Monterey's Viva Baja has a great exhibition in tropical fish, but Plymouth has two big exhibits of Eddystone Reef and the Great Barrier Reef. Does an aquarium with less of quantity of tropical exhibit but more of a reputation stand against a lesser known aquarium with a stronger collection?
This was a close one for me but I have to give it to my home aquarium of Monterey. Viva Baja is a nicely themed exhibit with nice, rarely seen, tropical fish like bluespotted jawfish and Cortez rainbow wrasse. It may not be big like Plymouth’s but it has nice small exhibits that are colorful and with interesting species. The aquarium’s splash zone has also some tropical fish tanks and although they are nothing amazing, gives educational value of how invasive red lion fish are doing damage to certain reef ecosystems. Overall the Monterey bay aquarium wins for me due to qualitative exhibits and not just big reef exhibits. If I wanted to see a big reef exhibit I’d just go to the California Academy of Sciences but if I want to see unique species with interesting themes and colorful small exhibits, Monterey would be the place to go (Although I can name a few other reasons why to go to Monterey unrelated to this thread). My vote is for Monterey.
