Today we explored the charming historical area of Monterey called Cannery Row. In the 1930s and 40s, Monterey was a 'sardine town' : huge schools of sardines swam in the Bay, and catching and canning them was the main occupation of the town. It was a boom time, particularly during the Second World War when the US Army bought huge quantities of canned sardines for the troops. By the late 1940s, Monterey Bay was fished out - there were no more fish and the canneries closed.
Today the canneries have been restored and contain shops and restaurants. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is the biggest cannery conversion, and researches the Bay and teaches visitors about conservation of marine habitats. The exhibits are exciting. Some are very big, like the kelp forest, and some, like the different seahorses, are small. It is an inspiring place.
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| The Kelp Forest exhibit includes a small school of silvery sardines. |
The Aquarium's research institute is fascinating. There is a deep ocean trench in Monterey Bay and they use robot submarine vessels to go deep into the ocean with cameras. Some of the creatures that are filmed have yet to be identified.
You can find out about their research work here:
http://www.mbari.org/
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