‘Finding Dory’ characters can be seen at Monterey Bay Aquarium

UPDATE 6/17/2016 6:10 PM: After much anticipation, the sequel to “Finding Nemo” is finally hitting the big screen.

“Finding Dory” is capturing audiences as the blue tang fish journeys through the ocean to find her parents.

“We’re gonna go upstairs and see if we can find Dory,” said Stacie Kafours-Yates, a visitor from Walnut Creek.

KION is also finding out more about the local connection to Dory’s story. The Monterey Bay Aquarium said it worked with movie animators.

Locating many of the characters in “Finding Dory,” is no coincidence. Animators visited the aquarium over the past few years to research the animals featured in the movie.
“They would put GoPro cameras underwater,” said Ken Peterson, communications director at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. “They would crawl around on the floor and photograph things from the perspective of an octopus crawling around.”

Moviegoers will also see the aquarium’s look and feel captured in the 3-D animated comedy.

The aquarium believes the movie serves as a teaching tool, hoping after kids meet and become engaged with Dory and her friends, they’ll build an emotional connection with real-life creatures who need help.

“We want people to be fired up by ocean life, by the beauty of the ocean, and say, ‘What can I do to make sure that I’m eating ocean-friendly seafood? What can I do to get single-use plastic out of my life? What can I do to lower my carbon footprint so we’re keeping the ocean healthy?'” Peterson said.

“It’s also nice to see that they rehabilitate some animals here just like they were showing us here in the movie,” Michele Hakakha said.

ORIGINAL POST:

Disney’s ‘Finding Dory’ finally hit the big screen on Friday. A lot of the characters in the movie can also be seen at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

At 5 & 6, KION’s Maya Holmes will have more on how animators conducted research at the aquarium to make the movie.

Plus aquarium officials talk about how they’ll use the 3-D underwater adventure to educate kids about being good stewards of the ocean.