© Aquarium
of the Bay |
Adjacent to Pier
39 in San Francisco, Aquarium of the Bay is within walking
distance of Fisherman's Wharf. The self-guided tour educates
visitors about the San Francisco Bay and its surrounding waters.
Expert naturalists are available to answer questions after you descend
into a 707,000 gallon aquarium and enter 300 feet of clear acrylic
tunnels. Enjoy hands-on meetings with sea stars, urchins and even
sharks! Open 7 days a week, call for hours as they vary by season
415-623-5300. Closed December 25.
The Steinhart Aquarium is open at 875 Howard Street in downtown
San Francisco (between 4th and 5th Streets) every day of the year.
View poison dart frogs, box turtles, sea horses, and clown fish
in jewel tanks. Get an up-close look at sturgeon, giant sea bass,
alligator snapping turtles, gars, and moray eels. Get close and
personal with sea stars and hermit crabs at the Discovery Tide Pool.
Enjoy the penguins as they preen on land and swim underwater. Don't
miss penguin feedings which happen every day at 11 am and 3:30 pm.
Interact with aquatic biologists as they study, feed, and care for
the animals. 10 am – 5 pm Every Day of the Year. The Academy
in Golden Gate Park is closed until late 2008 when rebuilding is
complete.
If you get
to Monterey during your travels, the Monterey Bay Aquarium
merits your attention. Built in the heart of the nation's largest
marine sanctuary, the exhibits re-create the bay's habitats, from
shallow tide pools to the open ocean and deep sea. Highlights include
the Splash Zone, where kids up to the age of nine commune (safely!)
with penquins, moray eels and tropical sharks. Open every day except
December 25. Advance ticket purchase is recommended, especially
in the summer.
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