Touch tanks at Monterey Bay Aquarium?

[Feistygirl916]

I am looking for sting rays, but other touch tanks would be great too! TIA!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

The Monterey Aquarium has touch tanks for urchins, sea stars, sea cucumbers, etc. There were no touch tanks for sting rays. The Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach had a touch tank to touch the sting rays.

 

[briggscreek]

It's been several years since I've been there but they always had a large sting ray touch tank.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I don't remember it. I can't find anything on their website about a sting ray touch tank either.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

We were there last August, and I do not remember seeing a touch tank for the sting rays. I've only seen one at Sea World in San Diego. They do have touch tanks for the tidepool type animals, though, and they have a neat aviary that you can walk through. I really enjoyed the aquarium.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Mary Jo, thanks for the confirmation. I know if there was one, my DD would have been all over it. As long as there is a wall between her and the sting rays, she is happy. Put her in the water with them, and, well, that's another story altogether.

 

[briggscreek]

That's too bad, I always loved the sting ray touch tank when I was a kid. It was a big shallow pool with low sides and the rays would swim around the outer edge. It was still there when I was there with DH about six years ago.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I stand corrected. I called them and asked, and they DO have touch tanks for bat rays. I will have to go and look at our pictures, because if they have them my daughter was down there touching them.

I got a pdf of their map off of their site:

http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/PDF_files/vis_map2.pdf

 

[pixiewings71]

The MBA absolutely has touch pools for rays. My girls (and DBF) have been able to feed the rays. That was very cool. We have APs to the MBA and that's one thing we always like to do, the various touch pools.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

Well, they say the memory is the first thing to go, because I just honestly can't remember my DD touching rays. But, we have a sting ray exhibit at our local zoo so it's not so novel for her anymore and she may not have been interested at the time.

Glad to hear they have one. Enjoy the aquarium.

 

[Feistygirl916]

Whee! I am just getting back to the boards and am so happy about this! Thanx Mary Jo for delving deeper and getting the info for me, we have a day trip planned to Monterey now, and we can also get Ghirardelli off the list the same afternoon! Thanks again!

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I knew that Kelly would have a picture of one.

This is the tank we saw at the Monterey Aquarium when were there last summer.

 

[disneyfaninaz]

I do remember that particular exhibit. I just don't remember being able to touch them.

 

[Feistygirl916]

Ooh, I am so excited! We also have a couple days planned at the Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo (LOVE that place!) which is where I first fell in love with those little guys! Sooooo excited! Thanks again!

 

[monicatb]

We're going to the MBA on Monday, April 29th, the week before Easter. I have two questions:

I would like to know if I should buy tickets online or if we can wait to buy them there and save $10. I have a $2 off coupon, but maybe it's not that of a big deal if we have to wait in line for tickets.

And where should we start our day? I have 3 kids ages 14, 9 and 5. We plan to be there at opening. Which exhibitions have bigger crowds? Do you have kind of a touring plan for the MBA?

Thanks.

 

[madysmom]

I am interested as well in the answers to these questions as well...
TIA!

 

[disneyfaninaz]

We're going to the MBA on Monday, April 29th, the week before Easter. I have two questions:

I would like to know if I should buy tickets online or if we can wait to buy them there and save $10. I have a $2 off coupon, but maybe it's not that of a big deal if we have to wait in line for tickets.

And where should we start our day? I have 3 kids ages 14, 9 and 5. We plan to be there at opening. Which exhibitions have bigger crowds? Do you have kind of a touring plan for the MBA?

Thanks.

If you get there right at opening or just before,you should have no problems buying your tickets once you get there.

Keep you eyes open for school buses.

This is a popular place for field trips. All the exhibits are popular and you should have them to yourselves pretty early. We didn't have a touring plan, we just kind of finished one floor and went onto the next. If they still have the Sea Horse exhibit, it was pretty cool.

 

[buckler]

We went to the MBA in June. It was a Saturday and a busy day because they were having a special event for World Ocean Day. We arrived after lunch and there wasn't a line for buying tickets. The crowds were pretty spread out all over the building so I don't think a specific touring plan is necessary. Just be sure to keep track of where you have been and where you still want to go on the map so you don't miss out on something. It is multi-level and the layout is a little confusing.

 

[monicatb]

Thanks for the information.