{"id":4917,"date":"2016-02-18T22:19:21","date_gmt":"2016-02-19T06:19:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/?p=4917"},"modified":"2016-04-12T21:47:00","modified_gmt":"2016-04-13T04:47:00","slug":"aquarium-of-the-pacific","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/aquarium-of-the-pacific\/","title":{"rendered":"Visit the Sea Jellies Exhibit and more at The Aquarium of the Pacific"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"WSM_AOP_spottedJellies\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific<\/a> in Long Beach is a multi-sensory,\u00a0educational experience. The aquarium’s mission\u00a0is to instill a sense of wonder, respect\u00a0and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants\u00a0and ecosystems.\u00a0There are so many creatures to see, touch, feed, and learn about\u2014in fact, the aquarium is home to more than\u00a011,000 animals in more than 50 exhibits!\u00a0Located in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor, it\u2019s the perfect day trip for your family to learn about sea life close to the ocean in a clean, well-maintained, stroller-friendly facility.<\/p>\n

Touch the sea jellies<\/h2>\n

\"WSM_AOP_JellyTank2\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The new sea jellies exhibit<\/a> is located in various spots\u00a0throughout\u00a0the aquarium, some portions only on a\u00a0rotating basis. The \u201ctouch the jellies\u201d section is located near the information area and can\u00a0be easily overlooked if you\u2019re not careful. The Moon Jelly touch tank is low enough for tiny toddlers to reach in;\u00a0an expert is on hand to answer any questions and to remind everyone to use\u00a0a gentle two-finger touch. At times, the line can be long,\u00a0but it\u2019s worth it!<\/p>\n

Feed the lorikeets<\/h2>\n

\"WSM_AOP_Lorikeets<\/a><\/p>\n

The Lorikeet Forest<\/a> is a 3,200-square-foot outdoor aviary containing more than 100 lively, colorful lorikeets. These\u00a0colorful and friendly birds\u00a0will drink nectar (for purchase) right out of the cup!\u00a0Make sure you have your camera ready, because some lorikeets might land on your hand, arm, shoulder\u00a0or even your head.<\/p>\n

See the penguins<\/h2>\n

\"WSM_AOP_Penguin\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The June Keys Penguin Habitat<\/a> houses Magellanic Penguins, a species that lives naturally in temperate areas. These playful penguins are fun to watch and can be seen from different exhibit viewpoints, including a popular crawl-in space which gives a great underwater view. There is a section with life-sized models and descriptions of other penguin species, which\u00a0makes it fun and educational at the same time.<\/p>\n

Watch a scuba diver<\/h2>\n

\"WSM_AOP_ScubaDiver\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The fish and sea creatures are already very cool, but it’s particularly exciting to see the aquarium’s\u00a0scuba divers in action. Scuba divers are vital to maintaining the Aquarium of the Pacific and can be found in several of the exhibits feeding and interacting with the sea life (and sometimes cleaning things up a bit). Ask a nearby docent for information about where to find a scuba diver!<\/p>\n

Attend an event or program<\/h2>\n

\"WSM_AOP_BigAquarium\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Aquarium of the Pacific hosts several themed events and educational programs for children and families throughout the year. Highlights include\u00a0the\u00a0Aqua Tots Program, trick or treating at the Aquarium, family sleepovers and a variety of day camps! Check their website<\/a> for upcoming events.<\/p>\n

Tips for your visit:<\/h1>\n

\u2022 Arrive early and visit the outdoor exhibits (lorikeets, penguins, sea lions) first. That way, you’ll avoid the crowds.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The nectar for purchase at the Lorikeet Aviary is tiny and spills easily. Bring two small disposable cups to empty it into to avoid spillage.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Members can purchase pre-paid parking vouchers in packs of five for 50 percent\u00a0off the regular price of parking. That can be helpful if you know someone who is a member (or become a member yourself)!<\/p>\n

\u2022 Learn how to use the settings on your camera (or smartphone) before your visit for optimal low light shots. Most of the exhibits are dark and do not allow flash photography.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Visit on a weekday and purchase your ticket in advance,\u00a0online\u00a0to avoid waiting in long lines (for both the entrance and exhibits).<\/p>\n

\u2022 The large aquarium in the lobby is magnificent\u2014perfect for those Instagram shots.<\/p>\n

Website and more information<\/h3>\n

Check the website for hours, pricing, and more:\u00a0http:\/\/www.aquariumofpacific.org\/<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n
\n

 <\/p>\n

I wrote this after\u00a0my visit to The Aquarium of the Pacific<\/a><\/strong> in September 2015. It was also published on Mommy Nearest<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thank you to the Metz family for the tickets to the aquarium!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A visit to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is a multi-sensory,\u00a0educational experience. The aquarium’s mission\u00a0is to instill a sense of wonder, respect\u00a0and stewardship for the Pacific Ocean, its inhabitants\u00a0and ecosystems.\u00a0There are so many creatures to see, touch, feed, and learn about\u2014in fact, the aquarium is home to more than\u00a011,000 animals in more […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[906],"tags":[1088,789,1089,1087],"class_list":["post-4917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-announcements","tag-aquarium-of-the-pacific","tag-educational","tag-field-trip","tag-long-beach","eq-blocks"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p46LgQ-1hj","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":14210,"url":"https:\/\/www.westsidemommy.com\/site\/our-favorite-exhibits-at-the-aquarium-of-the-pacific\/","url_meta":{"origin":4917,"position":0},"title":"Our favorite exhibits at the Aquarium of the Pacific","author":"westsidemommy","date":"June 30, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"The aquarium in the main lobby of the Aquarium of the Pacific Right before the end of the school year, we visited the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach! 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