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 Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row, Monterey 886
Cannery Row, Monterey 24 Hr. Info Line
(831) 648-4888 Main Number (831) 648-4800
Monterey Bay Aquarium is California's 9th most visited attraction with
nearly 2 million guests per year. Open to the public since 1984,
more than 100 galleries and exhibits are devoted to the diverse
habitats of the Monterey Bay. The four largest exhibits are:
Outer Bay with 1 million gallons, Kelp Forest with 335,000
gallons, Monterey Bay Habitats with 326,000 gallons and Sea Otters and
Rocky Coast with 55,000 gallons.
All exhibits are accessible to those with
disabilities (except for Sea Otter mezzanine) and free visitor
maps and rented self-guided audio tours are available in English,
French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
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Photos © Debbie Stock
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The Aquarium stands on the site of what was Cannery
Row's largest cannery, the Hovden Cannery. Built in 1916, it operated
until 1972 and was the last of the canneries to close. Stanford
University purchased the property to protect the shoreline next to its
Hopkins Marine Station, then sold it to the Aquarium Foundation in
1978. There are 3.3 acres on the site and 322,000 square footage of
Aquarium space.
A unique seawater system in the Nearshore galleries
draws fresh, unpolluted seawater from the bay. It is pumped at the
rate of 2,050 gallons per minute into the aquarium distribution
system. Water enters through two 16-inch-diameter, 980-foot-long
intake lines located 55 feet deep in the bay. Four operating modes
allow for varying levels of filtration.
"Mysteries of the Deep" features 40
species collected from waters 3,300 feet below the ocean's surface.
It's a first-ever show which introduces visitors to residents of
Earth's largest habitat-the dark, cold ocean waters that make up 80
percent of available living space on the planet.
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