For some, this post about the Monterey Bay Aquarium may be pedestrian; I apologize in advance. For those who have not yet attended, I proffer a few photographs illustrating a brief overview. Though I’ve been many times, I can’t visit Monterey and not visit the aquarium; perhaps a gene askew or such.

Tuesday, my wife and I found ourselves one of only a documented three hundred visitors that day. The place appeared almost abandoned yet, on the other hand, it was wonderfully quiet. No yelling kids, squalling infants, no rude elbowing people — just a host of visitors, of all races and nationalities, enjoying themselves and availing themselves of the various exhibits, videos, pools, tours and tanks. The staff couldn’t wait to explain the various tanks and sites. Frankly, it was the finest time I’ve yet had at the aquarium. Ever. [Contrast this with the summer, when staff indicates the aquarium sees up to 10,000 people per day.]

Above, Toola the Otter poses pointedly (chin on paw) in a fashion heretofore undocumented. MacKenzie, our guide at the otter pool, said she’d never seen Toola in such a contemplative and yet coy and demure mood.
In the kelp forest, all sorts of Big Fish (and some smaller ones too) laze about in the ebb and flow of the recreated ocean environment — one of the tallest tanks (at 24+ feet) in the world. Kelp in Monterey Bay, by the by, grows up to four inches — per day. Looking up, you’d think you’re in the bay itself. Simply spectacular.
It’s 4 pm and that means: feeding time in the kelp forest. A lemon shark attempting to go vertical “nut-nibbling”?
Alphonso the Diver explains the feeding regimen for the various fish — including sharks — in the kelp forest. Wearing a full-face mask and connected by a single air line to the surface some twenty feet above, Alphonso alternately sounds like Darth Vader and himself. He and every diver in the facility are volunteers. These positions are so coveted that divers wait for three or more years to be able to clean the tanks, much less feed the fish in public.
Big shrimp. Massive-antenna’d shrimp. Scowling shrimp. You want a piece’a me? Go ahead buddy, stick your finger down here! Heh-heh.
Beautiful, wafting anemones.
A delicate Pacific Seahorse. These creatures seem like little audio animatronic entities or CGI 3D projections. In fact, male seahorses become pregnant and give birth, just like my former Governator.
The wonder of the Monterey Bay Aquarium is that the creatures are brought to life before your eyes — and, though they live just behind incredibly- and-deceptively-thick acrylic sheets (you’ll bonk your noggin or your hand at least once, being fooled by the perspective), the creatures seem as real and as near as if you were diving amongst them.
Outside, the Pacific waves continue to batter Monterey’s rocky shores. Monterey Bay sits on the precipice of one of the most sheer and deepest canyons in the Pacific — transitioning from a few hundred feet and then straight down to roughly 6,000 feet.

Excellent overview of the Monterey Canyon here. And one of the very few places in the world where, should you choose to visit, you will see seals and sea otters and whales and feathered friends in most every shade and stripe. And likely they’ll be no more than twenty feet in front of you.

Does the above view look familiar? Perhaps you should check out Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), wherein the Cetacean Institute was, in fact, the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Ah, memories.

Fair skies, calm seas, cascading swells, azure caps, hissing waves, the Pacific is just that.

BZ

[Click on each photo to enlarge markedly.]

Now that I’ve acquired your attention, I’m sure you’ll agree that scenario would garner public and media attention for, literally, weeks on end. There would be immediate calls for resignations and, beyond that, investigations into endemic commission racism, corruption and, further, calls for federal action and potential prison time exposure.

Now do the reverse, for that is the truth. From CBS/DFW.com:

Updated 10:25 p.m. Feb. 15 2011

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Tuesday’s Dallas County Commissioner’s Court meeting erupted into an argument between Commissioner John Wiley Price and a citizen, ending with Price repeatedly telling several citizens to “go to hell.”

The exchange started during the public speaking portion of the meeting, which happens after the commissioners have gone through their weekly agenda.

