Bright Lights, Big Ocean

The Aquarium of the Pacific is offering another way to test your sea legs this summer. Every weekend from June 18 through September 5, the Urban Ocean World Port and Sealife Cruise will explore the co-existence of natural and manmade worlds with close up views of operations at the port as well as the majestic harbor bridges and the breakwater and encounters with the pelicans, gulls, sea lions and other wildlife that share the water with international ocean-going vessels. The two hour excursion is narrated by aquarium staff who share facts about the area and discuss how individuals can preserve the ocean for future generations. Tickets cost $29.95 for adults. No information is given on the website about how many cruises are offered each Saturday and Sunday or when the cruises set sail. Call (562) 590-3100 ext. 0 for more information

Aloha Aquarium

Get out your coconut halter tops and dish out the poi! The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting the Pacific Islander Festival on June 5 and 6 from 9 am to 5 pm. With ethnic cuisine and entertainment like hula dancers and Tahitian drumming, cultures from Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Maori, and Marshall Islands among others will be represented. The festival is included with general admission

Los Cerritos Wetlands in the Spotlight

Eric Zahn, a leader of Friends of Colorado Lagoon and professor at CSULB, will speak at the Aquarium of the Pacific on November 30. His topic is "Restoring Los Cerritos Wetlands: Waiting for the Tides to Return." and the lecture starts at 7 pm. Tickets cost $8 and usually the lectures are taped and you can watch them on the website.

Oh Those Baby Blues!

Blue whale watching season is in full swing. Of course, there's never any guarantees of actually spotting one of those gigantic beauties or a bouncing baby calf, but some of the experts over at the Aquarium of the Pacific feel that the pods that migrate off the shores of Long Beach between June and September are growing larger. In case you have trouble keeping your whales straight, the blue whale is the biggest of the bunch, measuring as long as 108 feet, dwarfing your average dinosaur. A baby blue whale matches a small bus.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is sponsoring daily cruises in search of the blue whale with naturalists on board to give information about these endangered marine mammals. Be alert for sightings of dolphins, seals, and sea lions on this 3 1/2 hour cruise. Tickets, which include aquarium admission, go for $62.50. Harbor Breeze Cruises charges $45 for its 3 to 3 1/2 hour whale watching cruise and documents an 85% chance of spotting a blue whale based on whale sightings logged for the last month.

Admittedly a little pricey but a great way to beat the heat and get a eye-opening perspective on the grandeur of the natural world.

Save Water and Get into the Aquarium Free

Just got a postcard in the mail today from Long Beach Water Department. Among other things, it's promoting free landscape classes. The one the intrigues me is called Choosing the Best Plants for you and takes place at the Aquarium of the Pacific from 8:30 to noon on April 25 and May 23. If the class reveals even one plant that can stand up to my love/hate relationship with watering, it will be well worth the time. An added bonus, after the class, you get free admission to the Aquarium and see how they put all that water to good use.

Water, Water Everywhere . . .At Least For Now

The Aquarium of the Pacific’s newest exhibit, “Our Watersheds: Pathway to the Pacific,” goes beyond cute fishies and ocean monsters to address California’s looming catastrophe—and I’m not talking earthquakes here. Our beautiful, but over-populated state faces massive water shortages unless we all get serious about saving water.

The open air exhibit features a eye-catching waterfall and other interactive exhibits with water-conservation tips as well as a garden of drought adaptive native plants. An interactive website about watersheds created by the Aquarium gives a taste of scope of information covered in this eco-friendly exhibit, with appeal for water-lovers (and water consmuers) of all ages. You can pick up a “Pass to the Pacific” at any branch of the Long Beach Public Library for 50% discount for up to four admissions. The offer is good through May 22 with some blackout dates around spring break.