Tag Archives: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Finding Dory at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! #FindingDoryEvent

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Finding Dory at the Monterey Bay Aquarium!

By Erin

*I was invited by Disney on a press trip for Finding Dory. All thoughts and opinions remain my own.*

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Last month myself and 24 other amazing writers went on an adventure of a lifetime with the quest of Finding Dory. This trip landed us in Monterey Bay, California at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We were free to wander around as we wished to try to find her. Have you seen her? Finding Dory will be swimming into theaters everywhere on June 17th.

Monterey Bay Aquarium Finding Dory

The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. For over 30 years, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has worked to protect ocean life for future generations by inspiring young and old with the beauty and wonder of the ocean. So come along with us and let’s take a tour of the aquarium and see if we can find Dory!

Sea Otters

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The first thing that caught our eye after entering the aquarium were these adorable otters! These playful California sea otters make their home in a two-story exhibit that they share with coastal marine life. These gals are super fun to watch. Very playful, they were given toys to play with and chunks of ice that they would find creative ways to break apart to find some yummy treats to eat inside. I could have very easily stayed here all day watching these amazing animals, but we needed to find Dory!

Before moving on though, we had to check out the special delivery that had arrived just two days before. Outside, in front of the aquarium a wild sea otter had given birth to an adorable little pup on the rocks. Guests were all standing out on the overlook watching the mother and her baby. If you look closely, you can see her below on the left side, on the second rock sticking out. Yep, that little brown blob is her. Then you can also see a closer up shot I was able to get of her. She swam off into the ocean with her pup the same day we had to leave.  🙂

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Touch Pools

Rocky Shore Touch Pool

Next we made our way over to the Touch Pools! Here you can get up close and personal to Mr. Ray’s cousins, the bat rays, sea stars (like Peach!), and other friends of Nemo and Dory at this interactive exhibit. There is also a very cool Wave Crash gallery nearby here that pumps about 600 gallons of water and “crashes” every 30 seconds! The walk-through tunnel in the wave crash exhibit is one of the most popular family photo spots in the Aquarium.

Kelp Forest

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Our next stop on our journey to find Dory, was to the magical kelp forest! This three-story exhibit is the first and largest living kelp forest community created at any aquarium. Pixar animators studied the water movement and play of light here at this very exhibit! How cool is that?

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Swim Along With Me to the Finding Dory Event in Monterey Bay! | #FindingDoryEvent

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Swim Along With Me to Monterey Bay!

By Erin

*I have been invited by Disney to cover this media event. All expenses and materials for this event have been provided courtesy of Walt Disney Studios, but all opinions remain my own.*

(Pictured) DORY. ©2013 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

DORY. ©2013 Disney•Pixar

Have you seen her? Come take a deep dive with Dory and I as we swim along with 24 other swimmingly amazing bloggers to the #FindingDoryEvent! It all starts bright and early Monday morning, as I’ll be flying into San Jose. Throughout the event, we will be meeting a ton of amazing filmmakers, including 2-time Oscar-winning Director Andrew Stanton, and animators, and I am so excited! One of the other major highlights of the trip that I cannot wait for, is that we will be spending some time at the Monterey Bay Aquarium! I have had a lifelong love of sea life, at one time wanting to be a marine biologist, and even earned a special medal for Marine Biology and the Life Sciences my senior year in high school. I also have logged in hundreds of volunteer hours at our local aquarium, the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, so you can say I am just a little excited to get to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium again! 🙂

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The mission of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Aquarium is to inspire conservation of the ocean. Having the opportunity to learn so much about the follow-up to Disney’s 2003 Finding Nemo at the Monterey Bay Aquarium makes for the perfect setting, going behind the scenes to learn of all the research that went into the making of Finding Dory.

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Photo @Monterey Bay Aquarium

 The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a showcase for the habitats and sea life of one of the world’s richest marine regions. Housing more than 35,000 creatures and representing over 550 species fill 34 major galleries. With nearly 200 exhibits in all, the Aquarium is a window to the wonders of the ocean.

Dory returns to the big screen in Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory”—in theaters Nov. 25, 2015. ©2013 Disney•Pixar. All Rights Reserved.

Dory returns to the big screen in Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory”

Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory reunites everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Nemo and Marlin on a search for answers about her past. What can she remember? Who are her parents? And where did she learn to speak Whale? Directed by Andrew Stanton (“Finding Nemo,” “WALL•E”) and produced by Lindsey Collins (co-producer “WALL•E”), the film features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill, Kaitlin Olson, Ty Burrell, Eugene Levy and Diane Keaton. Finding Dory swims into theaters June 17, 2016.

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Have you seen the new trailer yet? You will fall in love with Dory and Nemo all over again! Follow this famous fish with a big heart and a bad memory in her journey to find her family. Just keep on swimming and watch the adventure unfold!

For all the action, make sure to check out all of the Finding Dory  links below to follow along! Finding Dory swims into theaters June 17th!

Also be sure to follow the fun of the #FindingDoryEvent hashtag on Twitter and Instagram for some amazing photos and for the latest information about the movie and some cool facts about the sea life in the film!