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Twins make a list and count it twice in Long Beach The night of the day my 8-year-old twins decided to draw up plans for their make-believe zoos, they observed that we would be visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific the next day. Their shared knowledge prompted a site-change plan on the large poster-paper design they had created for their zoo. They decided to add an aquarium portion to the grand plan. The Long Beach trip to visit more than 12,500 living things became both the educational visit that makes this a must-see for Southern California children as well as a time to carefully choose the fish that would comprise their new enterprises. The Aquarium of the Pacific is a jewel of a place, broken into sections that reflect the ocean from Baja to Alaska and the requisite standout stars such as the sea lions and sea otters. For the youngest of children, this is a place for hands-on experiences – even if what you touch includes a sting ray (don’t worry, mom, the mangrove rays in the Shark Lagoon are perfectly harmless). Of course, the best part of the visit is partaking in the imagination of two children as they move from exhibit to exhibit, wondering which species will best define their future aquariums. Christopher thinks big. He wonders if one of the only non-living exhibits at the aquarium, the blue whale – in real-life size – looming large in the lobby’s Great Hall can be part of his exhibit. Nathan, meanwhile, decides that his zoo’s aquarium component will be small – “I only want the cute animals” – and so is stingy with his choices, choosing only the napolean wrasse, surgeonfish, moonjelly, yellowtail, sea lions, horned puffin, and a sea otter. However, his picks reflect the special diversity of the Aquarium of the Pacific. Jellyfish, I remind them, are “heartless, brainless and 95% water.” But they just want to see them float, ghost-like, in front of them. “I love jellyfish,” Nathan exclaims with heart and soul. A popular stop, the Blue Cavern, is patterned after the fish that live on the eastern coast of Catalina Island, only 24 miles off Newport Beach. It is at the cavern that the twins fall for the yellowtail, and Christopher chooses the giant sea bass and leopard shark. After getting a close-up view of the sea lions, we head outside to the Shark Lagoon, where Christopher is smitten by the zebra shark. In the sunshine, children can run about, participate in a couple of hands-on displays, and watch both the sea lions and harbor seals come up for air. Shortly after walking into the Northern Pacific exhibit, with its real-time wave action – “Dad! It’s like the ocean!” Nathan yells out – we come to the playful sea otters. Spinning, diving and, it seems, smiling, two of them make much of their environment. It is hard to believe that the sea otter was nearly hunted into extinction by 1900, for its fine fur. It must have been like shooting a mockingbird, one would think. Nathan names one “Spinner” and Christopher gives the other his own special name, “Shooter.” These two – no, not the twins – eat up to one-quarter of their weight each day. That’s an expensive habit and reminds me not to complain so loudly the next time I see the price of a box of Wheat Chex, which all three of my boys seem to consume at otter speed. The aquarium can be comfortably done in 2-3 hours; the café with outside seating is perfect for young families. On our visits, we exit and walk to the grassy knoll behind the exhibits and break open a picnic nearly in the shadow of the nearby Queen Mary. But about Christopher wanting a real blue whale for his aquarium…won’t happen. The aquarium’s three sea otters alone consume some $45,000 worth of food each year. A blue whale puts away as much as 8,000 pounds a day. As one of the many helpful employees explains, when asked, “Their aquarium is the ocean itself.”m For Letters: ocfamily.com and click on Feedback. IF YOU GO: Aquarium of the Pacific, off the 710 Freeway in Long Beach. It is about 40 miles from the Irvine area. • Hours: Open 9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily; closed Dec. 25 and for the Long Beach Grand Prix. • Special new exhibition: Open May 26 until spring 2007, an exhibition of the most dazzling and dangerous animals in the ocean and on land. These creatures include lionfish, waspfish, fanged snakes and fuzzy spiders. • Admission: General admission: $19.95 adults; $11.95 for children 3-11; $16.95 for seniors. Family memberships are available. Pay attention to the special yellow insert that shows the day’s schedules, which include otter feedings and theater presentations. • Information: 562.590.3100; aquariumofpacific.org; for educational programs: 562.951.1630. |
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