Monterey and Carmel

 On the way to Carmel by the Sea we stopped off at the Mission Ranch Lodge at Mission Beach which Clint Eastward owns and rents out villas on the property. He apparently rescued it from Apartment developers and renovated the entire property. It is a very tranquil setting and we could have stayed longer just wandering around but unfortunately time didn't allow. The grounds cover 22 acres with spectacular views.

 The Dream Casters Tour van that we had all to ourselves. Very comfortable and a great diver who stopped and showed us many places that were not on the itinerary.

 A beach scene in Monterey Bay. Beautiful white sand and many old trees.

 We wandered the streets in Carmel by the Sea before lunch and discovered this home that had a tree canopy covering all of their front section right up to the roof. I imagine it was great for the summer time but not so good on the dismal cold days of winter when the fog hardly disappears.

 Discovered this very large lone statue in Devondorf Park in the town centre. Not sure who it was as no name inscription but it was pretty impressive amongst the trees and looked as though it had been there for many years.

 The former Cannery Company building in Monterey. It was a former sardine canning factory. The business began in 1902. Today it houses stores and restaurants

 We spent a day at the Monterey Aquarium which was one of the best aquariums we have ever visited. Its a non profit attraction and their main mission is to inspire conservation of the ocean. It opened 30 years ago They have a lot of hands on exhibits and kids can book a sleep over in front of their favourite exhibit. They also have diving lessons in an ocean pool behind the aquarium. The most impressive exhibit was the 8.5 metre tall kelp forest that was best viewed from the lower level. It was the first aquarium in the world to grow live giant kelp. It has a surge machine at the top of the tank that provides the constant water motion that kelp requires. The kelp grows 4 inches a day which requires divers to trim it once a week.

 Giant plumed anemone.

 Complete in its own enclosure is the coastal bird exhibit. It was amazing and there were so many birds we had never seen before. The bird on the right is a Western snowy plover which had a nest with eggs in-between two driftwood logs. The one on the left was a killdeer, but I'm not sure what the middle one is. They all seemed to be happy co- habitating.

 This was an indoor clear tunnel that captured the wave wash over the rocks outdoors. Amazing.

 The outdoor diving pool where classes were in action, as school had just broken up for the year, so lots of kids participating

 This huge water tank contained plastic rubbish that had been retrieved from the sea. Looked very colourful but a bit of an eye opener and concerning to what is out their in the ocean and how dangerous it is for marine life.

The giant kelp forest window.