This part of the trip was a bit unexpected and one that I didn’t think I would get to go to. Amazing.
What do you do when you only have a few hours left in one place or with some people? Go to Monterey and see how much you can see.
Before going to my sister in laws in the afternoon to stay my friend and I decided that we would get up fairly early and go down to Monterey and maybe go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
I’ve heard so much about this aquarium since my husband had visited it on his trip there ten years ago. If I could find the time to go I really wanted to see if it was a possibility. I thought the time had run out and then my friend said, let’s just go. So we did.
I have already shown you the jellyfish photos I took there, but I thought today I could show you what else I saw. There is something very calming about watching fish swim around, or the sea otters, I think that is what they were. I love the glass dome that had waves going over it. It was all great.
It wasn’t easy to photograph and the photos aren’t great, but hopefully they will give you an idea of what was there. If you are ever in Monterey you should see if you can get to the Aquarium it is amazing. Maybe you have already been and can tell us about your adventure there.
Here is a gallery with some of the images I took at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Have a good weekend.
Leanne thank you very much! I’m very pleased to have a sense of the settings from the great information you gave me. Please keep creating! WP is a better place because of artists like yourself 🙂 Mike
Happy to help Michael. I love WP, I won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. 😀
Your photos being back memories of our Monterey Bay Aquarium trips! We enjoyed going there and the last time we were was in 2024.
This place is fantastic with all the sea creatures and the sea otters! When we went out to the looking area, we heard a loud tapping sounds. Guess what it was from?! A sea otter breaking its food with a rock on its stomach. It was such an interesting and fun observation!
The sea otters are so cute. Sounds like it is a favourite place for you too. I wish I could go again, but sadly that isn’t going to happen. Thank you for sharing your time there.
It is one of our favorite aquariums to visit in northern California! The big orca that is hanging on the ceiling used to give my kids a fright. They refused to walk over that bridge and would cry. We couldn’t go there for a few years until they were ready to tackle their fears. Lol.
I’m glad you got a chance to visit and take those pictures!
That is a great story Ester, I hope they are okay with it now.
I’m really glad too.
They are ok with it now and we laugh about it. But it was a serious fear for them. They also had a great fear about the albino alligator at a SF museum and we couldn’t go back to visit. My husband had to take a day off so we could all go together to conquer their fears. They even got a stuffie of the albino alligator afterwards. Kids are funny like that!
That’s good to hear. Laughing about stuff like that is always good. My eldest daughter had a funny reaction to the sound track of the movie Titanic. I loved the music, but everytime I put it on she would start screaming and crying and tell me to turn it off. Kids are very funny.
Wonder what part of the song or which aspect of it made your daughter upset. It’d be interesting to ask her now!
I have no idea really, I don’t think she knows either. We just laugh about it now.
It’s a great memory!
That’s what really matters. Good memories are always the best.
For sure! Things to talk and laugh about together.
Absolutely.
Leanne, these are wonderful photos. gorgeous!
I’m curious, is there enough ambient light in the water that you can use >1/250th shutter speed? i figure I’d have to bring my fastest 50mm, and a sub 20mgpxl body. is that what you did? Mike
Thank you Michael.
I used a 24-70mm 2.8 lens. I only used the available light, but in some I had to up the ISO quite a bit. Most of these were taken with the ISO at 640, if you saw the jellyfish they were taken at ISO 1600. Most of the time my SS was anything from 1/30 of a second and up. I have practiced over the years and got better at taking photos with slower shutter speeds. I think the only things that had 1/250 would have been the sea otters. Oh also I had my aperture wide open. 2.8 or 5.6. Hope that helps.
I’m with Anne about it being a long time. When you live in CA, you get spoiled and take things for granted. We’ve been away for four years, and I miss the ocean. We are long overdue! Thanks for sharing your pictures. They are a great reminder. 🙂 xxx
Yeah, it is funny how it can happen when you live somewhere. People are always amazed that I have never been to Australian Rules Football game, or to see the penguins on Philip Island. It happens. Thank you Marsha. I couldn’t imagine being away from the ocean now.
We are moving back to CA, so I’ll be close again. I miss it terribly.
Oh wow, really, why?
Lots of reasons, but the main reasons revolve around family, friends, health, and weather. I breathe a lot better at a lower altitude. We tried it out for a 3 month vacation, and I felt fabulous. We are back for a couple of weeks getting things ready to move. Within a couple of days, I could tell a difference. So we are excited to go back, but we will miss people here, too. 🙂
That sounds like a very good reason Marsha, of it will be sad to say good bye to your friends, but you could still visit them couldn’t you?
Definitely, and I’m sure we will. 🙂 xxx
That’s good news, I’m sure you will enjoy being back.
Yes, I can’t wait. 🙂 xxx
😁😁
Thank you John.
😊😊😊
I loved Monterey! It was my favorite place in California. The restaurant in which we were eating had a huge glass window and we could watch the sea otter playing right outside. We also got to watch the seal playing what appear to be king of the mountain: one would jump up and knock all the other seals off the raft (really, it was just a big piece of floating wood) and they were hilarious. I like other places — like Muir Woods — very much too, but Monterey was my favorite of all. Maybe it was those sea otters. They looked so very happy.
It is a great place, I was so glad I got to go.Unfortunately it was a quick visit. Sounds like your visit was fantastic. I loved watching the sea otters, I think they were. I would love to go back, but it isn’t going to happen. Tahnk you for sharing your experience Marilyn.
A wonderful place to explore. Beautiful photo!
It is Amy, have you been, thank you.
Many years ago, husband did some consulting work in Monterey. Such a beautiful place!
It is, sadly I didn’t get to spend much time there, but it looked like a bit of paradise.
Since my son and family haven’t any photos of their experience there this last summr, I’m enjoying this virtual visit of somewhere they really loved.
That’s great Margaret. Glad you can enjoy it virtually. Thank you.
It’s been quite a while since I’ve been there. It might be time for another trip. Thanks for the memories Leanne.
Sounds like it is Anne, see if it has changed at all. You’re welcome and thank you Anne.
Monterey Bay Aquarium is a fantastic place to visit.
It is, I am so glad I got to go.
These are wonderful, peaceful photos. I love aquariums.
Thank you Jean. I love them too.
Wonderful post 🎸🎸
Thank you Satyam.