Aquarium Of The Pacific's First Members Prom!

A sly old fish, too cunning for the hook

3/26/2015 And We Are Off To The "Prom"

Relive the glory days of high school and join us for our first-ever Member Prom!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Whether you arrive with your sweetheart, go stag, or make it a group date, you're sure to have a blast. Dance to the hit songs of the past as you sip on a drink from the cash bars, get your prom photo taken, and learn more about the prom "king and queen" nominees (a.k.a. your favorite Aquarium animals).

If you need a break from the party, feel free to wander through the crowd-free galleries and enjoy the tranquility of the exhibits. Look for information in eWaves (our e-newsletter for members) and on the Aquarium social media pages.

Members are encouraged to wear their fanciest duds to go with the theme (i.e. prom-like dresses in taffeta, satin, or chiffon, tuxes and suits, and other formal attire) but casual attire is welcome as well. The member with the best outfit will be awarded "Best Dressed" during the event!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Click for full sized image

First We Dine At P.F. Changs...

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Paul assists Bullwinkle J. Moose with the big words

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Rocky has the right idea... Chocolate cake!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The inside of the fortune cookies tells all!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Jan must have a good one!

Did You Know? - As far back as the 19th century, a cookie very similar in appearance to the modern fortune cookie was made in Kyoto, Japan, and there is a Japanese temple tradition of random fortunes, called o-mikuji.

The Japanese version of the cookie differs in several ways: they are a little bit larger; are made of darker dough; and their batter contains sesame and miso rather than vanilla and butter.

They contain a fortune; however, the small slip of paper was wedged into the bend of the cookie rather than placed inside the hollow portion.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
They were quite right.... To the aquarium we go!

It Was A Short Walk To The Aquarium

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Did You Know? - The Aquarium of the Pacific (formerly the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific ) is a public aquarium on a 5-acre (20,000 m2) site on Rainbow Harbor in Long Beach, California, United States. It is situated across the water from the Long Beach Convention Center, Shoreline Village, and the Queen Mary Hotel and Attraction

The Aquarium sees 1.5 million visitors a year and has a total staff of over 900 people including more than 300 employees and about 650 volunteers.

The Aquarium features a collection of over 11,000 animals representing over 500 different species in exhibits ranging in size and capacity from about 5,000 to 350,000 gallons.

It opened June 20, 1998

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
A hop skip and a jump!
(They are practicing "The Stroll" for later on)

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The roof line is unique... Much like waves in the ocean

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Much to see

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
An aluminum water fall!

Did You Know? - In the United States, and increasingly in the United Kingdom and Canada, prom (short for promenade) is a semi-formal (black tie) dance or gathering of high school students.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Rocky blasts through the curtains with zeal!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Here comes everybody else

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Parker became the Prom King!

Time To See Some Of The Displays

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The floor to ceiling tank was full!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Colors anyone?

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We made it rain to show the flow of water through the LA Basic

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Three major channels flow through Los Angeles

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Amazed!

Did You Know? - The East, West and North Forks of the San Gabriel River, rising in the San Gabriel Mountains inside the Angeles National Forest, form the source headwaters of the river.

San Gabriel Reservoir and Morris Reservoir, both formed by flood prevention dams built in the 20th Century, submerge most of the upper stretches of the main stem San Gabriel. It is not long after the river leaves the San Gabriel Canyon and exits from the mountains into the San Gabriel Valley near the city of Azusa.

The normally dry riverbed proceeds southwest to the Santa Fe Dam, which impounds the river in the Santa Fe Flood Control Basin. After exiting the dam, the river flows south in a flood control channel roughly parallel to Interstate 605, also called the San Gabriel River Freeway, past Covina and El Monte, receives Walnut Creek and San Jose Creek from the left in quick succession, then proceeds into the Whittier Narrows where it is impounded behind Whittier Narrows Dam.

Here, the river receives the Rio Hondo from the right, then splits in two immediately after: the main stem continues to flow south, while the Rio Hondo carries a portion of the water southwest to empty into the Los Angeles River near Downey.

The San Gabriel River, however, continues to flow south, past Bellflower and Cerritos. It forms the boundary between Los Angeles and Orange Counties for a brief stretch before merging with Coyote Creek, one of its main tributaries, near Los Alamitos. The river eventually becomes tidal and empties into the outlet of Alamitos Bay between the cities of Long Beach and Seal Beach.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The San Gabriel flows just a few hundred feet from our home

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We visited the sharks...

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Very unique species are on display

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The docents were great this evening.... No kids (except Bullwinkle)

Did You Know? - Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor (i.e. professor ordinarius). Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach. The term is derived from the Latin word docēns, which is the present active participle of docēre (to teach, to lecture). Becoming a docent is referred to as habilitation.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The hospital was closed for the evening...

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The stars were out on this warm evening... It was 70+ and quite pleasant out

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Scared us to death.... Jumped right out of the concrete

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
"Hello there sailor"

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
"According to this... We are lost!"

Back Inside We Go

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The displays were clean and not surrounded by screaming kids!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Everyone was amazed at the Jellyfish

Did You Know? - Jellyfish or jellies are the major non-polyp form of individuals of the phylum Cnidaria. They are typified as free-swimming marine animals consisting of a gelatinous umbrella-shaped bell and trailing tentacles. The bell can pulsate for locomotion, while stinging tentacles can be used to capture prey.

