New exhibit encourages play and features an expanded African penguin habitat, big-bellied seahorses, and colorful coral reefs

MONTEREY, Calif., Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Monterey Bay Aquarium opens “Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar,” on Saturday, November 7. The new bilingual exhibition aims to build empathy for ocean animals through movement and play. It features a vibrant coral reef with a custom-built wave machine, an expanded African penguin habitat, and multiple play areas that encourage children to connect with the ocean and its animals. The space, while created with children from 2 to 6 years old in mind, is welcoming to visitors of all ages.

“The main theme of this exhibit is building empathy with ocean life in kids through movement, so we’ve selected endearing animals that move in fun ways,” said Monterey Bay Aquarium CEO Jenny Gray. “We want Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar to be a space of discovery, wonder, play, and connection that will make a lasting difference in the lives of our visitors and the health of our ocean. By inviting children to move their bodies like a penguin or a leaping blenny and mirror their behavior we’re activating their brain’s empathy engine through play, and creating a deep and joyful connection with ocean life.”

Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar draws on research showing that empathy is a critical driver of long-term environmental engagement and care for the planet. The exhibit uses role-play and mimicry throughout to give children the animals’ perspectives to create appreciation and care for marine life. Children (and adults) can move along with colorful, charismatic animals, peeking and hiding in a coral reef and splashing in a new water play area.

Aquarium staff carefully chose the animals in Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar to immerse visitors in these animals’ habitats and encourage different movements. The species boast a variety of colors and move in a variety of ways: cuttlefish flutter, clownfish nestle among anemone tentacles, bluespotted ribbon tail rays ripple their fins, penguins waddle, and big-belly seahorses twist and wrap their tails around seagrass.

The exhibition’s labels use a children’s book tone and style with the animals as the main characters to further reinforce empathy. Caregivers can read the labels out loud, inviting children to consider the world from the animal’s point of view.

“We wanted to create an experience where children connect with live animals through movement and play. Early in this project, we engaged with young children and their adults to ground our design in the movements and words children would intuitively express in relation to each animal,” said Vice President of Exhibitions Emily Saich. “We’re hoping visitors of all ages and abilities will move, play, explore, and connect with the animals and leave the Aquarium with a stronger commitment to protecting them and their ocean homes.”

As a nonprofit, the Aquarium relies on visitations, memberships, and donations to bring new experiences and conservation work to life. Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar was made possible through the generosity of our members and donors, with special thanks to major leadership gifts provided by the Acton Family, Connie and Bob Lurie and Penguin Exhibit sponsors Susie and Gideon Yu Family.

Aquarium guests can expect a joyful experience from Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar filled with animals, interactive displays, and immersive activities. Highlights visitors see as they go through the new exhibit include:

• Big-belly seahorses: clusters of whimsical, larger-than-life seagrass towers toward the ceiling, to replicate big-bellied seahorse habitat. Visitors are encouraged to hold on to a seagrass cluster like a seahorse. As they keep going they will see a living exhibit with dozens of seahorses doing the same: holding, twisting, and wrapping their tails around bright-green strands of seagrass.
• Leaping blennies: shapes in the floor cue visitors to hop from rock to rock like blennies, and then to a large, open-top exhibit filled with dozens of leaping blennies close-up at eye level. Water washes over the rocky landscape they inhabit, causing the blennies to leap, hop, and sometimes flop across the wet stones.
• Coral community: In one of the largest individual exhibits, visitors can see bluespotted ribbontail rays ripple their fins as they glide up and over the reef. Around them, clownfish nestle, hide, and peek out from among anemone arms and colorful corals dazzle in the (20-foot-long) reef while a wave ripples through the water. Nearby, children can move up, over and through a coral-themed play area as if they are a tropical reef creature. The multisensory environment encourages full-body movement, with the primary pathway fully accessible to visitors of all ages and abilities.
• African penguins: projections of waddling and swimming penguins lead to a much-expanded penguin habitat that is the centerpiece of the gallery. Visitors can see penguins diving into the water for a swim while others preen, waddle, and rest on a rocky beach. To the right of the penguin habitat, digital interactives feature silhouettes of penguins in motion, inviting children to waddle, flap, and shake their tail like a penguin. As visitors connect with the penguins, they learn and begin to care more deeply about the impacts of a changing climate and overfishing on animals and what people can do to improve the chances of survival for this critically endangered species.

Become Monterey Bay Aquarium members to see the exhibit first during special preview events, and enjoy unlimited visits all year long while supporting the nonprofit Aquarium’s global conservation, education, and research programs. When the exhibit opens, you can discover more about Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar online! Stay connected at home by watching the Penguin and Coral Reef cams, and following the aquarium’s YouTube and social media channels. Purchase tickets and plan a visit on the Monterey Bay Aquarium website, MontereyBayAquarium.org.

About Monterey Bay Aquarium
With a mission to inspire conservation of the ocean, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is the most admired aquarium in the United States, a leader in science education, and a voice for ocean conservation through comprehensive programs in marine science and public policy. Everything we do works in concert to protect the future of our blue planet. More information at MontereyBayAquarium.org.

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SOURCE Monterey Bay Aquarium