More from the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Awestruck is the best word to describe the wave of emotion that flows over me every time I step foot in the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We have visited countless times and each time I walk away with greater passion for the MBA’s mission to save our oceans.

This year I went with the goal of capturing the essence of the aquarium on film. Of course that’s not possible, but I’m happy with the photos I was able to capture while chasing a husband and two kids. I used my Nikon D70 with 50 mm and 85 mm lenses. I shot exclusively in manual with manual focus and no flash. Boy, what a difference it made! The only editing I’ve done is cropping to fit this blog space and some minor noise reduction to temper the graininess caused by my ISO setting of 1600.

Clockwise, here are the details of each of the above photos:

Afternoon Kelp Forest Feeding

Sea Nettle Jellyfish

Introduction of the fifth Great White Shark to the Outer Bay tank (Learn more)

Mackerel

My sweet husband as a contestant on the gameshow, “You Otter Know”

Every visit we learn and experience something new and inspirational. It always feels like the first time, which is incredible in our media-filled, short-attention-span world. The highlight of yesterday’s visit was viewing the introduction of the aquarium’s fifth Great White Shark into the Outer Bay tank. She is a 5 foot, 3 inch shark collected by the Aquarium staff off the coast of Malibu on August 12th. She will stay in the Outer Bay tank for several months then be released back into the Pacific. The aquarium’s goal is “to change public attitudes and promote protection for this magnificent and much-maligned ocean predator.” If you have a chance to visit her, take it. She is simply spectacular.

Monterey Bay Aquarium‘s footage of Great White Shark’s transfer into the Outer Bay tank.