Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour
Go behind the scenes with us! Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Ocean Institute? Join us on our immersive Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour...
Public Visitation
Hours Today: Closed
Laurena G. Chambers Gift Shop
Hours Today: Open 7:00am - 4:30pm
Go behind the scenes with us! Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Ocean Institute? Join us on our immersive Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour...
A Celebration of Tall Ships Friday, Sept 11 – Sunday, Sept 13 The festival will feature local vendors, food trucks, beer gardens, kids’ activities, sailor reenactors, local marine life, tall...
Explore the ocean with us! Join our semi-private guided snorkel tours and explore the stunning marine life of Shaw’s Cove! Meet at the beach where your expert guide will lead...
Explore the ocean with us! Join our semi-private guided snorkel tours and explore the stunning marine life of Shaw’s Cove! Meet at the beach where your expert guide will lead...
Explore the ocean from the water! Join the Ocean Institute for a two-hour interactive kayak tour around the Dana Point harbor. One of our expert naturalists will teach you about...
Community Beach Cleanup in partnership with Stand Up to Trash Join us for a day of fun on the water, beach and surrounding areas to cleanup our natural world. New theme every month with a guest speaker on the Maddie James Seaside Learning Center Historical Wharf 9:00am-10:30am Beach Cleanup 10:30am Free Lunch & Learn at...
Join our crew for an experience you will never forget. Your 2 and a 1/2 hour adventure aboard the RV Sea Explorer, Ocean lnstitute’s 65′ research vessel, takes you miles beyond the Dana Point Harbor jetty in search of marine mammals such as migrating blue and grey whales; large schools of playful dolphin; the impressive sunfish...
Ahoy mateys! Join pirate band, Queen Anne’s Blouse, on the Spirit of Dana Point as she sets out to sea! This is your opportunity to dress, talk, and sing like a pirate. Bring your family and friends and enjoy singing along to classic and original sea shanties based on our fascinating maritime history. Get an introduction to the...
Engage with our immersive, hands-on exhibits and rotating themes! Our rotating themes allow visitors to keep coming back to discover the ocean’s underwater world with our fun, interactive spaces and...
Add-on experience for General Admission! Dive into a hands-on experience suitable for all levels of curiosity with our squid dissections! Join our expert guides who will lead you through an exploration of anatomy and adaptations. Each dissection is 30 minutes long. Every dissector requires their own ticket and may be accompanied by 1 additional person. Each...
General Admission Add-on Experience! Have you ever wanted to hand-feed a sea star? Join us for this interactive feeding experience at 12:00 pm where you can prepare their food alongside...
Go behind the scenes with us! Have you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Ocean Institute? Join us on our immersive Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour...