Ocean Institute

Sea Star Feeding
2026-05-02 12:00 - 12:35, 2026-05-03 12:00 - 12:35, 2026-05-09 12:00 - 12:35, 2026-05-10 12:00 - 12:35, 2026-05-16 12:00 - 12:35 (America/Los_Angeles) | CA
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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 and the feeding. During the preparation phase, the guest will be using sharp knives. It is recommended that children 10 and under are accompanied by a parent or guardian. Sea star feeding is only held at 12PM on Saturday and Sunday.
Add-on Price: $10
General Admission ticket purchase is required. Add experience to your cart at checkout!

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Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Behind the Scenes Aquarium Tour
2026-05-02 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-03 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-09 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-10 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-16 14:00 - 15:00
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Have 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 husbandry prep kitchen, the quarantine lab, and the life support yard, and then you’ll get to participate in a shark feeding!
Tickets are $35 a person and include general admission to Ocean Institute!

Tickets

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Whale and Marine Life Tour
2026-05-03 09:30 - 12:30, 2026-05-09 09:30 - 12:30, 2026-05-10 09:30 - 12:30, 2026-05-16 09:30 - 12:30
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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 known as mola-mola; and sleek harbor seals and sea lions.
Ocean lnstitute’s professional naturalists will brief you with information on our local species before boarding, and they will be on hand during the cruise to provide insight on all the marine life you encounter. Possible hands-on activities include sorting through mud samples from the ocean floor, as well as trawling for plankton.
Our cruises are safe and fun for the entire family, and everyone will learn something new about our ocean and the life within it.

Whale and Marine Life Tour Pricing:

Adults and Children: $40
Infants/Toddlers (0-18 months): $10

Your Whale and Marine Life Ticket includes access to the Ocean Institute for General Admission.

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F.A.Q.

Can I bring food and drinks onboard?
You are welcome to bring snacks, water, or soft drinks on the boat. Large cooler containers are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed to be brought on the boat.

What should I wear?
We recommend dressing in layers and wearing closed-toe shoes. We also recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if desired and wearing sunscreen.

Where should I park?
Parking is free in the Ocean Institute, Baby Beach, and Cove Road parking lots. Please allow yourself extra time to navigate any potential traffic and to secure parking. We cannot guarantee parking availability. Refunds will not be offered if you are unable to find parking.

When should I arrive?
Please arrive early to leave ample time for parking and check-in. Your ticket does include general admission to the Ocean Institute’s exhibits, so make sure to stop by after your cruise to see them for yourself!

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

General Admission
2026-05-03 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-09 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-10 10:00 - 15:00, 2026-05-16 10:00 - 15:00
General Admission

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

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Ocean Institute’s general admission invites the public to 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 to life and step back in time with a Sailor’s Life Tour onboard the deck of Spirit of Dana Point and a visit to our Maritime Village.

Pricing:
Adult: $16
Child (19 months – 13 y.o): $12
Senior (55+) or Military: $14
Infant/Toddler (0-18 months): Free!

Elevate your experience! Select add-ons at checkout:

Squid Dissection: $5Sea Star Feeding: $10

Tickets must be purchased for all individuals. Ocean Institute Members receive complimentary year-round general admission! Not a member? Click here to join today!

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Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Squid Dissections
2026-05-03 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-09 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-10 10:30 - 13:30, 2026-05-16 10:30 - 13:30
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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.

