We are excited to invite campers to explore the aquatic world with us here at the Aquarium this summer. During each five-day week, campers will participate in many different fun games and activities, get to know the animals that call the Aquarium home and learn how to protect our one world ocean. Each camp will include experiences that get campers close to marine creatures and opportunities to explore areas of the Aquarium that most visitors don’t see. Sign up now to ensure your camper's week of summer fun at the Seattle Aquarium!
The camp season runs June 26 to September 1, 2023 (excluding the week of July 3).
Hours for Tiny Tide Poolers are 9–11:30am or 1:30–4pm.
Hours for all other campers are 9am–4pm.
Registration is scheduled to open March 10 for members and at noon on March 17 for the general public.
Marine Summer Camp Registration
Please note: Our summer camp sessions are filling up quickly. If a camp you are interested in is already sold out, please add yourself to the waitlist. A sold out session does not affect scholarship applications.
Seattle Aquarium members receive a special discount on camps to use when registration opens for members on March 10!
Members please log in to your member dashboard to access summer camp registration and the member discount code.
Camp Ages & Themes
Ages 4–5: Tiny Tide Poolers
Explore our tide pools, discovering a new ocean friend that calls the Salish Sea home each day! Campers will spend time with scuttling crabs, pillowy sea anemones and shy moon snails; get to know the stoic barnacles as they wave hello with their feathery feet; and help awaken sea cucumbers from their slumber. Your little one is sure to enjoy our week of singing, dancing, exploration, crafts, activities and more.
Note: Camp hours for this group are 9–11:30am or 1:30–4pm.
Ages 6–7: All About Orcas
Learn about Puget Sound’s most iconic marine mammal and pillar of the marine ecosystem: the orca! Campers will join our pod to explore orca behavior, family dynamics and hunting strategies. Of course, no orca expert would be worth their weight in blubber without researching their habitat and the salmon that they feast on. Submerge yourself in the world of the whales and their importance to a healthy, happy planet.
Ages 6–7: Octopus Odyssey
With so much happening in this camp, we can assure you that all campers will be fully “octopied”! Join us to explore the world of cephalopods, some of the most fascinating and intelligent creatures on the planet. Learn about the habitats, behaviors, needs and life cycles of the Aquarium’s resident giant Pacific octopus and cuttlefish through activities, crafts, games and more.
Ages 8–9: You Otter Know
These furry friends may seem like all fun and games, but there’s much more to them. Otters are highly intelligent and clever hunters with voracious appetites. Campers will take a deep dive into the world of otter skills and adaptations, explore the rich abundance of life in the kelp forests that otters call home and get to know the sea otters and river otters in our care.
Ages 8–9: Fintastic Sharks
If you think there are no sharks in Washington waters, many species will beg to differ! Learn about these often-misunderstood apex predators that play critically important roles in the marine ecosystem—and are also important indicators of ocean health. Consider real-world issues impacting shark populations and brainstorm solutions. Deepen your knowledge of and appreciation for sharks with a week of activities, games and more.
Ages 10–12: Sea Creature Feature
Enter an Aquarium adventure of the imagination! Campers will create one-of-a-kind creatures inspired by the abundance of adaptations found in our Puget Sound: teeth for shredding, spines for protection, fins for speed or lures to attract prey. The glorious patterns, bodies and behaviors of our ocean friends are endless—and your camper is only limited by their imagination! Create a behemoth that lurks in the depths or a sparkly, speedy, sun-loving seaweed connoisseur. Best of all, campers can challenge one another: may the craziest, cutest, strongest, most lovable Puget Sound aqua acrobat prevail!
Ages 13–14: Conservation Crew
Campers, come discover the many ways you can help protect the ocean! The Seattle Aquarium is here to help you explore how animal care, engineering, research, advocacy and education all come together in our work to protect and restore our marine environment. Meet a diver, watch a rockfish surface feeding, research whales and engage in a scientific study at our local beaches. It takes an aquatic village to care for the ocean. Join us to learn about the many exciting career options available to advocates for the ocean!
