Monterey Bay Aquarium celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer with the opening of �Sharks: Myth and Mystery,� a new special exhibition featuring sharks and rays of the world, and the debut of �Aquarium Adventures� programs, including a modified SCUBA experience for kids, behind-the-scenes tours, and kayaking and whalewatching trips.

Anniversary festivities are planned throughout the year, including extended hours each Saturday in July, when the aquarium will close at 9 p.m.

The aquarium is regarded as the finest in the United States and one of the great aquariums of the world. Since October 20, 1984 it has attracted more than 35 million visitors, and won nine national awards for its permanent and special exhibitions. It�s consistently ranked among the top family travel destinations in the United States.

�Sharks: Myth and Mystery� explores how people from the Amazon to Australia, Africa and Central America celebrate sharks and rays through art, dance, stories and other traditions. It features more than two dozen living species, and nearly a dozen global cultures. For web visitors, there�s even an online �Shark Cam.�

Live exhibits feature scalloped hammerhead sharks, Galapagos sharks, zebra sharks, puffadder shy sharks, blacktip reef sharks, southern stingrays and many others. Visitors can touch sharks and skates in a shark petting pool, pop up in an exhibit of Central American rays that resembles an ancient Mayan ruin, make shark crafts in a family activity room, and much more.

Throughout the exhibit, there are videos of Hawaiian and African dancers, a dramatization of the Amazonian tale of �Mother Stingray,� carved tribal masks from the Pacific Northwest, Aboriginal bark paintings from Australia � even clips from �Jaws� and the �Saturday Night Live� Landshark skit.

�Aquarium Adventures� programs, which debut after Memorial Day, add a new dimension to a visit. Kids age 8 to 13 can become �Underwater Explorers� during a modified SCUBA experience in the aquarium�s Great Tide Pool, or join their family for a three-hour �Science Under Sail� cruise on Monterey Bay. Other programs include behind-the-scenes tours, pre-opening programs for toddlers and preschoolers, and walking tours of historic Cannery Row. Additional programs will be added to the Aquarium Adventures schedule. Prices vary with each program. For more information visit www.montereybayaquarium.org or call the new toll-free Aquarium Adventures reservation line at 866-963-9646. The website also offers information about whalewatching and sea kayaking trips with qualified vendors in the Monterey area.

Throughout the aquarium, visitors can explore the wonders of our ocean planet in nearly 200 galleries and exhibits, including the award-winning �Jellies: Living Art� special exhibition; the Outer Bay with its million-gallon indoor ocean; playful sea otters; a towering three-story kelp forest; and the �Splash Zone� family gallery, home to penguins, moray eels and leafy sea dragons.

All exhibits and programs except �Aquarium Adventures� are included with admission ($19.95 adult; $17.95 senior, $15.95 student, and $8.95 child; under 3 free). The aquarium is located on historic Cannery Row in Monterey, and open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (summer and holidays); and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (year-round).

Information and advance tickets are available at www.montereybayaquarium.org.

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Media Contact: Ken Peterson +1 831-648-4922 kpeterson@mbayaq.org