I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW...
SEA LIFE TOURS' GLASS BOTTOMED BOAT

There are a lot of ways to experience the wonder of the creatures that inhabit Monterey Bay, but if you want to get up close and personal, on the water is best. On a recent beautifully sunny afternoon, we hopped onboard the bright yellow and red glass bottomed boat at the end of Fisherman's Wharf for a three-hour tour, a three-hour tour… er, a twenty-five minute guided tour.

Highlights:
Paul says: "Our guide, John, was very funny. His humor was above the heads of the children a lot, but I got a real kick out of him. He really knew a lot about the sea lions, seals and other marine life and communicated this well to all the passengers. Jenna (9) was tickled that the animals had names and wondered how John could tell Flo the Otter from all the others. I'm sure he's told the same stories a thousand times, but his spiel did not seem canned.

I also appreciated the fact that we were allowed to move around somewhat on the boat It's difficult for kids to sit still and they fortunately weren't required to. There were a LOT of photo opportunities both inside and outside of the boat, and that meant not always sitting in the same place.

Most of those pictures were of the hundreds of sea lions off Coast Guard pier. We were close enough to see them clearly without disturbing them. The otter that followed us and the fishing birds that are "the same ones as in our book, A Story About Ping," were highlights for the children, while Julie enjoyed watching the pregnant seal. The boat doesn't go out very far, but it was amazing how much wildlife there was in such a small area."

Julie adds: "Keep your eyes open as you pass the Municipal Pier. There are literally hundreds of huge male sea lions resting on the planks and blocks. A magnificent sight to behold, and a lot of history provided to us by our tour guide.

We were fortunate enough to take this trip just after a rain so everything had settled to the bottom and the water was pretty clear (it's usually somewhat murky.) We didn't actually see any animals underneath the surface, but the kids were thrilled searching for kelp and shells, and just hanging over the rails was a mini-adventure.

This is a perfect trip if you have children that are a little timid or don't have a lot of exposure to the water. It's a calm-water trip and once hesitant Elizabeth (4) realized waves were not going to hit her, she was quite happy to be on a 'real' boat".

The trip was a nice afternoon excursion that we were able to do as a whole family. Our older ocean-experienced children (9 & 7) enjoyed it, while the younger children (6 & 4) absolutely loved it. This would also be a wonderful trip for an elementary school class, enjoyable and educational at the same time, and bilingual tour guides are available for those whose preferred language is Spanish.

Out & About Helpful Hints: The time goes by very quickly. When you leave, while your children are still very excited, take them to the beach just to the left of the Wharf. They'll be able to see the same seals from a different angle, and you can reinforce what they've just learned.

Kid Safety Considerations: Life jackets are on the boat for every passenger, though our guide explained they've only ever been needed as pillows. The short gangway to the boat can be a little scary and you might want to just carry the little ones.

(c) 2000 Paul and Julie Gentry. Note: this article first appeared in Monterey County Family Magazine.