Camp Dates
The camp season runs June 26 to September 1, 2023 (excluding the week of July 3).
Hours for Tiny Tide Poolers: 9–11:30am or 1:30–4pm
Hours for all other campers: 9am–4pm
If your chosen camp session is full, your camper can be added to our waitlist. Please contact registration@seattleaquarium.org for more information or to be added to a waitlist.
| Dates | Camp | Age range (years) |
|---|---|---|
| June 26–30 | Tiny Tide Poolers | 4–5 |
| July 3–7 | No camp for the holiday week | |
| July 10–14 | All About Orcas | 6–7 |
| You Otter Know | 8–9 | |
| July 17–21 | All About Orcas | 6–7 |
| You Otter Know | 8–9 | |
| July 24–28 | Octopus Odyssey | 6–7 |
| Fintastic Sharks | 8–9 | |
| July 31–August 4 | Octopus Odyssey | 6–7 |
| Fintastic Sharks | 8–9 | |
| August 7–11 | Sea Creature Feature | 10–12 |
| Conservation Crew | 13–14 | |
| August 14–18 | Sea Creature Feature | 10–12 |
| Conservation Crew | 13–14 | |
| August 21–25 | All About Orcas | 6–7 |
| You Otter Know | 8–9 | |
| August 28–September 1 | Octopus Odyssey | 6–7 |
| Fintastic Sharks | 8–9 |
Registration
Registration is scheduled to open March 10 for members and at noon on March 17 for the general public.
Marine Summer Camp Registration
Please note: Our summer camp sessions are filling up quickly. If a camp you are interested in is already sold out, please add yourself to the waitlist. A sold out session does not affect scholarship applications.
Seattle Aquarium members will receive a special discount on camps to use when registration opens for members on March 10! Become a member today and then contact the membership department to receive the discount code.
Pricing & Scholarships
Pricing
Full week for Tiny Tide Poolers: $275
Full week for all other camps: $400
A 10% discount for Seattle Aquarium members is available. You will be sent a discount code for camp in the member newsletter. Please contact registration@seattleaquarium.org if you recently became a member or need a new code!
Scholarships
Marine summer camp is happy to offer a limited number of needs-based scholarships that can help cover the cost of camp. Scholarships are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re interested in a scholarship, you must apply using the form below. Scholarship applications will be reviewed starting in April.
Please email us at registration@seattleaquarium.org or call (206) 693-6196 if you have any questions about this process.
Waitlist
If your chosen camp session is full, your camper can be added to our waitlist. Please contact registration@seattleaquarium.org for more information or to be added to a waitlist.
You’re welcome to register campers for all the weeks you wish! Please note the camp themes don’t change, so experiences for your camper from week to week may be structured very similarly. However, the Seattle Aquarium is a living facility and no two days are ever quite the same!
This summer, Seattle Aquarium is taking steps to ensure that camp is as safe as possible, while also offering a memorable experience for our campers as they explore the marine environment. All Aquarium staff are required to be fully vaccinated. While masks that cover the nose and mouth are not required, they are highly encouraged. We can also supply masks as needed and are happy to encourage your camper to wear a mask—just let us know. Marine Summer Camp has both indoor and outdoor components (except for Tiny Tide Poolers). Campers will eat lunch outdoors, weather permitting.
The Seattle Aquarium has also increased sanitation protocols in all spaces campers will be using, including classrooms and restrooms. Additionally, efforts have been made to improve air quality in indoor spaces.
Contact registration@seattleaquarium.org if you have questions about our policies.
Each camp group will have two to three counselors and additional support staff and volunteers at any time. Seattle Aquarium camp counselors come from diverse backgrounds and all have a passion for marine life and sharing it with others. Counselors will be trained in CPR and first aid. All camp staff are required to pass background checks.
Campers should expect at least one of their assigned counselors to remain unchanged throughout the week. However, other staff may change depending on the activities the campers will be participating in.
