Built in place of a former sardine cannery, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is widely hailed as one of the nation’s premier aquatic collections. If you’re visiting Monterey, don’t leave without gamboling through the kelp forest and fraternizing with the finned folk within. Whether you’re a young sprightly seahorse or an old weathered whale, you don’t want to miss the colorful critters and elaborate displays in this seaside menagerie. Here are our best tips for making the most of your maritime adventure.

1.    Stay for dinner

While the aquarium offers a variety of film presentations and auditorium shows, you’ll find the liveliest entertainment at the penguin and sea otter feedings. On a typical day, each feeding occurs twice—once mid-morning and once mid-afternoon.

The penguins and sea otters are already amongst the most rambunctious inhabitants of the aquarium, but when you add deliciousseafood morsels to the mix, they can scarcely contain their excitement. As the feeders throw succulent handfuls of fish and shrimp to hungry beaks and furry bellies, they also toss educational tidbits and commentary to the spectators on the other side of the glass. The current penguin-feeding schedule is 10:30 and 3:00. The otters eat at 10:30 and 3:30. 

2.    Bring your camera

If you ever thought it would be cool to be a National Geographic photographer, bring a camera. You won’t be able to leave the aquarium without snapping one or two seascape masterpieces. Cameras that fare well in low light will be particularly useful. Some exhibits—the octopus, for example—do not allow you to use a flash. And besides, camera flash is apt to cause glare on the glass and blow out the breathtaking rainbow of natural oceanic colors. If you can get away without blinding the animals, please do. A camera can help you slow down and examine eachdisplay from a multitude of angles, but remember to take the lens out of your eye once in a while and appreciate the critters on a more personal level.

3.    Take it slow

Give yourself plenty of time to savor each display, no matter how big or small. If possible, make the aquarium the day’s big event. Three hours is a good time estimate, but set aside five just to be sure. The extra time will be especially important if you plan seeing any auditorium shows or have a child who will want to participate in the touch pools and interactive displays. As you make your way from exhibit to exhibit, try to keep in mind that the aquarium, while large, isn’t too big to see in a day.  You needn’t scurry from exhibit to exhibit to catch it all. Get your money’s worth by taking time to soak in the splendor of each fin and flipper

4.    Know when to go

The aquarium is large enough to accommodate substantial crowds, but the fewer ribcages your elbows have to jostle, the better. Aquarium crowds follow a predictable logic. Weekends are busy. Summers are busy. Midday is busy. Optimal visitation occurs weekdays in winter right after the aquarium opens and when it’s preparing to close. You may not be able to choose what time of the year or what day of the week you visit, but, regardless, arrive early. If you want to dodge the midday rush, get a free reentry stamp and take a break for lunch or a coastal stroll.

5.    Explore Cannery Row

The aquarium won’t take all day. It closes early, and you’ll have all evening to amble along Cannery Row. With its multitude of kitschy souvenir shops and novelty restaurants, the Row caters heavily to tourists. But by embracing its industrial and literary history, Cannery Row manages to preserve its integrity. Joseph Steinbeck is something of a mascot on the Row, his face and novels ubiquitous, his fame exploited by the venders. But despite the blatant commercialization of one of America’s great authors, it remains a Mecca for Steinbeck fans. Save a half an hour or so for a jaunt through the wax museum, a corny little attraction with poorly animated figures and murky audio narration. It’s tacky through and through, but it’s fun and educational and makes for a great introduction to Monterey and Steinbeck. And one final note: stay away from Johnny Rockets. Indulge instead in the Bay’s immense selection of fresh seafood. The area is swimming in the country’s best clam chowder outside of New England. Sample the local cuisine and avoid resorting to chain restaurants.

Stephen Vanderpool is a writer for NerdWallet | Travel, a blog for adventurers on a budget.