Ten Best Things to See at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Pacific Coast Highway Travel picks the ten best things to see at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, one of the highlights of driving the PCH.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey is one of the world's top aquariums, renowned for its stunning exhibits, conservation efforts, and breathtaking location on California's coast.

It’s definitely one of our top ten things to see along the Pacific Coast Highway, and when you visit these are the 10 best must-see attractions you shouldn't miss:

Ten Best Things to See at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

1. Kelp Forest Exhibit

Shark in the Kelp Forest at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Kelp Forest Exhibit is a mesmerizing two-story glass tank where sunlight filters through towering strands of kelp, creating an underwater cathedral teeming with life, leopard sharks glide effortlessly between the fronds, schools of silvery sardines dart in unison like living mercury, and giant sea bass lurk in the shadows, while wolf eels peer out from rocky crevices, making it one of the most immersive and serene displays in the aquarium.

2. Open Sea Exhibit

The Open Sea Exhibit is a jaw-dropping, 1.2-million-gallon blue abyss where sleek yellowfin tuna rocket past like underwater torpedoes, graceful sea turtles flap their flippers in slow motion, and ominous hammerhead sharks patrol the depths, their silhouettes cutting through the water, while massive schools of sardines move as one shimmering entity, and if you time it right, you can witness the thrilling feeding frenzy when the tank erupts into a whirlwind of motion.

3. Sea Otters Exhibit

Otter at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Sea Otters Exhibit is pure delight, where rescued southern sea otters twist, twirl, and somersault in the water, their fluffy fur trapping air bubbles as they float on their backs, sometimes cracking open clams with rocks in an adorable display of intelligence, and during feeding times, they chirp and splash for attention, making it impossible not to fall in love with these playful, charismatic creatures that were once nearly hunted to extinction.

4. Monterey Bay Habitats

The Monterey Bay Habitats exhibit blurs the line between aquarium and ocean with its massive window offering real-time views of the wild bay, where wild sea otters might paddle into view, dolphins could streak past in a sudden flash, and if you're lucky, even a migrating whale might surface in the distance, all while seabirds dive for fish just beyond the glass, making you feel like you're standing at the edge of the Pacific itself.

5. Jellies Experience

Monterey Bay Aquarium Jellies Experience

The Jellies Experience is a dreamlike gallery where moon jellies pulse gently like living lanterns, blood-red sea nettles trail delicate, venomous tentacles, and the ghostly umbrella-shaped comb jellies shimmer with rainbow bioluminescence, their movements so hypnotic that you could lose track of time watching them drift and swirl in their softly lit tanks like something from another world.

6. Splash Zone & Penguins

Penguin on a Webcam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Splash Zone is a lively, kid-friendly area where African penguins waddle on rocky outcrops, then torpedo through the water with surprising speed, their tuxedo-like feathers glistening, while nearby touch pools let you feel the sticky tentacles of an anemone or the rough armor of a starfish, and colorful tropical fish dart through coral replicas, making it a vibrant, hands-on experience for all ages.

7. Secret Lives of Seahorses

Seahorses at the Monterey Bay Aquarium

The Secret Lives of Seahorses exhibit is a wonderland of tiny, magical creatures where seahorses curl their prehensile tails around swaying seagrass, weedy sea dragons float like drifting leaves with leaf-like appendages that make them nearly invisible, and pipefish hover like living threads, their delicate bodies swaying with the current, while their intricate mating dances and male pregnancies showcase some of the ocean’s most fascinating reproductive strategies.

8. Tentacles: The Astounding Lives of Octopuses & Squid

The Tentacles exhibit is a showcase of alien intelligence, where the giant Pacific octopus changes color and texture in seconds, its muscled arms exploring every inch of its tank with eerie curiosity, while the flamboyant cuttlefish flashes hypnotic patterns across its skin, and the tiny but deadly blue-ringed octopus lurks in a corner, its neon-blue warning signals a reminder that the ocean’s most brilliant minds often come in the strangest packages.

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9. Deep Sea: Exploring the Unknown

The Deep Sea exhibit plunges you into the ocean’s darkest realms, where anglerfish dangle glowing lures like macabre fishing poles, vampire squid drift like living shadows, turning inside out in defensive displays, and bizarre, transparent creatures with glowing organs float in the abyss, their adaptations so extreme they seem like science fiction, yet they thrive in a world of crushing pressure and eternal night.

10. Touch Pools (Rocky Shore & Tide Pool)

The Touch Pools are where the ocean comes to your fingertips, as sea stars cling to rocks with tiny tube feet, hermit crabs scuttle sideways in borrowed shells, and spiky urchins roll gently under careful hands, while anemones retract at the slightest touch, their sticky tentacles a reminder that even the simplest tide pool creatures are marvels of survival, and kids (and adults) can’t resist reaching in again and again.

Bonus Tips

- Check the daily feeding schedules (otters, penguins, tuna) for the best experience.

- Visit the Outer Bay deck for stunning ocean views and wild marine sightings.

- Don’t miss the Plastic Pollution exhibit, highlighting the aquarium’s conservation efforts.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a must-visit for anyone who loves marine life, conservation, or breathtaking underwater worlds.

More Information

For opening times, admission prices etc, visit the
Monterey Bay Aquarium website.

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