Ocean Institute

Tiny Tots: Little Sprouts
2025-03-24 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-03-27 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-03-31 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-03 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-07 09:30 - 10:30, 2025-04-10 09:30 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Tiny Tots

Tiny Tots: Little Sprouts

Join us for this “Mommy & Me” style program dedicated to exploring your world through song, movement, and your senses. For our spring session, we’ll be exploring plants and pollinators!

*Please note that a parent/guardian must participate and attend with their child. This is a “Mommy & Me” style class.

Spring Session Dates: March 3 to April 24
Classes are now offered on Mondays and Thursdays from 9:30am to 10:30am. Each class contains ~30-minutes of led activities & ~30-minutes of structured play time.

New Activities Every Class!

Themes:
March 3-13: Spring Has Sprung!
March 17-27: Little Critters
March 31 – April 10: Sharks
April 14-24: Tidepools
Audience: Recommended ages ~2-4 years old.
Location: Ocean Institute
Price: $20 (Ticket includes one child and one adult)

Build a Bundle and get 25% off!
When enrolled in 3 classes or more! When you have 3 or more different class dates in your cart you will get each class for $15 (regular price $20!).
Discount will auto-apply in the cart. All classes must be booked all at once to receive the discount. Discounts will not be retro-applied for single drop-ins. Classes must be on different dates, not multiple enrollments for the same date.

CALENDAR

TICKETS

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Please note that Tiny Tots tickets are non-refundable unless proof of illness or medical emergency with a medical note is emailed to guestservices@oceaninstitute.org.
In the event that you need to reschedule a Tiny Tots class, Ocean Institute requests to receive a rescheduling inquiry notification at least 24-hours before the start time of your class if possible. Please email your reschedule request, including the new class date, to guestservices@oceaninstitute.org, and we will work to accommodate your class reschedule request if tickets are available and email an updated confirmation email. A 3% transfer fee will be charged for all rescheduled tickets.

Squid Dissections
2025-03-29 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-03-30 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-05 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-06 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-07 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-11 10:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-12 10:30 - 13:30 (America/Los_Angeles)
Squid Dissections

Squid Dissections

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 dissector will receive their own squid to dissect. Note: Children under 18 months do not require their own ticket to accompany a dissector.
Dissections will occur at 10:30 am, 11:30 am, and 1:30 pm.
Add-on Price: $5
Must have a General Admission ticket to participate. Add on experience ticket during check out.

Tickets

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Sea Star Feeding
2025-03-29 12:00 - 12:35, 2025-03-30 12:00 - 12:35, 2025-04-05 12:00 - 12:35, 2025-04-06 12:00 - 12:35, 2025-04-10 12:00 - 12:35, 2025-04-12 12:00 - 12:35 (America/Los_Angeles)
Sea Star Feeding

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 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 accompanied by 1 additional person. Children under 18 months do not require their own ticket to accompany a feeder.
Add-on Price: $10
General Admission ticket purchase is required. Add experience to your cart at checkout!

Tickets

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Sail on Spirit of Dana Point
2025-03-29 14:00 - 17:00, 2025-04-05 14:00 - 17:00 UTC | Ocean Institute, 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr, Dana Point, CA, 92629, United States
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.
Must be 4 y.o or older to sail.
Tickets: $65

BOOK HERE

About the Spirit of Dana Point
The Spirit of Dana Point is a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer schooner used during the American Revolution. These ships were known for their speed and were used for smuggling. The ship is 118 feet long with a rig height of 100 feet… and 5,000 square feet of sail!
It was Dennis Holland’s dream to build an accurate replica from the period when America fought for independence. Armed with talent, determination, little money and plans he purchased from the Smithsonian Institution, he laid the keel in his Orange County yard on May 2, 1970. Thirteen years later, this fast privateer was launched and continues to sail the ocean. Everywhere you look on board is the craftsmanship and pride of early America.
Formerly the Pilgrim of Newport, the re-named Spirit of Dana Point is an excellent teaching platform where students directly experience life at sea as it has been for hundreds of years. The 118-ft. schooner is used for living history and at-sea maritime programs throughout the year.
The Spirit of Dana Point is also available for public and private charters, coastal sails, corporate team building, and filming opportunities.
For private charters, events or wedding onboard the Spirit of Dana Point please e-mail: events@oceaninstitute.org

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Tidepool Hike
2025-03-29 14:30 - 16:30, 2025-04-05 10:30 - 12:30, 2025-04-06 11:30 - 13:30, 2025-04-07 12:00 - 14:00, 2025-04-11 14:00 - 16:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Explore the world between tides!

Join the Ocean Institute for a tidepool hike led by one of our expert naturalists.
The hike will take us into the rocky Marine Conservation Area located directly behind the Ocean Institute. Families can explore the area and search for snails, crabs, sea stars, and other animals that make the tidepools their home. The winter months are the best time to explore these magical marine ecosystems!
What to Expect:
Hike Difficulty Rating: Moderate, 1 – 1.5 mile round trip.
Please be prepared for rocky, uneven, and slick terrain for the entire hike.
Dress: Closed-toed, Closed-heeled sturdy shoes are required. We recommend sunscreen, light layers, and water.

