About Ocean Institute
Beyond their size, small businesses are defined by their spirit. And at the helm are their intrepid founders—scrappy, ambitious, and resilient. They invent and build things despite uncertainty, because it’s what drives them. Their risks lead to innovation that moves the world forward. And we need them.
This location is excellent for a family outing, providing children with a hands-on experience to interact with marine life and learn critical lessons about ocean cleanliness and conservation. The fascinating tour of the historic ship further enhances the visit, though the cost of admission is a significant drawback.
Highly recommend the Adventure Sails tour! The crew were very friendly and my family had a great time on the ship
The Ocean Institute may not be as large or as fancy as other marine-based attractions, but that is a large part of its charm. Though small, it packs an amazing amount of information and exhibits into its space. Volunteers and employees are friendly and knowledgeable--the touch tanks have staffing to ensure there are no "Finding Dory" moments for their occupants. Teir new estuary walk is beautiful and informative. In addition, the Ocean Insititute offers an unbelievably affordable ($40 pp includes the tour and museum entry) marine life tours on their craft--we chose the 2.5 hours Whale Watching/Dolphin tour. We found plenty of space on the boat, and again, crew were first rate: helpful, kind, and informative (even when reminding people not to straddle the anchor chain multiple times!). We found ourselves extraordinarily fortunate to see both bottlenose dolphins and "common" dolphins (a nursery pod!)--everyone on the ship had the opportunity to view these beautiful creatures. Even their gift ship is exemplary, with unique items instead of the same four stuffies you see at every amusement park or aquarium, necklaces, other jewelry, and plenty of books, maps, and educational materials. Their location right next to a well-rated coffeehouse/bakery means you have an entire day in a gorgeous location with fantastic food and wonderful people.
Enjoyable and educational. Kid friendly, but much of interest for the serious adult too. Absolutely beautiful location near the harbor in Dana Point, CA. There is also a beautiful beach and jetty just outside. It's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.
My daughter had fun checking out the touch tanks, jellyfish, and “cleaning” the gray whale skeleton. You could brush it with a toothbrush. The gift shop is the nicest thing about it. The staff is friendly and informative. I just wish they would renovate the property. It’s such a neat building and location, but the place is very rundown. I’m hopeful to see if they clean it up with harbor renovations happening and moving Coffee Importers down there.