Monterey Bay Aquarium 2009

Fall marks our annual trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium, where we attended yet another fun-filled Homeschool Day.

This year, the otters were gone and the highly advertised new seahorse exhibit was in place.  We saw a lot of tiny baby seahorses, and all sorts of different species, including the pacific seahorse, longsnout seahorse, and potbelly seahorse.

We saw a few men happily letting their pooches hang after reading that for these little fish, the bigger the belly, the more attractive they are to the females. Their lady friends were quick to point out to them that the male seahorse also gives birth and cares for the young!

At the exhibit, we caught my all time favorite -- the leafy sea dragons. The way they float about the water like a clump of tangled seaweed is mesmerizing to watch!

At the kelp feeding, we learned the advantages of using a specialized colorful diving belt. The weights on the belt are made up of different colors, which "disappear" at different depths. By glancing at his belt, the diver can quickly tell how deep he has gone and when it's a good idea to get back up!

Lastly, we have the obligatory jellyfish shot. I have this almost exact same picture every year and still haven't tired of it. Stinging sea nettles are awesome.