California Tourism Industry Hails the Age of Aquariums

Something fishy is going on in California--it’s the tourism. Three new fish-related attractions have opened in the state so far this year, while construction has begun on the $100-million Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific, which is set to open in 1998.

To the south, Sea World of California unveiled its Shamu Backstage exhibit over the Memorial Day weekend. The 1.7-million gallon habitat lets visitors get up close and personal with everybody’s favorite killer whale. Guests can touch, train, feed and even wade with the mammoth mammals away from the glare of the show ring. Think of it as Shamu Unplugged.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium also has taken the natural approach. Its new million-gallon Outer Bay gallery allows visitors to view sea life in the open water where Monterey Bay meets the ocean. Guests can watch soupfin sharks, green sea turtles, stingrays, barracuda and other swimming critters through what the aquarium claims is the biggest window in the world: an acrylic panel that’s 15 feet high, 54 feet long and weighs 39 tons.

They’ve got plenty of acrylic up in San Francisco Bay as well. UnderWater World, billed as America’s first “diver’s-eye view” aquarium opened in April at Pier 39. Guests descend into the 707,000-gallon habitat through acrylic tunnels where they can view free-swimming stingrays, sharks, crabs, jellyfish, eel and other ocean wildlife.

So what’s with all the fish?

Warren Iliff, executive director of the Long Beach Aquarium project says it’s a lot of things. Aquariums are indoor environments so they’re a year-round attraction, while marine exhibits are a natural fit for coastal California. Plus, Iliff says, aquariums are “an interesting cross between a zoo and a museum. They are fun and attractive and still educational.”

Bottom line: Tourists want fish--and not just sushi.

Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670 and at marla.dickerson@latimes.com