Second trip here with the family. Love the store and everything it has in there. The tour is always enjoyable and staff are friendly. Always fun petting the sharks, definitely a must visit when traveling. read more

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Kind of cool aquarium dedicated to local wildlife varieties. The sea lion/seal show and the pet the shark are the best parts! You do have to do the tour to get in, it's not a free walk aquarium, but the tour is more about people control vs talking. Worth a fun visit if you have time and are in the area. read more

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This was so cool! Stopped here on our anniversary trip and got to pet a shark! Cute little seal and sealion demonstration, our tour guide was the sweetest and she was super knowledgeable. Me and my husband really enjoyed this! read more

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The seal performance was the best part by far. The tours are only guided, you can't walk through on your own. You start at the tide pools, then go downstairs to a few exhibits, then upstairs to pet a shark and then watch seals. It took about 30 minutes. My biggest complaint is the lack of cleanliness of the tanks. The tide pools made me sad, so did the seals. Very dirty tanks with very little enrichment or anything in the tank for the seals (no coral, nothing at the bottom, etc - just a big dirty pool). The seal performance was really cool but other than that it was fine. I feel bad for the animals and hope they will work to improve the conditions. read more

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Highly recommended stop if visiting the area!!! It's not a big aquarium and it's not a traditional aquarium. If you like sea life and want to check out and or support it, then buy tickets and go for a tour. Great for kids! You cannot roam through, it's by tour only. We enjoyed the tour, touch tank, pet a shark, and the seal performance at the end. Lots of parking. Room for RV parking if needed. ****gift shoppe alert****. Great selection and fair priced sweatshirts and Ts! Lots to choose from and good quality. Redwoods, beach inspired, and Crescent City logos. So many other souvenirs too. Other places were charging $60 for a sweatshirt. Got ours here for $36!! read more

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Very Cool experience. Got to see the sea lions perform a few shows. The tour guides were very young like high school kids but are very friendly professional and knowledgeable. You get to tour an underwater aquarium on a boat and pet a leopard shark. Nice gift shop with wide assortment of cool items. read more

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One of my families favorite places. We have been going for years but this one was special. The young man guiding us was insightful, funny and patient. The tour was long and fun. We were lucky enough to see the seals and sea lions twice. read more

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The healthiest looking animals I've ever seen in captivity. The staff were all so friendly and helpful. Great gift shop and everything from the tickets to the souvenirs were very affordable. Couldn't recommend this place enough! My kids still can't stop talking about petting a real shark, peak life experience! read more

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This place has seen better days. The first thing you enter is the gift shop. It's filled with so many different kinds of gifts it's almost overwhelming. Jewelery, t-shirts, rocks, stuffed animals, masks, cups, mugs, and everything in between. I thought you could just walk around and explore for yourself, but if you want to see any fish or seals, you have to pay for a tour and wait about 10 minutes to begin your journey. I didn't realize it was a guided tour. I'm not a fan of guided tours, but oh well. Within 10 minutes, a bell rings, and you gather with your group to see the sea life at the tide pool. A little cemented pool of water with starfish in it. I guess you can let your kids hold and touch them because that's what everyone was doing. Our guide didn't seem too enthusiastic and looked bored. The guide talked in a monotone voice explaining the sea life in the area. Next stop...underwater sea life. Going downstairs in a big darkened room surrounded with aquariums . * If you are unable to walk down the stairs, they have a video you can watch instead, on the main floor. The aquariums themselves looked very old, and the water wasn't very clean. Again, the tour guide explained the different fishes, however most of the people on the tour could care less about what the guide was saying, so I guess I can understand why the guide wasn't so enthusiastic about his job. Next... up the stairs to another room that was filled with photo opportunities for parents to take pictures of their children inside a sharks mouth. There was also a small shallow pool with a tiger shark swimming around, waiting for people to touch him. Great for kids to experience a little shark and show them that they just need to respect all animals and not be afraid of them. Last but not least...down a hall and around the corner to see a seal show. Our guide directed one seal to do some tricks and explained how high a seal can jump and how much a seal can eat. It lasted about 15 minutes, and then the tour was over. We were told to go back to the gift shop, and that was it. Maybe a nice little stop for parents with little kids, but not really for adults. read more

Ocean world is a roadside attraction you don't want to miss. The gal that did our tour was super knowledgeable and answered my kids off the wall questions without a blink. They were very impressed with the seal show.m and getting to pet the leopard shark. There are 10% coupons in the brochures and online so save yourself some money and grab one of those! The gift shop is huge, good selection of knick knacks and clothing items, of course we had to grab a couple things to commemorate our trip. read more

