Sea Center on Stearns Wharf Celebrates World Oceans Day
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The Sea Center on Stearns Wharf | Credit: Courtesy 
Guests enjoy meeting sea stars at the Sea Center | Credit: Courtesy 
Family photos with Toothy the Shark | Credit: Courtesy 
Community partners will be present during the festival | Credit: Courtesy 
Guests become researchers on our Wet Deck exhibit at the Sea Center | Credit: Courtesy 
Garibaldi and Cabezon at the Sea Center | Credit: Courtesy
Come celebrate World Oceans Day at the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf during a festival from 10:00 AM–3:00 PM on Saturday, June 8, 2024. Free admission from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM will be made possible with the generous support of the UCSB Associated Students Coastal Fund and the Stearns Wharf Merchants Association.
During the festival, guests can meet an array of community partners dedicated to ocean conservation and celebration, including Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, California State Parks, UCSB’s Caselle Lab, The Fish Reef Project, Channel Islands Naturalist Corps, Channel Islands Marine and Wildlife Institute, Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, Channel Islands Restoration, and Celebration Cruises, who will be raffling off a Lil’ Toot trip package at their table.
“As we come together to celebrate, I’m thrilled to highlight the remarkable efforts in our community to promote stewardship of the Santa Barbara Channel,” said Sea Center Naturalist and Volunteer Program Manager Tessa Cafritz, a co-organizer of the event. “The Sea Center’s goal is to facilitate meaningful connections between everyone who walks through our doors and the unique, vital ecosystems right beneath our feet. From our Two-spot Octopus to the tiniest sea star, World Oceans Day is a reminder of just how much there is to discover and protect within our oceans!”
The Sea Center features life-size models of a Gray Whale mother and calf, touchpool habitats where guests can touch sea stars and sea anemones, a Wet Deck modeled after a scientific research vessel’s lab, and Shark Cove, where visitors can get up close with small local sharks. In addition to exploring the Sea Center’s interactive exhibits, guests can enjoy storytimes, meeting the Sea Center’s very own Toothy the Shark, an announcement of the winners of a marine-themed student art contest, and a display by the Harbor Patrol’s fireboat.
Scheduled activities:
- Storytimes and appearances by Toothy the Shark at 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM
- Art contest winners announced at 1:00 PM
- Harbor Patrol Fireboat Display at 3:00 PM
“The Santa Barbara Channel supports over 1,000 species and is home to many communities. We are all connected to our waters, and this connection drives us to be stewards of our environment,” says festival co-organizer Sea Center School & Community Programs Specialist Kennedy Rivera. “The ocean is calling—and we as a community are here to answer the call as advocates for healthy ocean ecosystems.”
No reservations required. For more information and upcoming events, please visit sbnature.org/calendar.
About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Sea Center
Located on historic Stearns Wharf, this highly interactive regional aquarium and marine education facility offers guests close encounters with marine animals, and exploration of the Santa Barbara Channel on the Wet Deck. In addition to permanent exhibits, the Sea Center hosts unique events and special educational programming, including Underwater Parks Day and World Oceans Day.