Sea Star Feeding
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...
Public Visitation
Hours Today: Closed
Laurena G. Chambers Gift Shop
Hours Today: Open 7:00am - 4:00pm
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...
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.* Come...
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...
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...
Calling all teachers! Learn from an expert guest speaker and Ocean Institute staff as they share insights on the importance of experiential learning and how hands-on opportunities can transform student...
Set sail with OI for an unforgettable family adventure! Start with a muster and dive into hands-on activities like raising sail, navigation, helmsmanship, and bow watch. Enjoy a thrilling demonstration of the ship’s cannon as our crew showcases naval gunnery. This exciting program is perfect for families looking to create lasting memories on the open...
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 activities that indulge curiosity.Explore marine mammal artifacts, interactive exhibits, and local aquaria. Interact with a shark and ray touch and an intertidal touch tank.Bring history...
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 our staff and hand feed a sea star with this up-close encounter you won't forget! The sea star feeding is a two-part experience, the preparation...