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Great place to check out in Crescent City. Went there with my family and we loved it from the ambiance to the wonderful wildlife they have. Personable people as well as animals. If you stop through Crescent City, it is most worth the adventure of experiencing Ocean World. read more

Ocean World - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

This is just Sea World but with otters instead of orcas. They claim every single animal in this establishment was fatally wounded in the wild and rescued, which is a lie they tell. I do not believe it, I've seen hospitalized seals and such. There are no wounds on those sharks that prevented them from being released into the wild. This is a business. This is just entertainment without much consideration for animal welfare. The owner claims it isn't, it's just an "entertaining educational experience" that animals "aren't train, they are demonstrating behavior natural to them" i have the message in the photos- this owner is claiming sea lions naturally throw hopes and stand on their front flippers. It's interesting because I've never seen a basketball hoop in the wild or a seal ever pose that way. Also- tide pools are protected in california. Touching the creatures inside them stresses them out and can cause that animal to die. Yet, because this is a business- not a rescue of any sort- they have touch pools where children can prod starfish - which literally aren't on the shores anymore- and anemones and the like. The shark touch pool has to be one of the saddest things. A shallow pool, no hiding place no escape from the overhead lights, no escape from all the touching from humans not a natural environment at all. Leopard sharks are usually found in the wild in shadier places, deeper in the water in sandy flats, kelp beds, and more. They even go out into the mudflats in point reyes to hunt for clams and such. If you want to learn about these animals go to the coast where you can see real tide pools, check out Point Reyes to see the sharks and seals in a natural habitat with the educational visitor center- you can even see an actual rescue with a lot of education and release back into the wild at the Marine Mammal Center. Please do not support this animal exploitation. There are so many more places that educate much more and don't subject animals to stress like this. read more

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It's in the top five things to do in Crescent city area for a holiday vacation. Spent four days this past week and this was fun to do with my daughter and grandson. Enjoy the seal show and shark aquarium. The petting of a tiger shark was kind of cool For my grandson. read more

Good fun place for kids. They love petting the sharks! The staff were delightful, friendly, and helpful. Nice gift shop area, not ridiculously overpriced items. This was our 4th of July weekend quick getaway vacation in Crescent City from Oregon read more

Ocean World - Small town aquarium but big on customer service! Friendly great people. - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

Entrance and exit is through the gift shop. You pay for the tickets at the cashier and they'll announce when the tour is about to start. So don't wander off too far. And bathrooms are outside the gift shop and they have few toys for kids to play around while waiting. Overall great experience for the kids and you get to see the seal show too. read more

My husband and I stopped here with our 4yr old and 2yr old, and we all had a great time! We got to touch starfish, sea anemone, and pet a shark. We also really enjoyed the seals and gift shop. The gentleman who did our tour was very knowledgeable about all the sea life there, and talked about the rescue efforts for the seals and stingrays located on site. read more

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Sad, sad "aquarium" and that term is used loosely. The poor seals/seal lions in their abhorrently depressing enclosure... it's just sad and I wish I wouldn't have participated in keeping the place open. Well, in reply to the facility's response to the above paragraph: My observations are not misplaced. They are mine and are valid. There is nothing remotely natural about the seal/sea lion exhibit. Perhaps the animals were rescued; this is not something I can verify. But they deserve more than they have. More space. More water. More freedom. Again, this is my observation because frankly, I feel it to be true and hard to argue. If more is not an option, then improvement should be. They deserve so much better than where they are. read more

Went back again on 9-20-23. Enjoyed petting the sea creatures and watching the sea lion/harbor seal show. Totally worth visiting for the price! Also, their gift shop has much better prices than others in the area. read more

Took our grandkids multiple times. Always fun and informative! Constantly great customer service and great tour guides. Highly recommend!

