Sea Change

Plan a Relaxing Autumn Visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium

09.08.2021
penguins exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

Right in time for the balmy fall days, the crowds have left and Monterey Bay Aquarium is at its shoulder season best. Fewer people means relaxing with more room to roam and enjoy the animals, exhibits, and nearby outdoors for biking, hiking, and beaches. It’s the best of all worlds—warm autumn days on the Monterey Peninsula and mesmerizing attractions like the Aquarium, plus some big bonuses, like whale season and a giant Pacific octopus that’s beautiful, brainy, and mysterious. Get your tickets now to ensure your spot, then enjoy the sea change. Here are the top three ways to relax, refresh, and rejoice in Monterey.

Get Tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

Sea the Crowd Pleasers Without the Crowd

sea otters exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

jellyfish exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

exhibit at Monterey Bay Aquarium

The animals at the Monterey Bay Aquarium want you to know a little secret: This is the time when they are at their best. Crowd pleasers like the sea otters pour on the charm in less-filled galleries. Get up close and personal with the animals. (Check out the live Aquarium cams.) Sway with the movement of the giant kelp in the Kelp Forest Exhibit. Admire swirling sardines in the Open Sea Exhibit. Come face to face with penguins, sea otters, and sharks! And don’t miss the beautiful, bashful, brainy, giant Pacific octopus. This mysterious animal knows how to keep people guessing!

Get Tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

Whale, Whale, Whale, Look Who's Here

Monterey Bay Aquarium

grey whale breaching in Monterey

It’s a whale of a time to be in Monterey! The bay is a magnet for all kinds of sea life, including 27 species of marine mammals and 94 species of seabirds. But the big attraction in fall is whales. This is a good time to see humpback and blue whales, along with dolphins. One of the best places for whale watching from shore is off the back deck of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, basically a front-row seat for viewing the wildlife in Monterey Bay. On-site spotting scopes help zero in on the action, and expert wildlife staff are there to share information and help you see your favorites.

Get Tickets to the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

Relax and Recharge in the Outdoors Nearby

bike on the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

After first getting some zen time with the floating, flowing, and glowing jellies at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, refuel close by along the 18-mile waterfront Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail. Bring a bike or rent one and go for a pedal, past the Aquarium and along the seaside, spying sea lions, passing sailboat docks, and feeling the ocean breeze along this car-free route where the tracks of the Southern Pacific Railroad once ran. Bring a picnic to enjoy at one of several grassy areas overlooking the rocky shoreline.

Pro Tip: If you’ve ditched the gas pump for an electric vehicle, you’ll find charging stations all over town.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories

  1. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

  2. Afternoon on the Island

    What is it about tiny islands in the middle of lakes? There’s something that just draws you in. It’s even more fun when getting there is half the adventure because you have to reach it by canoe, kayak, paddleboat, or a ranger-guided boat tour!

    View

  3. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View
  4. Hiker in the forest at Mount Sutro in San Francisco

    San Francisco's Middle Earth

    No need to travel to New Zealand to visit Middle Earth. San Francisco’s Mount Sutro Open Space is practically Hobbiton—a hidden “shire” in the middle of the city. Okay, maybe not quite as magical, but still an incredible place to take a hike in city limits.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories

  1. Locals' Feature: Jim Litchfield, Owner of Reno Fly Shop

    If there's a river, you're likely to find Jim Litchfield there. As the owner of Reno Fly Shop, Nevada's premier fly fishing outfitter and shop, Jim's passion for rivers knows no bounds: he's fished in places near and far, including Alaska, Bolivia and Christmas Island. But home is beautiful Reno, where he has been running Reno Fly Shop and leading tailored river float and fly fishing adventures (including beginner-friendly options) for over a decade.

    View

  2. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View

  3. Volcanic Activity

    Northern California is home to one of the most unique ecosystems in the country: Lassen Volcanic National Park. The region features geothermal areas, including the largest dome volcano in the world, Lassen Peak. Hike to the top of this active volcano on a 5-mile out-and-back.  

    View

  4. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View