Pricing:
Adults: $15
Child (19 months* – 13 y.o): $15
*This hike is not recommended for children younger than four years old

Tickets

Homeschool Day
2025-04-02 10:00 - 15:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
Homeschool Day

Ocean Institute Homeschool Day

This special weekday event is designed for homeschool families looking for an amazing field trip!
This event will be similar to our weekend general admission hours, but with even more educational activities! Your ticket includes access to the following activities:

Storytime: Join us for educational story time with some of your favorite ocean stories!

Discovery Pool: come say hello to our sea stars, urchins, and snails in our Discovery Pool touch tank!
Shark Touch Tank: come say hello to our horn sharks, round rays, and guitarfish in our Shark Touch tank!
Sailor’s Life Tours: Step aboard our historic tall ship, the Spirit of Dana Point, and learn about the life of a sailor in the 1800s!
Schooling Fish Feeding: Watch as one of our husbandry staff member feeds our schooling fish and learn about these amazing animals!
Snake Talk: Meet one of our live snakes and learn about their habits!
And much more!

There will also be squid dissections and whale watching cruises available for an additional fee.
Please check back closer to actual dates for more details!

Ticket Options

Kids: $12
Adults: $10
Family Four Pack: $40
Dissection Add-on: $5
Whale-Watching Add-on (includes general admission): $35

Whale Watching Times: 9:30am to 11:30am

Tickets

Distinguished Speaker Series: Dr. Magnus Egerstedt
2025-04-02 18:00 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
The Ocean Institute’s Distinguished Speaker Series, presented by the Nicholas Endowment, brings interesting innovations, real-world research, exotic experiences, and delightful discoveries to the surface through powerful presentations from an ocean of experts. Speakers present on a variety of topics ranging from ocean researchers, ocean authors, ocean artists, and ocean athletes.
Light snacks & Refreshments available for purchase at event.

Distinguished Speaker: Dr. Magnus Egerstedt

Robots in the Ocean
Robots have left their traditional habitats in manufacturing plants or warehouses, and they are beginning to show up all around us in our homes, on farms, in hospitals, and even on Mars. One potential application for such robots is to have them perform environmental monitoring tasks that can help inform conservation biologists, climate scientists, and policy makers about what is happening in the natural world around them, including in the ocean. In this talk, we will discuss the state of robotics and AI – what is science fiction and what is science fact – as well as show how one can design effective robots that can successfully inhabit natural ecosystems for long periods of time for the purpose of providing actionable environmental data.

Wednesday, April 2, from 6:00 to 8:00
Doors open at 5:30pm, talk begins at 6:00pm
$10 – General
FREE – Members
FREE – Students (with Valid ID)

Tickets

About Dr. Egerstedt:

Dr. Magnus Egerstedt is the Stacey Nicholas Dean of Engineering in the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where he is a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Prior to joining UCI, Egerstedt was on the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology, serving as the Chair in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Director of Georgia Tech’s Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Machines. He received the M.S. degree in Engineering Physics and the Ph.D. degree in Applied Mathematics from the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, the B.A. degree in Philosophy from Stockholm University, and was a Postdoctoral Scholar at Harvard University. Dr. Egerstedt’s research is in robotics, with particular focus on how to coordinate large teams of robots; so-called swarm-robotics. Magnus Egerstedt is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Federation of Automatic Control. He is a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science and has received a number of teaching and research awards, including the Alumni of the Year Award from the Royal Institute of Technology.

Adventure Sail
2025-04-12 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles)
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 water. Join us for a day of adventure and fun!
Tickets:
Adults – $40
Children (19 months to 13 years) – $40
Infant/Toddler (0 to 18 months) – $10

BOOK HERE

About the Spirit of Dana Point
The Spirit of Dana Point is a traditionally built replica of a 1770s privateer schooner used during the American Revolution. These ships were known for their speed and were used for smuggling. The ship is 118 feet long with a rig height of 100 feet… and 5,000 square feet of sail!
It was Dennis Holland’s dream to build an accurate replica from the period when America fought for independence. Armed with talent, determination, little money and plans he purchased from the Smithsonian Institution, he laid the keel in his Orange County yard on May 2, 1970. Thirteen years later, this fast privateer was launched and continues to sail the ocean. Everywhere you look on board is the craftsmanship and pride of early America.
Formerly the Pilgrim of Newport, the re-named Spirit of Dana Point is an excellent teaching platform where students directly experience life at sea as it has been for hundreds of years. The 118-ft. schooner is used for living history and at-sea maritime programs throughout the year.
The Spirit of Dana Point is also available for public and private charters, coastal sails, corporate team building, and filming opportunities.
For private charters, events or wedding onboard the Spirit of Dana Point please e-mail: events@oceaninstitute.org

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.
