Our Visit to Monterey Bay Aquarium | The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Finding Dory

[Music] in the now iconic film Finding Dory the Intrepid Trio Nemo Dory and Marlin end up at a stunning aquarium known as the marine life Institute or more commonly referred to by sigoni Weaver as the jewel of marrow Bay California as the film is an animated Adventure they afforded plenty of artistic license and this aquarium does not actually exist although Morrow Bay does as it is just down the coast from the actual aquarium that the jewel was based on namely the Monteray Bay Aquarium and it is to this aquarium we head today to show you around what we think is one of the best aquariums in the US we have the prices that we paid for entry up on the screen but remember these can change over time if you can remember to like the video we would be extremely grateful and subscribe to the channel for more amazing travel content situated right in the heart of Monteray at the end of canary row sits this quite little aquarium that focuses mainly on the ocean life found in and around Monteray Bay from Tiny fish to super cute sea otters huge yellin tuna sharks Stingray and a whole host more there is a whole heap of Ocean Magic going on inside the aquarium we list it at number two on our top aquariums in the USA list just behind the amazing Georgia Aquarium and it gets this ranking by really feeling like it's part of the ocean world and not just a random tourist attraction it feels part of the [Music] bay this is achieved in part by literally being part of the bay the aquarium is situated Oceanside taking up some million dooll real estate and the Bay's water literally flows into the center of the building there are large open air walkways at the back of the aquarium offering stunning views out over the bay and a small ocean connected pool in the center where guests can even have a go at scuba diving in the sea from the deck you can look out over moné's stunning kelp forest watch the Otter's for and snooze amongst the kelp watch seabirds and sea lions out on the bay and even spot whales if you are very lucky it's a beautiful part of the aquarium and really helps connect the inside exhibits with the real world [Music] outside another great reason to rank the aquarium so high is the lack of captive marine mammals we know this really bothers some people we are often Torn Between the cruelty of keeping marine mammals in captivity and the Fantastic work aquariums carry out on the back of this along with the hopelessness of not being able would return those mammals to the wild though for many seeing dolphin Orca or whales in captivity is just too much and they do not want to support these institutes but at mon Bay Aquarium this is not an issue the only marine mammals kept in captivity here are the Otters and while we would rather not see those in captivity the good news is here they are all rescue utters sick or injured animals rescued by the aquarium and allowed to live here in safety where Rehabilitation is either impossible or run away it's a simple case of without the aquarium these amazing otters would not have made it so the aquarium can only be uded for this and they really are amazing to see they are such playful creatures and it's clear how far the aquarium goes to keep them stimulated and healthy with endless toys foraging games and activities to encourage natural behavior it's also of noting that these amazing creatures were once nearly wiped out in the wild and it's only through the efforts of institutes such as the aquarium that they were brought back and saved so it's well worth supporting the aquarium we think it's worth coming here just to see the otter but honestly there's a whole L more going on besides [Music] Mon's kelp forests are pretty renowned we have dived these forests for real and you can see the full video here from the outdoor decks you can clearly see the kelp and watch the otter playing in the fronts however from underneath it all looks pretty different the kelp forest exhibit shows clearly how the underwater forests of kelp look from beneath the waves here you'll see leopard sharks kelp bass Rockfish kelpfish California sheep heads and the amazing giant seab bass all cruising around the swaying towers of giant kelp the two-story panoramic window into the forest is one of the most stunning exhibits in the aquarium and take it from us the kelp forests really do look like this from underneath aside from the kelp forest there are several other habitats found around the Monteray Bay Coastline such as the artificial Reef networks created by pilings and structures used in peers and harbors these along with natural reefs of the rocky Coastline create wonderful habitats for many creatures and the large Monteray Bay habitats tank showcases these home to Giant Seabass seven Gill sharks gabaly fish white sturgeon California halbot and wol Fields this is a dark a moody exhibit with a lot to see [Music] [Music] also next door to this is another Disney favorite Hank the giant Pacific octopus unfortunately he was taking a little nap when we visited but he is one impressive specimen when active as you can see from the shot of a previous [Music] visit and another montere Bay habitat are the shallow tide pools and Sandy Shores that surround much of the bay this is home to numerous creatures and the exhibit showcased these as a series of touch pools and even a walk-in Avery with a display of plers turnstones and oyster catchers the shallow pools are filled with a variety of bat Rays guitar fish crabs and Starfish many of which you can get hands on with in the touch pools [Music] here you will also see the aquarium's collection of larger Birds such as the amazingly cute puffing [Music] display while these were great fun to watch they were a little bit camera shy unlike the aquarium amazing African penguin display although we should note African penguins are not native to Monterey [Music] Bay the Monteray Bay Aquarium really focuses on the life in and around Monteray Bay and this means there is very little in the way of coral wreath however most younger visitors only really want to see NE own Dory thanks Disney so the aquarium bulks slightly here and does allow a couple of beautiful reef tanks to be on display you have to give the audience what they want these tanks are filled with colorful fish stunning corals and of course Dory and Nemo or Regal tangs and clownish as they are known to the more scientifically minded it may not feel like the deepest reaches of the ocean are very local to Monteray however the plunging depths of the Marine Canyon mean many of these crazy alien creatures of the deep can be found right off the coast of the aquarium with the Monteray submarine canyon dropping down to over 2.5 miles and linking up with the vast Abyssal plane of the Pacific Ocean fluorescent jellies giant isopods and ghostly spider crabs feeding on whale carcasses along with hagfish and elephant fish and crazy looking Critters such as the basket star there is even a touch pool with giant isopods brought up from the depths living fossils of giant underwater woodlice [Music] it's a seriously impressive exhibit one of the aquarium's newest and a really unique addition it's just a shame they no longer have Nautilus on display like the previous time we [Music] visited the final exhibit we visited was the simply incredible Open Seas exhibit from the Shing anees and mackerel on entrance to the stunning array of beautiful jellies it's a great exhibit topped off with the crown jewel of the Monteray Bay Aquarium one of the best ocean tanks in the country while it can't quite compete with Georgia's open ocean tank and its whale sharks and manay it's a close second the ocean tank is one of the largest in the country and offers a stunning window into the pelagic Zone found just off the coast of montere bay a huge School of anches circles in the center while large pelagic Predators prowl the outskirts yellow funa Pacific Bonito and the ever impressive mahi mahi or dolphin fish as they are sometimes known are continuously on the prowl hoping to pick up and an V2 there are also giant stingrays green sea turtles and even hammerhead sharks in the tank while the animal lineup is impressive the tank is also more than the sum of its parts the incredible perspective makes the tank really feel like an endless open ocean with the hypnotic shes of fish endlessly circling as the large Predators appear out of the Gloom before disappearing back into it we really could just spend hours watching the display overall we really love the aquarium like the ocean tank the aquarium as a whole is far more than the sum of its already impressive Parts the proximity to the ocean along with its focus on the local marine ecosystems or make it a really wonderful and engaging experience you really feel part of the environment and are learning more about the stunning environment you are actually visiting it also helps that montere is one of the most diverse and stunning Marine environments on Earth so it can handle a little showcasing anyone visiting montere simply must have the aquarium on their list and frankly anyone not visiting montere should just because of the aquarium amongst many other stunning things to do in the area we hope this video has inspired you to check out the aquarium and if so remember to like the video and subscribe to the channel for loads More Travel content from our travels all across the United States thanks for watching