Six citizens addressed the court. All of them talked about the recent controversial departure of county Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet. Sherbet, who was the Elections Administrator for 24 years, said he felt Price and Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins forced him out.

The last public speaker at Tuesday’s meeting, Jeff Turner, began by stating that he would refer to “a certain member of the court” — Price — as “the Chief Mulllah of Dallas County.”

Court rules state that public speakers may not address individual commissioners by name.

As Price stood to leave, he looked at Turner and the five other citizens who addressed the court. Price said to them, “All of you are white. Go to hell!”

Price repeated “go to hell” three more times. An unknown member of the audience said, “You should be ashamed!”

“I’m not ashamed!” Price answered. “I’m not ashamed! Go to hell!”

Read the entire article and draw your own conclusions.

I can only summarize that, had the roles been reversed, clear racial lines would have been drawn and people would have been fired, investigated and perchance even prosecuted.

BZ

Our friendly, neighborhood Peeping Gull, who perches on the iron railing every morning.
The Wake-Up Seal, who slaps his flipper into the water every morning at 8 am like clockwork whether we want to arise or not (we sleep with the door open). Why does he slap the water with his flipper — to stun fish? To announce his presence? — we don’t know.
Mom Otter. Pup isn’t far away. Mom, as you can see, is tagged (as are most local otters in Monterey, depending upon the study.), and attempts to break into a brightly-colored starfish.
Mom and pup. Mom found the grub, broke it up into perfect chunks and then shared with pup.
The sailboat Tierra Lynn (#56086, 46-feet, 25 tons, manufactured in 1999 by Cantiere del Pardo SRL, Italy) heads north out of Monterey Harbor heeling seriously to starboard in the wind.

And all of this wondrous activity directly out and below our 4th-floor veranda. Sorry, no rain, some clouds, no fog, a bit of wind, but gorgeous weather. You simply can’t go anywhere near the water in Monterey and not see marine and aerial wildlife.

BZ

Whilst the rest of the United Snakes of America wrestles with snow, ice, freezing rain, bad traffic, delayed borborigmus, flatulence, flooding, power outages, ice storms and Ebola — the wife and I are celebrating our fourth anniversary (on Valentine’s Day) at the Monterey Bay Inn, overlooking the wondrous and stellar Monterey Bay in bereft Fornicalia.

Last night we partook of Bubba Gump’s (a simple but guilty pleasure), hosted by the effervescent Chantal. We strolled Cannery Row at night with minimal crowds. We fell asleep on the pillow-top bed to the sound of waves crashing — as you can see — literally and directly below the veranda.

Monday morning, we were greeted with seals barking, gulls singing and the sight of a fleet of otters, floating amidst the kelp, bobbing on cerulean waves. The sky was blue, the sea was green, clouds scudded past. We are here, in the fourth (top) floor corner suite, until this coming Sunday. There may be some rain on the horizon but, at this point, we don’t much care. As you can see, we’ve had some feathered guests drop occasionally by.

Earlier today (Monday) we stopped at REI in Marina and purchased a pair of Vibram FiveFingers for my wife. I’m a little hesitant to do so for myself but, trooper that she is, she wore them for a good four hours after the purchase. They’re not cheap; $90 for this pair. There is a separate “cloven hoof” model for State of Fornicalia politicians. They cost three times as much but, no problem, they’re paid by taxpayer dollars.

We hit the Borders in Marina as well, and stocked up with some new books: The Fallen (Parts 1 & 2) for my wife, and T. Jefferson Parker’s Iron River in trade paperback for me.

Tonight we’re ordering room service from Schooners. Or perhaps some local pizza. We haven’t yet decided.

The view is incredible. We can see directly across the bay to both Moss Landing (with its two huge towers) and, further to the west, Santa Cruz — where I once worked for the S.O. But that’s another story entirely.

Uh-oh. Knock at the door. Pizza’s here. Gotta go.

BZ

[Click on photos to enlarge them significantly.]

Apparently Texas Representative Ron Paul, in a recent straw query at CPAC, polls currently as the Number One GOP presidential preference.