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Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Distinguished Speaker Series: Johanna Gutleben
2026-05-06 18:00 - 20:00
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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: Johanna Gutleben

Description: Decaying barrels on the seafloor linked to DDT contamination have raised concerns about the public health implications of decades old industrial waste dumped off the coast of Los Angeles. To explore their contents, we collected sediment cores close to five deep-sea barrels. We measured the concentration of DDT and its breakdown products. Our results suggest that barrels were not the source of DDT contamination. However, sediments collected through white halos surrounding three barrels were enriched in calcite and had elevated pH. There, microbial communities were low diversity and dominated by alkalophilic bacteria adapted to high pH. A solid concretion sampled between a white halo and barrel was composed of minerals that form at high pH. Based on these findings, we postulate that leakage of containerized alkaline waste triggered the formation of mineral concretions and raised the pH of the surrounding sediment pore water. This selects for microbes adapted to extreme alkalinity and precipitated “anthropogenic” carbonates. These “white halos” serve as a visual identifier of barrels that contained alkaline waste, that have unforeseen, long-term consequences for marine communities in the San Pedro Basin.

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

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About Johanna:

Johanna Gutleben received her BSc degree in Environmental, Engineering and Biotechnology at the applied science university MCI in Innsbruck, Austria. She continued her MSc studies at Wageningen University, the Netherlands, and at AgroParisTech, France. Johanna joined a PhD research program at Wageningen University, NL in the Laboratory of Microbiology studying the microbial diversity and biopharmaceutical potential of marine sponges. Currently, Johanna is a researcher in the lab of Paul Jensen in the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine. at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego. Here she focuses on deep-sea microbiology, exploring the biodiversity and biopharmaceutical diversity of various deep-sea biomes, and studying the effects of human pollution on deep-sea ecosystems. She participated in several research expeditions, where she collected and processed hundreds of samples from various deep-sea environments. After bringing them to the lab she studies them using molecular biology and likes to share her results in colorful figures and presentations. In her free time, Johanna is an avid freediver and scuba diver, enjoys surfing, beaching and everything else ocean related.

Tidepool Hike
2026-05-09 09:30 - 11:30, 2026-05-10 10:30 - 12:30
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Explore the world between the 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 Protected 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:
$18 a person
*This hike is not recommended for children younger than four years old

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Sunset Sail
2026-05-09 16:30 - 19:00
Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point and experience California from the perspective of an early tall ship 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 tall ship.
During the summer, enjoy sailing later in the day to take in California’s majestic sunsets from the water!
Must be four years 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.

Bioluminescence Night Cruise
2026-05-14 20:30 - 22:30, 2026-05-15 20:30 - 22:30, 2026-05-16 20:30 - 22:30
BIOLUMINESCENCE NIGHT CRUISE
8:30 pm – 10:30 pm
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 aboard the R/V Sea Explorer and join us off the coast of Dana Point at night to explore the nocturnal world of marine birds, sea lions, and bioluminescent plankton.
A meter net is deployed 600 feet deep to capture thousands of drifting organisms that can make their own light. Also, witness the food chain under our deployed squid light–from the tiniest of plankton to fish and squid–and at times the sea lions and dolphins who feed on them!
Bioluminescence Night Cruises are only offered during the summer months.
*Please be advised that forces of nature determine the abundance of bioluminescence at any given time.
Pricing:
Ticket: $55
Infant/Toddler (0-1 y.o): $10

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Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.

Adventure Sail
2026-05-16 10:00 - 12:00
BOOK HERE

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

F.A.Q.

Can I bring food and drinks onboard?
You are welcome to bring snacks, water, or soft drinks on the ship. Large cooler containers are not allowed. Alcoholic beverages are not allowed to be brought on the ship.

What should I wear?
We recommend dressing in layers and wearing closed-toe shoes. We also recommend bringing a hat and sunglasses if desired and wearing sunscreen.

Where should I park?
Parking is free in the Ocean Institute, Baby Beach, and Cove Road parking lots. Please allow yourself extra time to navigate any potential traffic and to secure parking. We cannot guarantee parking availability. Refunds will not be offered if you are unable to find parking.

When should I arrive?
The ship will depart promptly at the start time. Please arrive to check in no later than 15 minutes before the start time. Your ticket does include general admission to the Ocean Institute’s exhibits, so make sure to arrive early to see them for yourself!

Click here for our Refund and Ticket Transfer Policy.
