September 13, 2005

Wheeling Through the Monterey Bay Aquarium

By Scott Paul Rains, Travel and Disability Editor


The perfect “10-out-of-10” wheelchair accessible building may not exist. But after visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey California, I know where I’d send someone who asked me how to build - and staff - one. The first thing I’d ask them to do is get in a wheelchair and roll along beside me. Imagine yourself in that chair and take the tour with me.

Enter. Yes, the Aquarium has the usual awkwardly tall ticket booth, but, the staff person is quite accommodating. During this construction period everyone enters through the big, manually opened door at the Group Entrance. It swings easily – with no threshold at all. Onto the easy-rolling tile floor -- you’re in! Spaciousness is the first impression.

Look up. The Marine Mammal display leaves you feeling dwarfed and awed. You can find a spot near the fixed benches to comfortably view the continuously playing movie on whales, seal lions and dolphins.

Look over your shoulder. The Sea Otter home can’t help but make you feel playful. There’s a ramp near the cafeteria to take you to the sunken viewing area right up against the glass. Close and dark, but not claustrophobic, as you sit face-to-face with an impressive wall of water. Otter antics and audience appreciation make the space entertaining. For a top-down view of these critters, look at the monitors on the wall.

Plan your path.. Rule #1 is: Don’t miss the feedings! A close second: Take in the movies.

Shop. If you have some time on your hands for the next showing, as I did, give in to the temptation of the two shops on either side of you. The aisles are wheelchair navigable whether you head towards the logo clothing, sea-motif silver jewelry, books, or baubles. Be advised. There’s another shop upstairs near the Penguins and a fourth at the Jellies: Living Art exhibit. Great stuff there too.

Watch a movie. The reserved seating in the theater’s top row makes it unnecessary to descend the sloped aisle to locate a seat. Staff was quick to approach the non-disabled patrons to vacate these choice seats for me but the guests had already perceived the conflict and were on their way out by the time staff arrived. That comfortable transaction preceded a gripping, and troubling, film introducing the Seafood Watch campaign. Ocean fisheries are being alarmingly depleted. All is not well under the waves. Tangle with Kelp. Facing the columnar, two-story Kelp Forest tank can be disorienting. Sharks circle overhead. Colorful ocean fish lazily swim up to meet you eye-to-eye. An artificial wave machine pulses the long kelp fronds in a hypnotic rhythm and all the tank’s residents proceed in that orderly chaos expected of aquarium-dwellers. At feeding time the pace picks up! You can watch the spectacle from home on one of the Aquarium’s five web cams. What isn’t apparent is that the diver may be one of two volunteer divers who uses a wheelchair when on land. Knowing that we are represented on staff – and in such a prominent role – makes it less surprising to me to find consistently well-trained and attentive staff throughout the facility. Universal design is more than an architectural façade here.

Look around.. While still on the first floor in this section of the Aquarium you can be enthralled for hours spying on cuttlefish, wishing you were as flexible as the octopi, and feeling a certain kinship with the invisible-in-plain-sight bottom fish. The Sandy Beach and Aviary exhibit’s close-up glimpse of shore birds has a voyeuristic feel while the Penguin habitat (take the elevator to the level right above) can have a certain comic tenor – especially at feeding time.

Sniff. The cafeteria has surprisingly good food. Time your visit well. During the busiest periods it gets crowded in the food court’s cramped space and there may not be a staff person readily available to assist you.

Be a kid again. Kids giggle as they crawl through “caves” or sit inside a giant clam. Kids-of-all-ages react with mixed attraction/repulsion to the feel of tide pool creatures of the Touch Tank in the Splash Zone. Be brave. Check out the Bay Ray tank. A wheelchair is no impediment there. The raw power of the Coastal Stream and Tide Pools always draw me in and usually set me up for a contemplative stroll outside along the deck overlooking the Great Tide Pool.

Head south.I like to save the Outer Bay Wing’s exhibits for the finale. Make your way back to the entrance but this time explore the second floor. A dizzying school of anchovies circle continuously overhead in the entrance to the Outer Bay section. That frantic activity is a deceptive introduction.

Linger. The jellyfish exhibit’s monochrome lighting and the bizarre beauty of its jellyfish evoke an almost mystical feel. Pause. Everyone does. At the point where you pass from the Drifters (Jellyfish) into the massive Outer Bay display, a little investigation will turn up an elevator to the balcony. Don’t miss the chance to move up. Watch giant bluefin tuna and sea turtles, sunfish and dorado from your secluded mezzanine perch on a “screen” that rivals an IMAX.

Marvel. Art imitates life imitates art in the Jellies: Living Art display. Spectacular – and humorous. Filmed choreography (none of the dancers in wheelchairs), painting, sculpture, computer animation, ostentatiously framed aquaria keep you moving from one emotion to another while always educating. The Chihuly glass shapes of the sea were especially stunning but only one portion of this beautiful section.

Celebrate. Congratulations on a long day well spent! I prefer to spread the tour over two days and be leisurely. There’s so much to absorb. Celebrate by taking yourself out to one of Monterey’s excellent restaurants. There are several just a short roll away.

Surf. Whether you want to relive your visit or plan for a future one, the Monterey Bay Aquarium web site is an exhaustive resource that is engaging in itself. Plan to surf by.

And by the way, watch out for sharks!

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Scott Rains is the publisher of www.rollingrains.com, a useful website with valuable tips and information for disabled travellers.