Tiny & Tired

JAR (Joel Arthur Rosenthal) sheep head hair clip

Monterey Bay Aquarium volunteers sign up to feed our Kelp Forest fronds twice a day! 

As soon as we get in the water, the fish know it’s time for lunch! We feed them a wide variety of restaurant-quality sustainable seafood like sardines, anchovies, and squid. 😋🐟

During the feeding, guests watch fish dance around the divers, curious and eager for their meal. Our divers love watching the kids on the other side of the glass, captivated by our Kelp Forest exhibit residents.

The interactive feedings help guests feel closer to the ocean and walk away inspired by the beauty and life of this underwater ecosystem. 

There’s wonder in ocean life and caring for it helps us all.

“And we loved it, we were all having a great time, but then he saw my sister and I, and he just got this - this look in his eyes, and then-”

She hesitated, worrying the coarse material between her fingers. “Things got pretty bad after that,” she muttered. “I know it’s silly, but I try to keep - her - comfortable. We don’t know if she can still hear us, or see us, or if she’s even still in here, but I like to think she is. I talk to her when I can, I leave music on when I’m out of the house. I tried to convince my parents to bring her with us when we went to Disneyland, but they didn’t - didn’t really take that well.”