Sea of Life - Blogabond

This is going to be a really simple entry - (1) cos I just want to share some photos of my favourite sea-creatures we saw at the Monteray Bay Aquarium, and (2) it's 3am in San Francisco and I should really get to bed despite having hibernated under the covers for most of yesterday evening. (If I were a bear, I would store body fat for 9 months worth of hibernation and only wake up in summer.)

Dan and I love scuba-diving. We had picked up the hobby separately before we met, so it was an added bonus to discover that we could be life buddies as well as diving buddies. He taught me how to get started on underwater photography (and he still sweetly cleans and maintains my camera housing on most dive trips for me) and I educated him on identifying marine life beyond Red Fish, Yellow Fish and Anemone.

So exploring the aquarium in Monteray Bay together - said to be the best aquarium in the nation - was a delightful experience. Amazing sea-creatures, large tanks to ogle at, interesting exhibits and someone to share my excitement with. What more could I ask for.

The old warehouses along The Cannery - now housing shops and eateries.

Charming buildings by the sea at Monteray.

Sunny sidewalks and happy people.

Looking out across the bay.

Sunny days are here again.

The great ocean does not make distinctions between the big and the small.

Beautiful stingers.

Moongazing

Crystal necklace anyone?

The jellyfish is my favourite animal - not exactly a contender under the Top Ten most popular creatures I know, which would probably include the usual dogs, dolphins, giraffes, etc. I once did an exercise where we were suppose to imagine ourselves to be animals. Everyone else turned out to be something strong and powerful like a snake or lion or an eagle. I was rather alarmed when I opened my eyes and realised that I was being a jellyfish!!! I'm attracted by it's quiet beauty and graceful movements. And how one creature can encompass both the polar opposites of fragility and deadliness. Unlike lions, tigers, bears, cheetahs, sharks, etc. who portray power through their size, gait, roar or bite, the jelly doesn't bother to boast of such things. It swirls around in an ethereal dance in a distant world. It seems to be laughing merrily and whispering for you to draw near and join it in its weightless swim. It charms, mesmerises and hypnotises. Lovely.