Jellyfish are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. Scyphozoans are exclusively marine, but some hydrozoans live in freshwater. Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The DJ was warming up

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We had a whale of a time

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
"Hello there... Just us here!"

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Bye... We are off to see more of the displays

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
To the cold.... cold... North Pacific

Did You Know? - The North Pacific Gyre (spiral or vortex), located in the northern Pacific Ocean, is one of the five major oceanic gyres. This gyre covers most of the northern Pacific Ocean. It is the largest ecosystem on Earth, located between the equator and 50° N latitude, and comprising 20 million square kilometers.

The gyre has a clockwise circular pattern and is formed by four prevailing ocean currents: the North Pacific Current to the north, the California Current to the east, the North Equatorial Current to the south, and the Kuroshio Current to the west. It is the site of an unusually intense collection of man-made marine debris, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Rocky told us all about it!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Bullwinkle assisted Rocky in the explanation

Did You Know? - Rocky reefs are submerged rock outcrops with varying relief, creating refuges for juvenile and smaller fishes in addition to surface area for colonization of algae and invertebrates.

Rocky reefs take a variety of forms, each with a different associated biological community. Starting from the shore, rocky intertidal zones are an interface between land and sea. The rocky intertidal is home to plants, invertebrates, and fishes during high tides.

Crashing waves, daily low tides that strand marine organisms out of the water, and competition for space make life in the rocky intertidal stressful. Nearshore rocky reefs are completely submerged, but still receive enough light for photosynthesis.

They are inhabited by algae, invertebrates, and groundfishes. Rocky reefs in deeper water do not receive enough light for photosynthesis and are dominated by sessile invertebrates, deep sea corals, and groundfishes. Most rocky reefs are beneficial because of the physical structure they provide to support an ecosystem.

Seamounts are particularly unique habitats that are formed by undersea mountains. The steep slopes of the mount force nutrient rich deep waters to rise to the surface generating food sources for a variety of fishes and other marine fauna.

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Mother Nature loves colors

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Kelp can be quite interesting

Did You Know? - Kelp grows in underwater "forests" (kelp forests) in shallow oceans, and is thought to have appeared in the Miocene, 23 to 5 million years ago.

The organisms require nutrient-rich water with temperatures between 6 and 14 °C (43 and 57 °F). They are known for their high growth rate — the genera Macrocystis and Nereocystis can grow as fast as half a metre a day, ultimately reaching 30 to 80 metres (100 to 260 ft).

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Crab anyone??

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The prom is well underway... We have one more display to see

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The tropics mean warm water

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
This little guy could move pretty fast

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Why all the colors under the sea??

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
CAUTION: Do not put your fingers in these washing machines

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Quit clowning around

Did You Know This About The Clown Fish?

Fact 1: Clown fish have a mutual symbiotic relationship with the sea anemone; unlike other fish that are paralysed by the anemones poisonous tentacles, the clownfish makes its home amongst the anemones tentacles

Fact 2: Clownfish belong to the Damselfish family

Fact 3: All Clownfish begin life as males; if the dominant female of the group dies then one of the males will develop into a female

Fact 4: Clown fish wait for the sea anemone to paralyse its prey and then eat what the sea anemone leaves behind!

Fact 5: There are 28 different species of Clown Fish

Fact 6: Despite their 'clown' name and image the clown fish is an aggressive fish and very territorial

Fact 7: The most popular species of Clown fish is the Percula clown fish known to most people as the 'Nemo' fish; made popular by the 2003 Disney Movie 'Finding Nemo'

Fact 8: Clown fish are monogamous and mate for life. If the female dies, the male will change sex and become female. She will then mate with one of her own offspring!

Fact 9: Clown fish keep the sea anemone clean and removes parasites from its tentacles

Fact 10: Once the female lays her eggs, the male clown fish will protect them until they hatch

Fact 11: The female clownfish is always larger than the male

Fact 12: They are called 'clown' due to their coloring and large black and white bands of color

Fact 13: The female clownfish can lay up to 1000 eggs at a time and they hatch in about seven days

Fact 14: Clownfish have many predators and due to their distinctive coloring are unable to disguise or camouflage themselves; the sea anemone provides safety and a source of food

Fact 15: Clown fish are poor swimmers and never venture far from their host anemone

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Sue studies the fish.... Loads of different kinds inside this area

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Amazing... Just imagine what the fish are thinking

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Bullwinkle takes a selfie?

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
They were indeed plugged in.... And glowed!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Rocky And Bullwinkle Head For Home

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
"Good night ol' bean... ol' chap"

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
See you soon!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
"Perhaps before we depart for the UK"

We Did A Little Bit Of Dancing

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We went dancing for a few minutes

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
People watching is as interesting as watching the fishies!

Time For A Drink!

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We walked back to PF Changs ... The reflections were amazing

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
The Pine Avenue Pier was busy

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
We tried Gladstones but they were closed...

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015
Back inside we go for a drink before going home

Prom Night at the aquarium 3/26/2015

Turn Up Your Sound For Some Music Of The Ocean