Aquarium Of The Pacific

Did you know that water covers 71% of the Earth's
surface? Okay, that was an easy one, let's go a
little deeper. The World's Ocean averages 3,800
meters, the same as eight and a half Empire State
Buildings stacked on top of each other. It's home
to at least 250,000 known species. A day at the
Aquarium of the Pacific can be as fascinating as it is
informative. The Parrotfish, for example, avoids
being eaten by secreting a transparent mucus, a
sort of sleeping bag, around their bodies while
sleeping at night to masks it's scent from
predators. It takes the Parrotfish 30 minutes to
build this cocoon each night and 30 minutes each
morning to tear it down. The Rockmover wrasse
can move rocks with it's powerful jaws several
times its own weight. Often living in pairs they
work together, one lifting a rock while the other one
eats the revealed prey. Though Sea Lions typically
eat fish and squid, they occasionally add rocks to
their diet, thought to provide extra weight which
helps them descend. The Surfperch are among the
few species of fish that give birth to live young.
When Surfperches are born, they emerge from their
mothers fully developed with some of the male
species so well-developed they are able to mate
almost immediately. The California Halibut is like
most fish, born with one eye on each side of it's
head, but strangely, as this flat fish matures, one
eye moves to join the other eye and that side
becomes the top of the fish! My favorite exhibit at
the Aquarium of the Pacific was the Sea Jellies.
Jellyfish, which have no eyes or brains, are
captivating to watch. In the dark abyss of the
ocean are sea creatures that produce their own
light. The Leidy's Comb Jelly flashes with iridescent
pink and green lights which come from tiny hairs
called cilia, while the Flashlight Fish have glowing
eyes that they can turn on and off when hunting or
defending themselves. They'll turn them on while
heading in one direction, then fool the predator by
turning them off to escape in another direction. Be
sure to get a walking tour pamphlet which has a
space to get embossed as you reach various
exhibits the book guides you to, and take the time
to read the information displayed in front of each
exibit to fully appreciate the day. There are also

daily scheduled presentations which change weekly as well as additional
adventures on and off the premises. During Animal Encounters you can feed
the animals with a member of the animal care staff or be a marine biologist for
a day with a crew on a 90-foot ocean research vessel collecting and identifying
local marine life on the Ocean Experience. We came here on a Monday after
the July 4th holiday weekend and waited 40 minutes in line to get our
admission tickets, so purchasing them ahead of time on-line is wise. Plan
meals to avoid the lunch crowd, there was a wait to be seated at Cafe Scuba.
This cafeteria style restaurant is located on the upper level of the Great Pacific
Hall and serves salads, sandwiches and grilled entrees. The Bamboo Bistro
located at Explorer's Cove offering hot dogs, pizza and cold beer. There are
other carts selling coffee, ice cream and other snacks. The Aquarium of the
Pacific is open every day of the year from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. except
December 25 and the weekend of the Long Beach Grand Prix in April.

Prices: General Admission $18.95 for adults, $10.95 children (3-11) and
seniors $14.95 (60 and over). There are other packages which combine the
Ocean Experience, Behind the Scenes Tour and Queen Mary tour.

Located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach.

Telephone (562) 590-3100

Website: www.aquariumofthepacific.org