点评:I recently went here with my kids (ages 8-12) as a morning outing when we were on a weekend trip near Santa Cruz. We had considered heading to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, but many sources say it's crowded, which is not great for us. So this was our better option. This place is very manageable - parking is easy, it's not crowded, it's not large. There is an entry fee, but not a huge investment, and both times I've visited we could opt into a 30-minute guided tour, which makes the ticket feel worth the price to me. Most of the staff seems to be UCSC students, so I like that my kids might absorb an impression of science-minded college students. Don't expect that the docents you'll be interacting with are highly polished TV-ready marine science spokespeople, however, as they have varying levels of experience and public interaction skills.
There is a shark you can pet, as well as a touch tank with sea stars, hermit crab, etc. Another hands-on exhibit is a powerful digital magnifying glass with interesting specimens; and a little wave tank; otter pelt and seal pelt to feel. In tanks there are interesting local sea creatures but I didn't have a chance to look at those much. There are nice posters that seem to be student-made that raise interesting points beyond what your kid probably already knows about sea life (e.g. breaking down the fear of sharks). On the tour, you might see sea mammals who are engaged in research. They make a big deal about how these animals are not engaged in entertainment, no photos allowed, so that's an interesting point to be exposed to.
The center is perched on a cliff above the Monterey Bay. I think learning about the incredible characteristics of the Monterey Bay (via the 30 minute tour or signage) is one of the most valuable aspects of a visit here. It's also beautiful.
翻译:最近,当我们在圣克鲁斯附近周末旅行时,我和我的孩子(8-12 岁)一起去这里作为早晨郊游。我们曾考虑前往蒙特利湾水族馆,但许多消息来源说那里很拥挤,这对我们来说不太好。所以这是我们更好的选择。这个地方很容易管理——停车很方便,不拥挤,也不大。需要门票,但投资并不大,而且我两次参观都可以选择30分钟的导览游,这让我觉得门票物有所值。大多数员工似乎都是 UCSC 的学生,所以我喜欢我的孩子可能会吸收有科学头脑的大学生的印象。然而,不要指望与您互动的讲解员是高度专业的电视海洋科学发言人,因为他们具有不同水平的经验和公共互动技能。
这里有一条鲨鱼,你可以抚摸,还有一个触摸池,里面有海星、寄居蟹等。另一个动手展览是一个功能强大的数字放大镜,上面有有趣的标本;和一个小造浪池;水獭毛皮和海豹毛皮来感受。水箱里有一些有趣的当地海洋生物,但我没有机会仔细观察它们。有一些看起来是学生制作的漂亮海报,其中提出了一些有趣的观点,超出了您的孩子可能已经了解的海洋生物知识(例如,打破对鲨鱼的恐惧)。在旅途中,您可能会看到正在进行研究的海洋哺乳动物。他们非常重视这些动物如何不从事娱乐活动,不允许拍照,所以这是一个有趣的点。
该中心坐落在蒙特利湾上方的悬崖上。我认为了解蒙特利湾令人难以置信的特色(通过 30 分钟的游览或标牌)是访问这里最有价值的方面之一。它也很漂亮。