Education
Inspiring the next generation of conservation leaders through educational programs for all ages.
Every visit to the Marine Mammal Care Center is an engaging, educational journey. At our newly updated visitor center, you can immerse yourself in hands-on exhibits and explore our revamped gift shop. While you’re here, get an up-close view of our seal and sea lion patients. Our dedicated volunteer docents are on hand to share fascinating insights into these incredible creatures, our work to rehabilitate them, and ways you can be part of our conservation mission.
School-aged children visiting as part of a field trip or with friends and family members will receive an onsite activity guide encouraging them to observe our patients closely looking for specific behaviors or traits as well as seek out relevant signs and exhibits that link with the experience. Upon completion of the activity, they’ll receive a special prize.
In addition to the learning opportunities we offer during regular visiting hours, our education experts also support a number of special programs tailored to public audiences and school groups.
Family Science Sundays are fun, hands-on STEM experiences designed to inspire curiosity and connect families to marine science and conservation. Each month features a new theme with interactive activities that explore topics like ocean exploration, marine mammal adaptations, deep-sea science, and more. Families can engage in exciting experiments, creative engineering challenges, and up-close investigations that bring marine biology to life. Whether building a plankton model, testing the insulating power of blubber, or uncovering the science behind ocean ecosystems, Family Science Sundays offer a unique opportunity to learn, discover, and explore together every Sunday through the summer.
This free event includes access to our full visitor experience, including patient viewing and our interactive exhibit hall. Family Science Sundays are recommended for ages 8 and up, and families are encouraged to participate together. Adults must accompany children 13 and under.
Education programming is provided by the kind people at Port of Long Beach, other corporate partners, and by ocean heroes like you.
S.E.A. Lab (Science, Exploration, and Action for Ocean Conservation) is a hands-on STEM program that immerses participants in marine science through interactive activities. S.E.A Lab is a free-choice learning experience where participants can engage in activities at their own pace. Whether exploring microscopic life by observing real plankton, experimenting with ocean properties by stacking colorful water layers to understand density and salinity or discovering marine mammal adaptations through hands-on engagements, this program is designed to provide engagement and flexibility for all levels of age and interests. Perfect for budding marine biologists and future conservationists, S.E.A. Lab is where science meets action to protect our ocean. S.E.A. Lab is available to our visitors every Saturday during the summer.
This free event includes access to our full visitor experience, including patient viewing and our interactive exhibit hall.
Education programming is provided by the kind people at Port of Long Beach, other corporate partners, and by ocean heroes like you.
Angels Gate Cultural Center and the Marine Mammal Care Center are collaborating on monthly science and art workshops held every first Saturday at our hospital. ArtLab begins with a science workshop, followed by a tour of our facility and then an art project led by a different artist-teacher each month. ArtLab events are free, and all art supplies will be provided. All ages, children and adults, are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult at all times. These programs book up quickly, so reserve your spot today!
The Marine Mammal Care Center has worked with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Day of Discovery program since 2022 and hosts about 2,000 students each school year. The comprehensive three-hour program developed by our educators focuses on the interactions between organisms in the ocean through the concept of ocean food chains.
While at our hospital, students engage in hands-on labs focused on plankton, herring and marine mammals to build an understanding of the adaptations these organisms have and their interconnectedness to one another. Students also learn how our seal and sea lion patients are impacted by pollutants that accumulate in their blubber through the food chain, a process called bioaccumulation. The immersive and hands-on experiences are connected to the school curriculum and the science and engineering practices outlined in the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).
If you are interested in booking a Day of Discovery program, please contact Outdoor Education Coordinator Juan Lopez directly at juan.p.lopez@lausd.net or call the office line at (213) 241-3108.
To receive a link to download the Marine Mammal Care Center’s Day of Discovery education materials, please fill out our contact form.
The Marine Mammal Care Center is a unique field trip destination for school groups of any age. Students will learn about ocean conservation and wildlife rehabilitation while watching our seal and sea lion patients play, eat and sleep. It’s the perfect opportunity to view wild animals up close while getting questions answered by our knowledgeable docents.
Inside our newly updated visitor center, you’ll find engaging signs and interactive exhibits as well as a renovated gift store. Plus, each student can receive an activity guide that will help them make observations about our patients, such as looking for specific animal behaviors and comparing the traits of different species. Upon completion of the activity, students will receive special recognition for their achievement.
If you are a non-LAUSD school and want to book a field trip, contact us at education@marinemammalcare.org to inquire about our limited availability.
Learn about marine mammals and our ocean, get a behind-the-scenes look at our hospital, and consider conservation career options through our virtual Resource Library. These educational videos include patient releases, speakers, lessons and more.
Our Beneath the Surface lecture series features local experts as well as internationally known scientists in the field sharing the latest in marine mammal research and ocean conservation efforts. You’ll learn more about the threats marine mammals face and the steps you can take to protect them.
Interested in turning your passion for protecting the planet into a job? Our Careers in Conservation Interview Series features industry leaders who have done just that. Hear from experts at institutions like the Audubon Center, Heal the Bay Aquarium, TreePeople, and the USC Molecular and Computational Biology Program.
All About Otters
Wildlife Forensics, DNA, and Toxic Whales
Florida Manatees and Their Conservation
Continue learning every day by following the Marine Mammal Care Center on social media! We post educational content across multiple channels to help our community learn about marine mammals, conservation and our ocean. Our videos, photos and live streams include conservation discussions, tours, guest speakers, releases and more.
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