Monterey Bay Aquarium
886 Cannery Row, Monterey (831) 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org
Geek alert: Each time a rocket or shuttle takes off from Earth, it travels through five spheres (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere and exosphere) before hitting outer space. The troposphere also includes the upper part of the hydrosphere, which encompasses all of the Earth’s water. That sphere is the purview of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Forget your ideas about traditional two-dimensional artwork as the definition of a museum: The inspiring exhibits make it one of the best museums about ocean life on the entire planet. More than just beautiful to look at, the exhibits draw visitors in to let them interact directly with sea life. Few places let terrestrial Earthlings closely watch sea otters play, talk to a diver feeding fish in the kelp forest, touch sea stars and sea urchins (no glass!), feel the power of an ocean’s wave cascading overhead without getting wet, and get up close and personal with baby jellyfish. The Aquarium carefully curates exhibits to advance its stated mission: to inspire conservation of the ocean. That’s what’s called a sphere of influence.