http://www.ocean-institute.org
Ocean Institute Offers Marine Wildlife Cruises
The Ocean Institute offers weekend Marine Wildlife Cruises to provide participants with a ship-board view of whales, dolphins, sunfish, sea lions, and other creatures of the sea. Institute marine biologists lead the cruises onboard the Sea Explorer, which makes use of state-of-the-art equipment such as an acoustic array, plankton nets, video microscopes and a sediment sampler.
Trips last 2 ½ hours and are held most weekends, 1 – 3:30 p.m. Upcoming cruises: July 10, 17 & 31, August 7, 14, 21 & 28, September 4 &18; 1 – 3:30 p.m.
The cost of the Marine Wildlife Cruises is $35 adults, $22 for children, ages 4-12 (for Institute members, $22 adults, $19 children). Cost includes admission to the Ocean Education Center. For additional information, visit www.ocean-institute.org or call (949) 496-2274.
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Ocean Institute to Offer Special Presentation on Panama Canal on August 3
The Ocean Institute is pleased to present Panama Canal: The Impossible Achieved!, a special presentation by professional cruise line speakers and Ocean Institute volunteers Milt and Ann McMenamin, on Wednesday, August 3, 6-8 p.m.
Find out how the great problems of building the canal were solved and why the Panama Canal was such a monumental achievement. From hardships to triumphs, it’s the story of a colossal masterpiece rising out of turbulent times.
Two additional presentations will be offered by the McMenamins this summer:
August 17: Amazing Rainforest Wildlife
Take a closer look at the flora and fauna that we share time and space with on this sphere. We’ll peer into the lungs of the Earth and discover the extravagant, exotic life forms that live there.
August 31: Astounding Rivers of Ice!
The history of ice and its potential for changing our environment is viewed from a worldwide perspective. Find out how glaciers personally affect us by mirroring the past, predicting the future, and providing options for solving environmental problems.
All presentations occur on Wednesday evenings, and begin at 6 p.m. Cost is $7 per person, or $25 for a family of four. Register by calling (949) 496-2274 or visiting www.ocean-institute.org.
Purchase a ticket to the 2011 Laguna Beach Million Dollar Home Raffle and receive free admission for the evening. To purchase a raffle ticket, call (949) 542-3600.
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The McMenamins live in Laguna Niguel. They began volunteering at the Institute 16 years ago, serving as greeters and tour guides, manning wildlife touch tanks and teaching many of the 60 state-approved education programs which match the curriculum being taught at California schools. Milt explained, “We’re deeply committed to the Ocean Institute’s mission, ocean preservation through education.”
The McMenamins are both retired teachers, and once hosted a Los Angeles radio program, “The Travel Show.” They spend part of their year traveling on cruise ships delivering lectures on 32 different topics, including the six they’ll present at the Institute.
“All of our lectures are painstakingly researched for accuracy,” asserted Milt, who noted that his average lecture takes three months to research. “We have to be sure we have sources to back up all of our statements.”
The McMenamins are also actors, and assume the role of real life characters for some of their presentations. For example, Milt becomes the character of Clerk, first in command to British explorer James Cook, when he tells the story of Cook’s explorations of Pacific Islands.
Founded in 1977, the Ocean Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to ocean preservation through education, setting the standard for educational excellence and serving as a leading resource for universities, museums, teachers and all others seeking to increase their knowledge of the ocean. The Ocean Institute is open to the general public on weekends, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Cost: $6.50 adults, $4.50 children (ages 4-12), Ocean Institute members free. Unique maritime and ocean-themed items are available in the Chambers Gallery everyday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Institute address: 24200 Dana Point Harbor Dr., Dana Point. Website: www.ocean-institute.org. Phone: (949) 496-2274.
