Featured Events and Programs

January Kids' Watershed Conf. Jazz in January	February Girls in Ocean Science	March Festival of Whales	May Boat Show
June Build-A-Boat Challenge	September Tall Ships Festival RHD Charity Regatta Golf Classic Chopper Drop for Edu.	On-Going Weekend Exhibits Marine Mammal Cruise

Annual Events

Jazz in January
Late-January / Early-February
The Ocean Institute's popular Jazz in January fundraising event combines renowned jazz artists with an elegant evening of dinner, cocktails and auctions. Past performers include David Benoit, Rick Braun, Richard Elliott, and Gerald Albright. Opening night features a concert performance for 300 guests who will enjoy a variety of complimentary wines and appetizers. The premiere evening features an intimate performance for 200 guests and a cocktail reception with wines provided by Young's Market Company, a magnificent martini lounge provided by Ketel One Vodka, and an award-winning, four-course dinner prepared by local chefs from The St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa, The Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, The Montage Resort & Spa, Laguna Beach, and The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. The evening also includes a connoisseur silent and live auction. All proceeds benefit the Ocean Institute.

Kids' Conference on Watersheds
January
The Ocean Institute launched its annual watershed program to teach 5th grade students from southern California about the science of the watersheds, an area of land which runs into a body of water such as a river, lake or the ocean. Over 2,500 students per year participate in the program which provides them with the opportunity to present the findings of their studies among their peers, local elected officials, and professionals in the field.

The Watershed program is made possible through the generous support of Miocean, the Toyota USA Foundation, SIMA, Orange County Community Foundation, and the Kenneth and Eileen Norris Foundation.

Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference
February
The Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference, presented by SDG&E, is a day-long conference is designed for enthusiastic 8th -12th grade girls who have an interest in science. The goal of the conference is to inspire and excite young women to pursue degrees and careers in the sciences. Eight prominent female ocean scientists from around the country interact with the girls on the research vessel Sea Explorer and in the Ocean Institute's teaching labs. Girls explore careers in areas such as engineering, ocean conservation, marine biology and education. Click here for more information about the Girls in Ocean Science Teen Conference.

Festival of Whales
First two weekends of March
Join the community in celebrating the annual migration of the California Gray Whale. During the first two weekends of March, Dana Point offers a variety of festivities including a parade, street faires, art exhibits, concerts, environmental activities, educational opportunities, crafts, and marine mammal cruises.

Throughout the festival the Ocean Institute's learning labs focus on new discoveries in marine mammal research and allows visitors to explore a variety of fascinating phenomena unique to the magnificent whale. Families have the opportunity to listen to underwater whale sounds to discover how whales communicate, enjoy hands-on activities, listen to guest speakers, and create fun children's crafts. For additional information about the Festival of Whales, please visit www.festivalofwhales.org.

Dana Point Harbor Boat Show
End of May - Early June
Dana Point Harbor is one of the most spectacular marinas along the California coast, from San Francisco to the Mexican border. Always full with the highest-quality of boats, Dana Point Harbor is home to thousands of watercraft and enthusiasts who enjoy all types of water sports activities throughout the year.

New and Used Boats and Products will be on display both in and out of the water at the boat show. A great selection of power and sail vessels will be on display, including Albemarle, Baja, Cenczi, East Bay, Egg Harbor, Formula, Grand Banks, Island Packet, Mediterranean, Mikelson, Mustang, Nordhavn, Ocean,Pacific Sea Craft, Pursuit, Riviera, Tiara, Viking, with more being added each week. For more imformation visit www.dphboatshow.com.

Build-A-Boat Challenge
Mid-June
The annual Build-A-Boat Challenge is a one day contest in which participants design, build and race their own boats. This exciting event raises funds for the preservation of the Institute's two tall ships Pilgrim and Spirit of Dana Point which host thousands of school children in award-winning, living history programs.

The event combines design ability, construction skills and seamanship into a fun competition. Each team is supplied with limited resources and given four hours in which to build a boat. Upon completion, the boats are taken to Baby Beach to participate in heats. Spectators are free and are encouraged to come and cheer on the teams.
Review the 4th annual Build-A-Boat Challenge (video clip) >
Learn more about our Build-A-Boat Challenge >

Toshiba Tall Ships Festival
September: Weekend after Labor Day
For over 20 years the Ocean Institute has hosted the annual Toshiba Tall Ships Festival, the largest annual gathering of tall ships on the West Coast. The festival features a spectacular array of family-fun activities including live sea-faring music, art shows, interactive living-history encampments, and a variety of tasty food.

The festival begins on Friday evening as the tall ships parade into Dana Point Harbor. On the weekend, visitors can enjoy maritime displays and demonstrations, music concerts, Polynesian dancing, pirates, and dramatic sunset cannon battles. Visitors can also explore the historic tall ships and listen to the crew share tales of adventure and life at sea. Inside the Ocean Institute guests can experience live parrot shows, pirate games, music, wood carving, ship models and special presentations. Join us for a weekend of fun and adventure as we celebrate the area's rich maritime history.

Participating tall ships typically include the brig Pilgrim, Spirit of Dana Point, Californian, Curlew, Exy Johnson, Irving Johnson, and the American Pride. Visiting ships are subject to change. For complete information about the festival visit www.tallshipsfestival.com.

Annual Richard Henry Dana Charity Regatta

September
This premier event, sponsored by the Dana Point Yacht Club, will benefit the Ocean Institute.

• Marine Corps Twilight Fishing Tournament
• Sponsor's and VIP reception/ dinner held at the Ocean Institute
• Racing for PHRF
• Non-spinnaker and junior sabot classes
• Gala dinner and auction at the Dana Point Yacht Club

All events are open to the public. For more info. and pricing, please visit www.dpyc.org.

Golf Classic and Gala
September
Golf enthusiasts are invited to the Ocean Institute's annual Golf Classic fundraising event. The tournament is held at the prestigious St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach Golf Links, which offer challenging holes and sweeping Pacific Ocean views. The tournament has raised more than $1 million since its inception and draws participants who are top business leaders in Orange County.

An appetizer reception will be held after the tournament, along with silent and live auctions that feature over 100 items including weekend getaways, golf packages, fabulous dinners, surf & sports merchandise and much more.

Bob McKnight, President and CEO of Quiksilver, Inc. serves as Honorary Chairman for the event. Bob has worked diligently over the years to increase awareness about the Ocean Institute and Quiksilver, Inc. has been a major sponsor of the Golf Classic for the past 13 years, as well as a long time supporter of the Ocean Institute. A unique feature of the Golf Classic is that each foursome is paired with a member of the golf team from a local high school. This gives students the opportunity to interact with business leaders in the community. This year, the Golf Tournament will be combined with the 6th annual Chopper Drop
for Education!

Rotating Exhibits

On weekends, we open our doors to the public for a sneak peek into how ocean science, history, and literature are used to inspire life-long learners!

Monday through Friday we are closed to the public for school programs.

Public Hours:
Saturday & Sunday - 10:00am to 3:00pm

Admission Fee*:
Adult - $6.50
Child (age 3-12) - $4.50
Members - FREE
Teacher Club Members - FREE
*Admission fee includes Pilgrim Tour when applicable.