$57M gift helped open Monterey Bay Aquarium, whose sea otter programme has saved 1,000+ animals

In 1984, a $57 million gift from David and Lucile Packard helped turn a former cannery site on California’s Cannery Row into the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Four decades later, the institution is known not only for its kelp forest, jellyfish and deep-sea exhibits, but also for conservation work that reaches far beyond its walls. According to the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the aquarium has welcomed more than 70 million visitors and developed major programmes in marine science and education. Its Sea Otter Recovery Program has cared for more than 1,000 stranded sea otters and successfully surrogate-raised 84 pups for release into the wild. Read on to know more about it here:A vision shaped by Monterey BayThe idea for the aquarium emerged from a group of people who believed Monterey Bay deserved greater public attention. Nancy Burnett, David Packard’s daughter, and her sister Julie Packard were among those who helped develop the vision after discussions with scientists working in the region.The project took six years of planning and a major financial commitment from David and Lucile Packard. Their $57 million gift helped make it possible to build a major public aquarium directly b...