Ever wondered what it would be like to peer into the deep, blue sea and come face-to-face with a blacktip reef shark? How about watching a pack of sea lions yakking it up on a rock formation off the coast of Northern California? You can see all of that and more from the comfort of your home or office thanks to the Internet and aquarium cameras. Watching fish, otters and other marine mammals on the Web can be a little slow, but it's fun to check in every now and then, especially if you take the time to read up on the sea critters you're watching. Some cameras are live, others send out images at regular intervals. Check out the aquarium cams below with cool images and information.

Okay, so penguins are birds. We know that, but they seem to like the water an awful lot. See these waddling creatures from the Montreal Biodome in Montreal, Quebec and learn lots about their conditions. For example, the lighting at the Polar World at the Biodome is programmed to reflect the seasons in Antarctica. During the Antarctic summer (our winter), the lights are on for nearly 20 hours a day. When it's winter in Antarctica (our summer), it's illuminated for only six or so hours a day.

Waikiki Aquarium's 35,000-gallon tank is filled with sharks and other fish native to Hawaiian waters. Compare the live blacktip and zebra sharks with another voracious Pacific predator, jacks. The view refreshes every 10 seconds.

The otter cam at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Northern California gives you the rare chance to see live sea otters lolling about. They look cute and cuddly, but watch the live cam (coming soon, only still shots up right now) and you'll see that they are indeed wild animals. When you're tired of the picture, read up on sea otters and impress your friends with your newfound knowledge.

Looking out from the deck of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, you might be able to see harbour seals, whales and sea lions. Now you can also take a look at these marine mammals right from your desk. For the best experience, imagine you're breathing in fresh ocean air. Be sure to click on the info links provided to learn more.

The Monterey Bay's kelp forest exhibit has been called a kelp cathedral because of the way the sunlight streams through the tank that opens up at the roof. A special wave machine (not to mention pumping more than 2,000 gallons of sea water through every minute) helps the kelp sway, which is vital to the plants' health. What will you see beyond green stuff and sunlight at Monterey Bay's kelp forest exhibit? Schools of anchovies, hermit crabs and hundreds of urchins.

Fish not your thing? You'll be glad to hear that animal cams aren't exclusive to aquariums. There are now cams for many types of animals. The cameras are poised in unobtrusive areas so they don't interfere with the animals everyday living. It's easy to find an animal cam. Just type "animal cam" into any search engine for several broad categories and click on the type of animal you want to investigate. Happy viewing!

Victoria Clayton is a freelance writer living near Los Angeles.