Itinerary: Under the Sea

The Pacific Ocean can boggle the mind. Almost twice as large in area as the Atlantic, its average depth is nearly 13,000 feet--more than 10 Empire State Buildings stacked up.

The Pacific ranges from the ice floes of Alaska to the tropical islands of Hawaii and beyond. Its temperature is a major determining factor in our weather. And let’s not forget all the fish. In 1998, more than 63% of all the fish landed in the United States--some 5.8 billion pounds--came from the Pacific Coast and Alaska region.

This weekend, experience what’s under the sea.

Thursday

About 78% of all the fish caught is used for human food--that’s about 4.5 billion pounds out of the Pacific. And a portion of it winds up at local seafood markets, which offer a wider selection than most supermarket fish counters.

Commercial fishermen are required to have a special license to sell directly to the public, but sometimes on Saturday mornings you can get lucky and the municipal wholesale markets at the Los Angeles Harbor (at the end of 22nd Street and Signal Place) are open to the public.

For a sure--but more expensive--catch, try Santa Monica Seafood (1205 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica; 1700 N. Main St., Orange; 154 E. 17th St., Costa Mesa. [888] 762-3663), Fish King (722 N. Glendale Ave., Glendale. [818] 244-2161) or Pacific California Fish (512 Stanford Ave., downtown Los Angeles, [213] 629-0045). You’ll have to wait in line a bit but won’t have to tell any stories over dinner about the one that got away.

Friday

Sushi and sashimi--carefully selected and cut raw fish--are something of an acquired taste. But once you acquire it, there’s nothing better. L.A. has every kind of sushi bar, from places where there’s dancing on the tables (Tokyo Delve in North Hollywood, Miyagi’s on the Sunset Strip), to all-you-can-eat establishments (Todai, near the Beverly Center). But to focus on the fish at hand, go for the authentic experience in Little Tokyo. Oomasa (100 Japanese Village Plaza mall, 1st Street at Central Avenue, Los Angeles, [213] 623-9048) is a good bet, with a wide selection at the sushi bar or on the menu.

Saturday

There’s no place landlubbers can see more fish than the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific (100 Aquarium Way, off Shoreline Drive, Long Beach. Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $7.95 to $14.95. [562] 590-3100). The aquarium is home to more than 10,000 ocean animals.

The Great Hall of the Pacific is one of the first rooms visitors enter. Hanging from the ceiling is a full-scale model of a blue whale, the largest animal on the planet. The three main galleries examine marine life in the north Pacific, around Southern and Baja California, and the tropics. And besides our fine finned friends, there are sea otters, jellyfish, rays and a giant octopus.

Sunday

This is prime whale-watching season because some of the California gray whales are heading south to the warm waters to calve, and some are already swimming back north to the Alaskan feeding grounds with little ones--relatively speaking--in tow.

Sunday, the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium (3720 Stephen White Drive, San Pedro, [310] 832-4444) offers “The Complete Whale Watch.” The $15 program starts at 10 a.m. with a slide show about whale migration followed by a docent-led whale-watch excursion. Reservations: (310) 548-7562.