Undocu Club Takes on Monterey Bay Aquarium

On April 1st, the Undocu Student club took over 20 students to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. As an avid marine life enthusiast myself, I was delighted to be able to go on the trip. As the trip was alongside the parenting club, many parenting students and their children were present as well. When we arrived, it was a bit cold and overcast, which is perfect aquarium weather. 

The twenty of us ventured into the aquarium, excited to begin our journey through this wondrous display of sea creatures. We began with the sea otters, who as always, were delightful. According to a nearby sign, one of the otters in the exhibit was found stranded and hurt. It was brought to the aquarium for rehabilitation, and is now thriving. 

We then made our way into the aquarium’s newest exhibit, Into the Deep. This area opened in April of 2022, and features a variety of deep sea marine life, including coral, isopods, and of course, jellyfish. In order to cope with the darkness of the deep sea, these creatures have developed a number of fascinating adaptations, including bioluminescence. Bioluminescence refers to the production and creation of light by living organisms. We watched in awe as jellyfish lit up, pulsing back and forth through their tanks. 

After this exhibit, we ventured to the Splash Zone, where we were able to watch a penguin feeding. While certain penguin species require colder temperatures to survive, the African penguins on display in this exhibit thrive in temperate climates, similar to that of Monterey. These penguins mostly consume anchovies and other small fishes. According to the docent, penguins in the wild consume up to 14 percent of its body weight each day. For reference, for a 150 pound (68 kg) person, that would be like eating 21 pounds (9.5 kg) of food a day.

After exploring a few of the other exhibits, we concluded our time at the aquarium with a quick walk through the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s aviary. While we often focus on aquatic life, birds and avian species are an important part of the aquatic ecosystem. Here, we saw several types of fauna.

The best part of the visit, however, was being able to obtain a student membership for just ten dollars. While a student membership normally costs $75, we were able to put the cost of our tickets, which were $65 toward a membership. Since the tickets were purchased using money from the Associated Students of West Valley College,students only had to pay $10 for a year-long membership. With a membership, students can visit as many times as they want per year, enjoy access to member exclusive events, and receive a 20% discount at the gift store. 

Overall, the trip was a lovely afternoon filled with mirth and lively discussion. I am truly grateful to the Undocu student club for organizing this trip, and for my new student membership. I would highly recommend anyone who is interested in marine conservation or marine life at large to visit Monterey Bay Aquarium.