Rocky Shore
The shoreline is the border between two worlds, a fluid boundary where the water advances and retreats with the rhythm of the tides. Here, barnacles stand on their heads and wave their feathery legs in the currents and brilliant ochre stars ply the rocks.
What You’ll Find
The Rocky Shore includes these galleries:
- Wave Crash: Some animals thrive on the full force of a crashing wave, while others know how to hide in this dramatic walk-through gallery.
- Rocky Shore up Close: Steer and zoom a camera by remote control to find a new view, as the tide rises and falls.
- Wave Splash: Watch tube snails catch food with their elaborate mucus strands, as well as bat stars, striped shore crabs, giant green anemones and owl limpets.
- Touch Pool: Get up close and personal with decorator crabs, sea cucumbers, urchins, abalones, hermit crabs, snails and mussels.
- Filter Feeders: Turn the wheel and watch live acorn barnacles turn to face the current and get a meal.
Did You Know?
- Our Wave Crash gallery pumps about 600 gallons of water and “crashes” every 30 seconds. That’s more than 500,000 gallons per eight-hour day.
- The walk-through tunnel in the wave crash exhibit is one of the most popular family photo spots in the Aquarium—timing your shot is part of the fun.
- Galleries within the Rocky Shore get raw seawater at night; during the day, the water is filtered to provide a clearer view.
- The concept of intertidal "zones" was first described by Monterey biologist Ed Ricketts in his landmark book, Between Pacific Tides, which also influenced the design and layout of the entire Aquarium.
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