“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!