Public Visitation
Hours Today: Open 10:00am - 3:00pm ClosedLaurena G. Chambers Gift Shop
Hours Today: Open 9:30am - 3:00pmBehind the Scenes Aquarium TourBehind the Scenes Aquarium TourHave you ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Ocean Institute? Join us on our immersive Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour to learn all about what it takes to run an aquarium! This tour takes you beyond the eyes of the public to our […]
Sea Star FeedingSea Star FeedingGeneral Admission add-on experience! Have you ever wanted to hand-feed a sea star? Join us for this interactive feeding experience where you can prepare their food alongside our staff and hand feed a sea star with this up-close encounter you won't forget! Every feeder requires their own ticket and may be […]
BIOLUMINESCENCE NIGHT CRUISE 8:30 pm - 10:30 pm Cruises are selling out! Get your tickets today! Bioluminescence Night Cruises are only offered during the summer months. There’s a luminous underwater world just waiting to shine! Learn about the remarkable ability of some marine animals to glow in the dark and witness this curiously beautiful phenomenon.* […]
[et_pb_text content_tablet="Summer Camp Dive into Summer Camp fun! " content_phone="Summer Camp Dive into Summer Camp fun! " content_last_edited="on|phone" _builder_version="4.16" header_font="Titillium Web||||||||" header_text_color="#ffffff" header_font_size="42px" header_line_height="1.7em" header_3_text_color="#eb2129" custom_padding="||||false|false" text_orientation_tablet="" text_orientation_phone="center" text_orientation_last_edited="on|phone" global_colors_info="{}" theme_builder_area="post_content"]Summer Camp 2024 Dive into Discovery!Welcome to Ocean Institute's 2024 Summer Camp! Dive into Ocean Institute's Summer Camp! Our week-long camps promise an immersive journey […]
Tiny Tots: Ocean ExplorersTiny TotsCalling all Ocean Explorers! Join us for this "Mommy & Me" style program dedicated to exploring your world through song, movement, and your senses. Enjoy new activities each session & expand into a new animal every month! (Formerly known as Junior Naturalists). *Please note that a parent/guardian must participate and attend […]
SHARKS AFTER DARK Join us this summer for special admission hours every Tuesday and Thursday evening June - August5:30 PM - 8:30 PM 7/9 Only - Join us for Mixology Night at Sharks After Dark, featuring signature cocktails like "Fresas" and "Gettin' Figgy wit' it," crafted with Surf City Still Works. Sign up at the door […]
Tiny Tots: Ocean ExplorersTiny TotsCalling all Ocean Explorers! Join us for this "Mommy & Me" style program dedicated to exploring your world through song, movement, and your senses. Enjoy new activities each session & expand into a new animal every month! (Formerly known as Junior Naturalists). *Please note that a parent/guardian must participate and attend […]
SHARKS AFTER DARK Join us this summer for special admission hours every Tuesday and Thursday evening June - August5:30 PM - 8:30 PM Take a deep dive and explore our local sharks and their surrounding environments at Sharks After Dark! Discover the ocean’s underwater world with our fun, interactive spaces and activities that indulge curiosity. Using […]
Kayak Harbor Tour with REIExplore the ocean from the water!The Ocean Institute is proud to partner with REI to offer kayak tours of the Dana Point Harbor! "The coast of Southern California is teeming with sea life - from bright orange Garibaldi, pelicans, and even bottlenose dolphins. The sandy shoreline opens up to the Pacific […]
Oriana Poindexter Cyanotype WorkshopDescription: Join Oriana Poindexter at The Ocean Institute for an interactive cyanotype workshop. Learn this early alternative photographic process and use organic materials to create your own cyanotype prints using photo chemistry techniques first developed in the 1840s. The resulting prints are records of the state of the ocean and your creative […]
Whale and Marine Life Tour at Ocean Institute!Join our crew for an experience you will never forget. Your 2-1/2-hour adventure aboard the RV Sea Explorer, Ocean Institute’s 65’ research vessel, takes you miles beyond the Dana Point Harbor jetty in search of marine mammals such as migrating blue whales; large schools of playful Dolphin; the […]
Ocean Institute invites you to join us for General Admission! 10:00AM – 3:00PMOcean Institute’s general admission engages the public with our rotating monthly themes! Our rotating monthly themes allow visitors to keep coming back to discover the ocean’s underwater world with our fun, interactive spaces and activities that indulge curiosity. Explore marine mammal artifacts, interactive […]