Group Tours
Explore the Ocean Institute with your group!
We offer many tours and activities for different groups, from families, to scout troops, to major companies. Experience the ocean in style with these private, educational experiences!
For school groups, please check out our field trips website. We also offer scout programs designed to earn certain badges!
To learn more or book an experience, email events@oceaninstitute.org or fill out the form below.
Bring your group together and help keep the ocean clean!
Great for small and large groups alike, this 2-hour cleanup takes place throughout Dana Point Harbor, Ocean Institute’s Native Plant Garden, and the local beach (tides permitting). The fee covers the supplies including trash bags/buckets and trash pickers (limited quantities). This is a self-guided cleanup. Upon return, Ocean Institute will dispose of all trash.
Up to 150 people
Pricing:
- 0-50 people: $35
- 51-100 people: $60
- 101-150 people: $85
The prices are flat rates that cover equipment for the entire group.
Bring your group together and help keep the ocean clean!
Great for small and large groups alike, this 2-hour cleanup takes place throughout Dana Point Harbor, Ocean Institute’s Native Plant Garden, and the local beach (tides permitting). The fee covers the supplies, including trash bags/buckets and trash pickers (limited quantities). An Ocean Institute instructor will present on the importance of cleaning the beach and guide them throughout the cleanup area. Upon return, staff will weigh what is collected and encourage sharing of the largest catch, smallest catch, and most unusual catch!
Up to 150 people
Pricing:
- 0-50 people: $85
- 51-100 people: $110
- 101-150 people: $135
The prices are flat rates that cover equipment for the entire group.
Learn more about what we do here at Ocean Institute!
On this hour long tour, our expert instructors will guide you through our state-of-the-art facility. You’ll hear about the many amazing programs Ocean Institute has to offer, explore our labs with over 140 different species, and learn more about our local ecology.
Up to 10 people at a time
Length: One Hour
$230 Flat Rate
See what it takes to care for the many animals at our facility!
On this tour, you’ll get to see the inner workings of the Institute, including our life support system and our animal care areas. Explore our labs with over 140 different species and learn more about our local ecology from our expert guides. The tour includes an animal feeding experience.
Capacity: up to 10 people
Length: One Hour
Price: $400 Flat Rate
Get up close with sea life in Dana Point Harbor!
Join the Ocean Institute for an interactive kayak tour around Dana Point Harbor. Learn about the history of the harbor and its unique ecosystem from one of our expert naturalists. All experience levels are welcome!
Capacity: up to 10 people
Length: Two Hours
Price: $400 Flat Rate
Explore the Dana Point Marine Protected Area and the incredible species that call it home!
You will be led on a one mile hike (round trip) through the rocky intertidal zone. Our instructors will introduce you to the sea stars, cowrie snails, and even octopuses you may find along the way! The hike lasts approximately two hours, and does traverse rocky and slippery terrain.
Capacity: up to 15 people
Length: Two Hours
$400 Flat Rate
Join our crew for a private experience you will never forget!
Dolphins, whales, seals, and sea lions are the focus of this exciting voyage on the open ocean! More than a simple whale-watching cruise, participants will investigate the natural history of our local marine mammals using a benthic grab sampler, plankton net, and marine biofacts.
Capacity: up to 45 people
Length: Two Hours
Price: $1,900 Flat Rate
Pelagic seabirds are the focus of this exciting voyage on the open ocean!
Our research vessel, the R/V Sea Explorer, will venture far from shore in search of species such as terns, gulls, loons, shearwaters, and many more. With expert naturalists on board, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about these incredible birds and their unique behaviors. Equipped with the latest technology, the R/V Sea Explorer provides a comfortable and educational experience, ensuring you don’t miss a moment of the action. Whether you’re a seasoned birder or a curious newcomer, this cruise promises to enrich your understanding of the vibrant life that thrives far from land.
Capacity: up to 45 people
Length: Nine Hours
Price: $4,635 Flat Rate
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!
Capacity: up to 45 people
Length: Two Hours (Summer Months Only)
Price: $2,500 Flat Rate
Set sail aboard the schooner Spirit of Dana Point!
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.
Capacity: up to 45 people
Length: Three Hours
Price: $2,495 Flat Rate
Step back in time and step aboard our historic tall ship!
This dockside tour takes you through this replica of a 1700’s schooner both above and below deck. Living history guides are there to tell the tale of life at sea and show you around!
Capacity: up to 15 people
Length: one Hour
Price: $400 Flat Rate
