoyed the post.

[Susan]

Wonderful post! I want to go! Love the sea and marine life. What a special place. Thanks for sharing, Simona. Congrats on your new camera. Your photos are better than you think. : )

[Simona Carini]

Thanks Susan. I am glad you like the photos. The aquarium is truly a special place, located in a very nice spot on the California coast.