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| Boats docked in the Rainbow Harbor soak in the morning sun while the lighthouse watches over in the distance. |
Text and photos by Jason McKenney
“Don’t ever grow up to be one of those people, my dear.”
We were on a relaxing
stroll around the Rainbow Harbor of Long Beach, slowly circling the white
sidewalk up towards the lighthouse, me and my eighteen-month-old daughter. A
family had passed us; mother, father, and two teenage kids. Each one of them
had been staring blankly at a mobile device as they walked, missing all the
beauty that surrounded them. It was sadly comical.
The morning was bright
and warming quickly. The sun’s reflection shimmered on the blue water like the
flapping of a million golden butterflies. As we walked we were passed by
joggers on our left, bicyclists on our right. We moved closer to the top of the
small hill that jutted out towards the Queensway Bay. At the top of the hill
was the pristine lighthouse that has become a Long Beach icon. I also noticed
so many people walking by staring at their phones that I began to wonder what I
was missing out on.
“Too many screens will be
the death of us, Frankie.”
We reached the top of the
hill. The bay stretched out ahead of us while the harbor curled in behind. The Queen Mary, a beautiful 1936 ocean liner
now a hotel, rested nobly on the far side of the bay. A Princess cruise ship
waited further out, preparing for its departure to sea. It was probably headed
north to San Francisco or possibly south to Ensenada, Mexico. Either option
would be a joy.
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| The lighthouse sits on top of the hill at Rainbow Harbor, guarded by slender Washingtonia robusta palm trees. |
Turning around we viewed
the restaurants, shops, and docked boats lining the other side of the harbor.
The tall financial buildings and hotels of downtown Long Beach jutted up just
beyond. The Aquarium of the Pacific is nestled comfortably inside the harbor.
It draws attendance both locally and from around the world. The spill-off of
Aquarium visitors has helped support the cottage industries that have cropped
up around the harbor: whale watching tours, bed and breakfasts on yachts,
dinner theaters, sport fishing and an assortment of other harbor excursions to
suit every fancy, even burials at sea when the time is right.
I had brought a stroller
for my daughter but she insisted on walking. We walked slowly back down the
hill and made our way towards the front gate. The Aquarium of the Pacific is
open every day of the year save Christmas and during the Long Beach Grand Prix
in April. Their website advises the best time to arrive on the weekends is early.
We arrived at 9am right when they opened. Already at that time a healthy line
was queueing up outside the gate, mostly families with children waiting anxiously
to see the animals. I imagined all the animals inside breathlessly preparing to
see all the children and I chuckled to myself.
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| A group of penguins prepare for the day at the Aquarium of the Pacific. |
Once inside, I picked up
Frankie and carried her through the main concourse. We passed the interior
displays and walked briskly under the giant fiberglass blue whale named Edie.
Frankie stared up in wonder, confused as to what the giant creature was doing
up there. We headed to the outdoor wing where the popular touchpools reside. We
burst through the double-doors and made our way to the stingray tank before it
was mobbed by kids. The rays glided under the water like spirits before slyly
poking their noses up waiting for pets like spoiled puppies. Frankie is usually
very excited around animals. She pointed at the rays and said “Nini!” which is
the name of our family dog. “No, not Nini. Here, you can pet the stingray.”
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| A stingray at the Aquarium stares at us, awaiting its pets. |
I picked Frankie up and
began to lean her down towards the briny water so she could oblige the
strange-looking fish, but she suddenly tensed up, clutching me with a koala hug,
and turned away. Not quite as brave as I thought. We walked by the other
touch-tanks filled with shovelnose guitarfish (I had never heard of them
either) and other breeds of rays, all of which were very popular with the
arriving guests.
We headed back inside to
walk through the dark tunnels and passageways that hold the interior exhibits.
Each exhibit is categorized geographically.
The Southern California & Baja tunnel features animals that live in
the water surrounding Catalina Island (another nearby destination that can be
quickly accessed via boats departing the Rainbow Harbor). A giant kelp forest
is recreated in the Amber Forest exhibit, home to the jagged California
scorpionfish. The Gulf of California display contains pastel-colored rainbow
wrasse, porcupinefish (aka blowfish due to their ability to puff up), and the
gloomy-looking Mexican lookdowns with their long faces and frowny mouths. Seals
and Sea Lions can also be found in this wing, bathing, diving, and performing
like hams for your attention.
The Northern Pacific
Gallery contains life from the Bering Sea such as Sea Otters, giant octopus
(which unfortunately are not big enough to pull down a submarine), long-legged
spider crabs, and glowing jelly fish. One exhibit contains a replica of a cold
and rocky coastline acting as home to thick-beaked puffins and white-eyed
auklets. Being a great fan of Hawaii, I enjoyed stepping through the Tropical
Pacific tunnel. The enormous Tropical Reef Habitat houses large sea turtles,
spotted zebra sharks, and a coral lagoon. In other tanks are the kaleidoscopic
butterfly fish, striped humbugs, and yellow-lipped clown triggerfish. This wing
is also home to the bazar leafy seadragons, weedly seadragons, and a variety of
majestic sea horses that make one grateful such odd-looking creatures have
evolved on this planet.
The Aquarium is a great
place for grown-ups curious about sea life from the deepest oceans that they
may not otherwise ever be able to see, but for children, the Aquarium really
sings. The dark passages, vibrant touchpools, and cackling lorikeets create an
atmosphere of wonder and intrigue that one just can’t get by reading a book or
watching NatGeo, or even staring at an iPhone.
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| Enjoying the view of Queensway Bay with the Queen Mary in the distance. |
If
you go…
Rainbow
Harbor
Rainbow Harbor and
Rainbow Marina is located between Shoreline Village and the Aquarium of the
Pacific in the heart of downtown Long Beach. It is also just steps away from an
array of shopping, dining and entertainment options, located at Shoreline
Village and the Pike Outlet stores.
Aquarium
of the Pacific
Open 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Every Day of the Year,
Except Christmas Day (Dec. 25) and During the Grand Prix of Long Beach
General Admission $29.95
(age 12+) $17.95 (ages 3-11) $26.95 (ages 62+)
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| Jellies |
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| Seahorse |
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| Frankie colors a fish. |
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| A sea otter takes a bath. |
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