The Giant Sea Bass misses you . . . but thinks of you often.
I know all of our wonderful animals in the Monterey Bay Aquarium miss you, but the opening of the Aquarium has been postponed due to an uptick in Corona Virus -19 cases in Monterey County.
Please help support the Monterey Bay Aquarium and help take care of all of our wonderful animals.
As a volunteer guide at the Monterey Bay Aquarium we look forward to seeing all of you again soon!
August 8, 2019
RIP My Beautiful Giant Pacific Octopus
As a Monterey Bay Aquarium guide and as an educator perhaps I am not supposed to get overly attached to the marine animals at the Aquarium – but I do.
I truly grow to love them. I love the hermit crabs, the sea otters, and even the Rock Fish, but mostly I have loved our male Giant Pacific Octopus.
Does that sound crazy? Dog and cat lovers might think so, but I can’t help it, I love all marine animals ~ they touch my soul.
Why do I feel today like I felt on February 3, 1959 “The Day the Music Died” ? Our beautiful male Giant Pacific Octopus passed away today and my heart is very sad.
Why I thought of that day in 1959 and that song – I really don’t know. All I know is that the beauty of the dance he would do when he came out to play and the music of his being is gone.
The thrill of his presence when he came out of hiding and spread his giant tentacles to say hello to our visitors is now a memory.
But wonderful memories they are and we will always remember this extraordinary creature.
I love you my beautiful Octopus! May you rest in peace.
We now have two lovely female Giant Pacific Octopuses at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Please come and see and experience these extraordinary animals.
“The slithery. The scaly. The spectacularly showy. Discover incredible animals from land and sea in this special exhibition featuring creatures from the coastal habitats of Baja California. Life here thrives on the edge of sand and surf, where rugged desert coastline meets the sapphire waters of the Pacific.”
The Monterey Bay Aquarium has opened an amazing new exhibit. You will not want to miss it! I first was introduced to Baja in the 1970’s when I flew down there in a small 4-seater aircraft. The airports were so rough that we had to fly over the runway first to scare the cows off so we could land and the gas had to be strained through netting before filling up the tank. Baja was dotted with many tiny fishing villages along the coast at that time and we snorkeled and saw many of the amazing fish and critters in this exhibit. Those were the days . . .
Luckily, I never ran into “these guys”! Although I have seen morays up close and personal scuba diving in other areas in the tropics, I never try to pet them!
“This 800-mile-long narrow peninsula in northwestern Mexico is separated from the mainland by the Gulf of California.
With almost 2,000 miles of coastline, sun-scorched desert, lush mangrove forests and colorful coral reefs, Baja is a land of contrasts, where unique plants and animals survive and thrive.”
I hope I have peaked your interest with these incredible photos from the Monterey Bay Aquarium web site. Go take a gander at these amazing creatures in person. You’ll be glad you did!
Lots happening in Monterey at the Monterey Bay Aquarium tonight. Culminating two days of Cooking for Solutions events, tonight it’s party time! It’s cool to respect our oceans and the sea life that live there. It’s been a passion of mine to “save our oceans” all my life. Thank goodness it is now the “cool thing to do” so everyone gets involved. Although great damage has already been done, it’s not too late to become stewards of our oceans and Monterey Bay. Tonight at the Monterey Bay Aquarium hundreds will learn how to live the ocean-friendly lifestyle sampling fun culinary experiences created by celebrity chef Alton Brown and 50 local restaurants. It’s a party! Yummy food, wine and beer from local wineries and breweries, and dancing in the shadow of a whale! See you there!
