Truth be told admission is ALWAYS free, but there is no better time to visit the Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center's newly installed interactive exhibits.

The new exhibits have been months in the making, and bring with them even more ways to get to know the Marine Sanctuary located right in our backyard. With a focus on making the center more interactive, the new exhibits have lots of activities for you and your tots to touch, move, spin, stack, and play with.

Here is a breakdown of the some of the newest exhibits:

• As you arrive on the second floor of the Exploration Center be sure to look up. Floating over head are a multitude multi-colored jelly fish made from recycled plastic. These beautiful jellies are meant to bring attention to the dangers of plastic in our oceans and show how easily Leatherback Sea Turtles and Ocean Sunfish can mistake a plastic bag for a jellyfish.
• The "Seeing Underwater with Sound" exhibit shows visitors the peaks and valleys of our ocean floor with a multi-pieced spinning puzzle, and pin point impression frames that can be used to see what ocean artifacts look like underwater with sonar.
• There is a lot happening below the surface of the ocean, with some things so tiny you can't even see them with your eyes. Use the Center's new microscope to look at tiny minerals and organisms up close, and be sure to check out the Sea Otter hair and fish bone ear!

• It is very important to know where our food comes from. With a magnetic matching game, the "Sustainable Fisheries" exhibit helps visitors learn about the most common fish caught in the Monterey Bay and the types of fishing boats used to catch them.
• This is your sanctuary! On your way out of the upstairs exhibit, take the pledge to protect our Monterey Bay Sanctuary by adding your pledge to the kelp forest mural. Whether you will commit to saving water by turning off the tap when you brush your teeth or will help clean up trash on the beach, every action you take helps keep our Monterey Bay Sanctuary healthy and thriving.

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm. For more information visit their website.