Campers will be able to see areas of the Aquarium that are usually off limits to the general public, including areas with animals. We incorporate touchable intertidal animals into all the age groups, so campers will have opportunities to get to know a variety of different amazing animals! Behind-the-scenes experiences will vary depending on age group.
Yes for all campers except Tiny Tide Poolers. Before care and after care includes an additional cost, which varies depending on whether you need one, two or only certain days of the week. Before care starts at 8am and campers can be dropped off any time after that time. After care lasts until 5pm and campers must be picked up by that time. Campers will choose among crafts, free play and more individual activities during before and after care.
We offer a field trip experience for the 10–12-year-old Sea Creature Feature and the 13–14-year-old Conservation Crew camps.
Marine summer camp is happy to offer a limited number of needs-based scholarships that can help cover the cost of camp. Scholarships are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you’re interested in a scholarship, you must apply using the form below. Scholarship applications will be reviewed starting in April.
The scholarship application form can be found on the camp registration page of the Seattle Aquarium website. Please email us at registration@seattleaquarium.org if you have any questions about this process.
We do have a waitlist for camp! If the dates you want for camp are not available, please email us at registration@seattleaquarium.org to be added to the waitlist. Please keep in mind that the waitlist is first-come, first-served.
There are several convenient paid parking garages near the Aquarium, including the Pike Place Market Garage with entry on Western Avenue, and paid street parking on Western Avenue. Please be aware that the City of Seattle is currently conducting major road construction between Alaskan Way and Western Avenue which may directly impact parking and camper drop-off and pickup. Please email us at registration@seattleaquarium.org for the latest updates on construction.
An adult must accompany your camper to the Seattle Aquarium to sign them in and out each day. For sign out, the accompanying adult must show photo ID to verify they’re on the approved pickup list established during registration. There is no curbside drop-off or pickup.
Any adult on the approved pickup list you provided during registration. At pickup, the adult must show a valid photo ID that matches a name on your approved list. If you need to modify or clarify any of the names on your list, please reach out to our staff.
Campers are expected to be present for the beginning of the day so that everyone can have a great experience without interruptions, but we understand that unforeseen issues may arise. If you anticipate not being able to arrive on time, please reach out to our staff as soon as possible so they can make sure to meet you and your camper when you arrive and get your camper to their group.
Tiny Tide Poolers, who attend a camp for the morning or the afternoon, will not eat lunch but will have time for a snack. Tiny Tide Pool campers will need to bring a snack and a reusable water bottle. All other campers will need to bring their own lunch, two snacks (for morning and afternoon) and a reusable water bottle each day. Campers will eat lunch outdoors (weather permitting). Food must not require any additional cooking or refrigeration. Marine Summer Camp has a “no sharing” policy when it comes to food. Make sure to indicate any allergies during registration so any necessary accommodations can be made.
Campers will need to bring a lunch, two snacks, sunscreen and a reusable water bottle. A Marine Summer Camp T-shirt will be provided on the first day of camp. Campers are expected to wear their camp T-shirt every day of the week. Additional shirts may be available for purchase, although stock is limited.
*Tiny Tide Poolers, who attend camp for the morning or the afternoon, will need to bring a snack and a reusable water bottle. They will stay inside the Aquarium during camp. Campers can wear comfortable clothes and will not be required to wear a Camp T-Shirt every day.
For all campers, a face mask that covers the nose and mouth is recommended but not required.
If your camper’s friend or family member is in the same age group and registering for the same week, they’ll be in the same group. When registering, you can make a note that you’d like them to be together.
No refunds are given for cancellations made less than 14 days prior to the first day of camp. For cancellations made more than 14 days prior to first day of a program, an 90 percent refund will be given to reflect administration costs.
There is no charge for moving a camper to another camp session, although camps fill up and the waitlist is not a guarantee of entry. In the event of a child’s illness or family emergency, please coordinate with camp staff via registration@seattleaquarium.org to see if another date is available.
The Seattle Aquarium reserves the right to cancel any program. In the event that the Seattle Aquarium cancels a program, all program fees will be refunded.
