Zoo animals may be given pumpkins to eat (and play with and roll around and dig inside) around Halloween, but the aquarium fish are very often visited by Diver Santa come the holidays.
We couldn't choose what event is more picture-ready -- a monkey sitting inside a gourd is pretty dang cute -- but Diver Santa is definitely growing in popularity, and certainly at the bigger aquariums around the globe. Our own Aquarium of the Pacific puts out the invitation to Kris Kringle every year, and the Jolly Old Elf obliges, as he will again on Saturday, Dec. 1 and Sunday, Dec. 2.
The crowd-pleaser is indeed the man in the red suit swimming inside the aquarium's mega lobby tank, but there are other holiday-sweet parts of the day. Otters savor candy cane-shaped ice treats and lobster tails. A few snowmen will show up in various parts of the ocean-loving institution as well. Plus there'll be snowfall in the Blue Cavern.
Meet-and-greets with Santa Otter, holiday storytelling, and other seasonal haps are on the agenda. Which you'll want to check out if you want to see a particular feeding or show. It's a pdf.
If you have some extra time at the aquarium, a new show opens on Saturday, Dec. 1 Name? Ocean Soul/National Geographic Photography Exhibit. The photos'll run through March 1.
bottom photo: Hugh Ryono
