Continuing onto the second floor of the Aquarium of the Pacific, visitors are given the option of which gallery to explore first - the Northern Pacific Gallery, or the Tropical Pacific Gallery.
While coral reefs and tropical fish are popular staples of aquariums, many of the most charismatic species in the aquarium can be found in the Northern Pacific Gallery. Foremost among these are the sea otters, which have a beautiful, lengthy enclosure with rows of seating to accommodate views of the animals. Like Monterey Bay Aquarium, Aquarium of the Pacific takes part in a sea otter surrogacy program, though the otters are not naturally found this far down the coast. Another popular exhibit showcases tufted puffins, common murres, and crested auklets in a pool backed by a rocky cliff, which the birds use for nesting and perching. Giant Pacific octopus and Japanese spider crabs are among the other impressive residents of this cold-water gallery, as well as jellies and anemones.
The tropics are best represented by one large reef habitat, bisected by a tunnel, which houses two species of sea turtle (including my first ever olive ridley turtle) in the aquarium's largest tank, 350,000 gallons (though it doesn't look as massive as the Blue Cavern at the aquarium's entrance. Smaller tanks around the edge of the gallery feature sea horses (and their bizarre relatives, the sea dragons) and other smaller, more fragile species which cannot be managed effectively in the big tank.
Tucked between the northern and tropical galleries is a small collection of amphibians, Frogs: Dazzling and Disappearing. It's an attractive set of small habitats representing amphibians from around the world and is one of the aquarium's few breaks from its Pacific theme. I wasn't entirely sure if this is a permanent display or a traveling one. The collection wasn't too unique in terms of new species I hadn't seen before, but I must commend the quality of some of the enclosures, especially the hellbender display, which was much larger and better furnished than what I often see for this usually immobile species (perhaps a coincidence, this is the only exhibit in which I've seen a hellbender actually swim).
The newest addition to Aquarium of the Pacific is one of its more unique aspects - in part because it has almost no animals. This is Pacific Visions. After two trips through it, I'm still no entirely sure what to make of it. It included a 4D theater, an art gallery, and a series of displays about lessening our environmental impact, both individually and as a society. From outside the aquarium it is certainly the most striking feature, an enormous oblong structure of blue glass panels, gleaming in the California sun. I liked the conservation messaging and the focus on some non-living displays - but I wonder how many visitors may cut this section out of their visit because there really weren't animals to see (I will admit I spent less time here than in other areas for that reason). If everything were being done over again, I wonder if it might have been more effective to intersperse these elements among the rest of the aquarium exhibits, or if this is, in fact, the best way to curate this section.
Aquarium of the Pacific could be said, in some senses, to be in Monterey Bay Aquarium's perpetual shadow. It's true, its more famous colleague does have a more striking signature exhibit (Kelp Forest) and the scenery is even more spectacular (though I suspect some laypersons may favor AoP for it's inclusion of seals and other aquarium favorites absent from Monterey). Having visited both in the space of a few months, I found the two to be complimentary, not competing. Monterey gives an in depth view of the surrounding ecosystems, while Long Beach puts it in a more global perspective. Both are excellent facilities making important contributions to marine conservation, and I'd love to pay another visit to each of them.
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