Monterey Bay Aquarium

On Monday we met up with my parents and went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  We all had a good time and learned it takes 2x longer to look around with a 3 year old.  By the time we were done we were all exhausted.

It is tradition to take a picture as a family in the giant clam.  Rich and I started this when we were first married.

The first exhibit we went to was the penguins.  Ava was really excited to see them and we got to watch them eat.  Ava made a new penguin friend named Betty.  She kept swimming right by Ava which made Ava happy.

To the left Ava is inside a bubble taking a picture of the penguins.

Ava taking a picture of me taking a picture of her.  We are a family that loves our cameras.

Ava and Rich crawled in the aquarium tunnel in the kid's Splash Zone.

Ava insisted daddy be the red fish and go down the slide with her.

I decided it would be fun to be an octopus.

Ava jumping on the jelly beds.

This is the newest exhibit.  We were excited until we went it.  We ended up being disappointed because there were a lot of "fake" jellyfish.  It was a lot of weird psychedelic displays.

This was the most entertaining thing in the new exhibit.  It is a human kaleidoscope.

Rich and Ava.  Can you see them?

Ava and I on a jellyfish.

These were Ava's favorite jellyfish, but they weren't even in the new exhibit.  Upstairs there is an older jellyfish section next to the Outer Bay exhibit.  The jellyfish upstairs are much better.

Ava was determined to get on top of this sea horse.

Each time we've gone Ava and I have posed in front of this picture.  It is fun to see how much she has changed.

This is Ava and Rich's traditional spot to pose.

Ava watching the Ocean Sunfish.  I love this fish.

Ava on Rich's shoulders watching the hammerhead shark in the Outer Bay exhibit.  Ava loved the hammerhead sharks or "head bump" as she calls them.

Ava thought the wave washing over us was too loud.

Ava really got into the touch pools.  Last time she hated it and cried.

Rich helping Ava touch a Bat Ray.  We had to wait a long time before one came close enough for Ava to reach.  It made her happy though.

As we were leaving a nice lady from the aquarium stopped to show Ava her Decorator Crab (fake).  She shared some facts with Ava about it.  Ava then in return took out the items she got from the gift shop and told the lady about them.  Ava had a puffer fish, jelly fish, and hammerhead shark.  It was so cute to see Ava talking to the lady.  The lady was very impressed with Ava's knowledge and said Ava is on her way to being a future marine biologist.