Earlier this week, my wife and I spent some time on the Monterey Peninsula on the Central Coast of California. By far the highlight of our sightseeing there was the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Entrance to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 60mm, ISO 100, 1/320 sec., f/14.
Situated on beautiful Monterey Bay, the complex is a stone’s throw from Cannery Row, a tourist trap of the first order. (I’ll admit that I’m sometimes a sucker for tourist traps and that we wondered around Cannery Row after our visit to the aquarium.)
The view across Monterey Bay from the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 50mm, ISO 100, 1/200 sec., f/9.
The sea otters and penguins were cute, and the views from the observation platforms at the back of the aquarium were lovely. But my favorite exhibit by far was Into the Deep, the newest addition to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I saw all manner of crabs, coral, and, perhaps most impressive of all, jellyfish.
Two of the many species of jellyfish on display. Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 105mm, ISO 25,600, 1/80 sec., f/7.1 (left) and 63mm, ISO 10,000, 1/60 sec., f/5.6 (right).
As was the case when my wife and I visited the Chicago Art Institute in May, I found myself people-watching just as much as I was observing the exhibits. With my Canon EOS R8 camera in hand, I took my opportunities to get some shots of people both in and out of the water.
Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 38mm, ISO 6400, 1/60 sec., f/5.
Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 24mm, ISO 5000, 1/60 sec., f/4 (left) and 70mm, ISO 4000, 1/80 sec., f/6.3 (right).
Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 80mm, ISO 12,800, 1/80 sec., f/7.1.Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 105mm, ISO 640, 1/125 sec., f/7.1.
A woman reacts to one of the fish in a giant tank in the Into the Deep exhibit. Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 35mm, ISO 25,600, 1/30 sec., f/4.5 (left) and 35mm, ISO 25,600, 1/40 sec., f/4.5 (right).
Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 40mm, ISO 25,600, 1/30 sec., f/5.Canon EOS R8 with Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM zoom lens, 35mm, ISO 25,600, 1/30 sec., f/4.5.
If you ever find yourself on the Monterey Peninsula, I highly recommend you check out this fascinating destination.
