February Vacation Week 2020

Discover marine life with classes and fun for the whole family!

Have you ever wanted to know how we feed our Marine Animal Hospital patients? Maybe you are really excited to feel the weight of a walrus tusk or to see the inside of sea turtle shell. Would you like to see our patients learn to  eat fish on their own or play with enrichment devices? You can do all of this and more at the National Marine Life Center’s Marine Animal Discovery Center! Our Discovery Center will be open during February Vacation Week, February 15-23, from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Features include exhibits, bio-facts, Daisy and Violet – the best box turtles ever! – and of course a live feed television screen of our Marine Animal Hospital (the best way to view our seal and sea turtle patients). From Monday through Saturday, you can drop in to one of our educational classes. Discover a new favorite species, learn how we admit patients to the Marine Animal Hospital and try it out for yourself using a model, design and create a prosthetic for an injured ocean animal, and so much more! 

Monday-Friday Education Schedule:

11:00 a.m. ~ Little Flippers: Join us for stories and a craft project about marine animals! Different themes daily (see below). Best suited for children ages 3-8. Children must be supervised. Program lasts 45-60 minutes.
Cost: Members $5/child/program; Non-members $7/child/program.

12:00 p.m. ~ Patient Update: Learn about the marine animal patients currently in our care from a member of our Animal Care Team. View our sea turtles and seals via live TV and meet our native turtles in person. Program lasts approximately 15-20 minutes. Also offered on demand. FREE.

1:00 p.m. ~ Marine Animal Medical Mystery: What does it take to be a marine animal care technician? What are some of the questions and “mysteries” involved in wildlife rehabilitation? Each day, using models, we’ll learn how we rehabilitate a different animal. Best suited for ages 8-14.
Cost: Members $5/child/program; Non-members $7/child/program.

2:00 p.m. ~ Patient Update: See description above.

3:00 p.m. ~ Engineering Design Challenge: Marine Animal Prosthetics: Investigate how to help an animal with an injured or missing limb or damaged shell. Discover how technology helps disabled animals, and engineer your own prosthetic device for a marine animal. Best suited for ages 8-14. Program lasts 45-60 minutes.
Cost: Members $5/child/program; Non-members $7/child/program.

4:00 p.m. ~ Patient Update:  See description above.

NEW SATURDAY PROGRAMMING!

Animals & Art ~ Feb. 15, 3 p.m.; Feb. 22, 11 a.m., 3 p.m.: Through video, discover how one National Geographic photographer uses art to tell stories of marine animals and their ocean home. Choose an animal and create your own work of art that tells a story, busts a myth, or shares a fun fact! Draw, paint, write, sing, act! Explore how art is used to protect and advocate for sea life. All welcome! Program lasts 45-60 minutes. FREE.

Pop-Up Sustainability Stations ~ periodically throughout the day: Learn how plastic impacts animals, explore how long trash takes to biodegrade, discover why product materials matter. FREE.

Patient Update ~ on demand throughout the day: See description above.

Daily Themes:

• Sat., Feb. 15: Turtles (10-2 only)
• Sun., Feb. 16: Open, no programs
• Mon., Feb. 17: Manatees
• Tues., Feb. 18: Turtles
• Wed., Feb. 19: Sharks/Rays
• Thurs., Feb. 20: Seals/Sea Lions
• Fri., Feb. 21: Dolphins/Whales
• Sat., Feb. 22: Animals & Art
• Sun., Feb. 23: Open, no programs