It has been raining in Southern California. No, I take that back. Its has been POURING in Southern California. The kind of weather you expect to see in Texas or Florida but not here. We are not equipped for the rain. Our schools are outdoors, our play areas are outside, and sometimes finding something to do that is inside can be a challenge. Luckily, there is the Aquarium of the Pacific. Its not completely insidoors but you can still see most exhibits without so much as getting a drop of rain on your head.
We headed to the Aquarium of the Pacific during our last big patch of rain. Mari had won a free ticket at a beach clean up and Ben had been talking about sharks non-stop. As soon as we walked through the entrance we were taken aback by an enormous whale hanging from the ceiling. Immediately my kids started squealing with excitement. We continued on over to a huge tank filled with fish. The kids pressed their noses up to the glass and got up close and personal with some of the animals that reside in the Pacific.
I glanced out a window and noticed that there was a break in the rain so we hurried to check out the outdoor activities. Ben was immediately drawn to the play area where he could pretend he was a pirate on the ship and climb on some sharks. We were able to coax him away once he realized there were real sharks and rays in the big tank and he could touch them!
Our reprieve from the rain was short lived so we headed back inside. Luckily the seals and sea lions were ready and willing to put on a show for us. The kids were absolutely thrilled to be so close to those adorable pinnipeds. If you choose to visit the aquarium on a sunny day, you can also view the seals and sea lions from outside (though I happen to prefer the underwater view).
We went from tank to tank, learning about the wonders of the Pacific from jellyfish to otters to sea dragons to puffins. We visited the freezing cold waters of the Pacific Northwest and then oggled the brightly colored sea life of the tropical Pacific. 
In addition to the sea life exhibits there is also a really cool 3D movie that you can watch at the aquarium. We passed on it during our most recent visit because Mari gets a little freaked out by 3D but I have seen it in the past and its well worth your time. If you would like more information on the Aquarium of the Pacific click here.
7 comments:
Very Awesome! The Aquarium here is one of our favorite places to spend a day.
We love this place, too! On our last visit, my son enjoyed finding all the embossing stations around the Aquarium to get "stamped" in our Map & Visitor Guide. It's our own version of I spy!
We had a lot of fun down there, this past November. The kids had a lot of fun petting the sharks and rays. The gift shop set us back a bit, though! Here's a pic http://tinyurl.com/yjro8c3
I've been wanting to check this one out, so I'll have to squeeze it in on our next trip down south.
I know what you mean about trying to stay dry though.
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Oooh, touchpools. For some reason, almost no zoo here in Germany has them and I really enjoyed them in the zoos I visited in the US (Oregon Coast Aquarium in particular)
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