Public Visitation

Hours Today: Closed

Laurena G. Chambers Gift Shop

Hours Today: Open 9:30am - 3:00pm

Back to the Roots: Native Plant Garden Tour

Native Plant Garden TourWake up and smell the sagebrush!Do you enjoy the natural wonders the coast of Southern California has to offer? Have you ever wanted to know more about the beautiful plants around you? Then join us for our California Native Plant tour! Come learn how to identify certain iconic native plants and hear […]

Holiday Small-i-Day Camps

Holiday Small-i-day Camp!Ocean Institute offers small timeframe, small group camps with outdoor enrichment and the highest safety standards. Campers will join in on a squid dissection, create their own holiday ornament with classic maritime knots, experience fake snow through a fun science experiment, and compare squid anatomy to reindeers during our Reindeer Games! Ages: 5-10 […]

Holiday Camp

HOLIDAY CAMPS  WINTER 3-DAY CAMP Monday December 21st - Wednesday December 23rd AND Monday December 28th - Wednesday December 30th 9:00am - 4:00pm NEPTUNE'S MYSTERIES 3-DAY CAMP Neptune’s Mysteries is a full-day camp for campers age 5-7 years old. Limited availability! Become a scientific investigator to unravel the mysteries of the ecosystems right here in Dana Point! […]

Whale Tale – Dockside Experiments

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Whale Tale - Dockside Experiments Whale Tale - Dockside Experiments Whale based experiments in a safe outdoor environment! Don't miss our guest exhibitor, Bob Minty, and his amazing whaling and pirate artifact collection. 1-hour Chose a 1-hour time slot   Join the Ocean Institute Naturalist during the 2021 Festival of Whales. We will be hosting […]

Spirit of Dana Point Sail

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point and experience California from the perspective of an early tallship explorer. Join the crew to help raise sail, handle lines, and steer the ship, or simply sit back, relax and enjoy the majesty of sailing the seas aboard a tallship. General Tickets: $60.00* *Sea Star members […]

Spirit of Dana Point Sail

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point and experience California from the perspective of an early tallship explorer. Join the crew to help raise sail, handle lines, and steer the ship, or simply sit back, relax and enjoy the majesty of sailing the seas aboard a tallship. General Tickets: $60.00* *Sea Star members […]

Spring Break Holiday Camps

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

NEPTUNE’S MYSTERIES SPRING BREAK CAMP Neptune’s Mysteries is a full-day camp for campers age 5-7 years old. Limited availability! Become a scientific investigator to unravel the mysteries of the ecosystems right here in Dana Point! Using scientific tools and techniques, you will study a new case each day: Why is Becky the Blue Whale so far from […]

Girls in Ocean Science- Middle School

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Join like-minded peers who are passionate about the ocean. Conduct research with leading scientists in our lab and at sea aboard the R/V Sea Explorer. Gain an understanding of the education and career pathways in ocean science. Empower yourself to advance your passion for the ocean into a career. Girls in Ocean Science is proudly […]

Girls in Ocean Science- High School

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Join like-minded peers who are passionate about the ocean. Conduct research with leading scientists in our lab and at sea aboard the R/V Sea Explorer. Gain an understanding of the education and career pathways in ocean science. Empower yourself to advance your passion for the ocean into a career. Girls in Ocean Science is proudly […]

Spirit of Dana Point Sail

Ocean Institute 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point

Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point and experience California from the perspective of an early tallship explorer. Join the crew to help raise sail, handle lines, and steer the ship, or simply sit back, relax and enjoy the majesty of sailing the seas aboard a tallship. General Tickets: $60.00* *Sea Star members […]

Extended Whale and Marine Life Cruise

Calling all naturalist! (5 hours) Join us on our Oceanographic Research Vessel, Sea Explorer, for an experience you will never forget! During this 5-hour adventure we will be in search of a variety of marine life such as whales, dolphins, sea birds, sea lions, sharks and more! Spark your curiosity and take a deeper dive […]

Marine Inventory & Collection Enhancement

Join the Ocean Institute over the course of 3 months for our Marine Inventory & Collection Enchacement program onboard our Research Vessel the Sea Explorer. This program is available for high school (14yo +) and college students to learn first-hand about the importance of research at sea and monitoring our local marine life through inventory […]