It's fun! You can touch and feel a shark and a starfish. They have a nice little sea lion show, and a nice gift shop with good prices. Good taffy too! Fun for the whole family! 45-60" of fun! read more

Ocean World - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

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Stopped here when passing through town. I Loved the private tour, makes the whole experience feel more personal and limits the crowds around the tanks. Highly reccomend this place if you're visiting the area read more

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Cute little aquarium. It's smaller than I anticipated and only a couple "exhibits" however I think you get your moneys worth during the little show the sea lions out on for you! They are super cute and fun. You also get to pet a little shark. Gift shop is pretty nice too! read more

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Went to Ocean World on a rainy Friday. Totally worth it. Loved the guided tour. The guide was full of interesting facts and there was plenty of opportunities to look and watch the animals. The seal and sea lion shows were fun and intimate. But of course the highlight was petting the shark. It was a lot of fun and a fairly inexpensive way to kill some of a rainy day. The gift shop is very eclectic and has something for everyone. read more

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My husband and I went here for our anniversary! It was so fun! We are animal lovers and had a blast. The shark petting was so cool, and of course the seal lion show was great. The gift shop was fun too, we spent to much money in there! I definitely want to go back with my nieces and nephews. read more

Ocean World - Anniversary weekend fun! - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

Took our toddler here and we all loved it. I actually liked the fact that you got a tour, because I learned more about all of the animals and creatures than I would have walking around. I loved that you could "pet" starfish, sea anemones, & a shark! The seals honestly stole the show & that was in my opinion the best part. So glad we stopped in to this cute aquarium. read more

So on my trip where a lot of hiking and outdoor exploration was planned, torrential rain kept me from sticking to schedule. Squeezed in a good hike in the AM where there was a break, but from noon on, had to look for alternatives to maintain value in my off time. Enter Ocean World. Ocean World is a small interactive marine center right on the coast that has a small aquarium, a small tide pool and a small outdoor show with seals. It is only about a 30-45 minute guided tour AND it is only $13 for adults, I'm sure much less for kids. First of all, this is much smaller than say most urban aquariums. You can spend all day in Monterey, but here you can get your fill in the 30+ min tour. So keep your expectations in check. But what you do get here that is of total value is you get to touch several things. The tide pool has starfishes and anemones that can be touched in the water, or if it isn't completely stuck to a rock, can be picked up. I learned that starfishes are soft and squishy in the water, as I've only touched dead, dried ones. Anemones' tentacles are very sticky which surprised me. Then they take you through several aquarium tanks that have certain themes/underwater climates. There's an area for rock fishes/crabs, an area for small sharks like leopards and bat rays. And an area for seals, both sealions and harbor seals. I love aquariums so this was a blast for me. Then they take you to a kitschy room with props where you can take pics of you in a plastic sharks mouth. Families get their fill here. But this room also has a small pool with some bottom dwelling sharks. Swell sharks were holding the fort the day I went and since they aren't super active, you can actually gently stick your arm in the shallow pool and touch one. Their skin is like rough sandpaper which I totally didn't expect. And it was fun watching small kids take interest in touching and respecting a live animal. The final stage is outdoors and there is a quick seal show, with the same seals that were in the aquarium, only this time you're above the surface. Many of these seals are rescue seals and have been deemed not suffice to live in the wild for their benefit. But because they are so intelligent, humans are able to train them for entertainment purposes. It isn't as long as say a Marine World/SeaWorld show, but it is guaranteed to pull a few chuckles and some applause. It is super low key and not in your face commercial. There is a souvenir shop that you have to go through upon entry and exit, but that is about it. And for the price, you just can't help but value the experience. This was an impromptu visit this time around. But I wouldn't hesitate in coming back for a future visit, if ever back in the area. Destination status earned. read more

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Have more than a few Tiger Sharks and don't have a seal show if as the trainer said "they don't feel like performing today" Felt ripped off as did others I heard talking. read more

A must stop when traveling through Crescent City! Touch pools, shark petting and a seal & sea lion show! We really appreciated how clean the aquarium was and how well taken care of all the animals looked. The staff and tour guide were very friendly and informative. Highly recommend this stop! read more

Ocean World - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

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Absolutely a must when stopping in Crescent City! Touch pools, shark petting, seal and sea lion shows and a rad gift shop! We really appreciated how clean the aquarium was and how well you can tell all the animals are cared for. Caring, enthusiastic and friendly staff/tour guides are wonderful too. Definitely a fun stop! read more

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Wow this was so personal and loved the tour guide she was super informative of the aquarium and the tide pool petting was amazing I got other people to touch the starfish I was so excited I felt like a kid at 60 thank you for a wonderful experience I was on vacation and was impressed by the gift shop wow beautiful things I wanted everything thank you I hope to be back soon read more

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If you are in town this is the place to stop. It doesn't look like much when you pull up but looks can be deceiving. $35.00 got us a full day petting sharks, watching a sea lion show and having a great time touching underwater sea creatures like star fish. Great staff and a great experience. Best bang for your buck by far on this trip up the coastline from the Bay Area. read more

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Excellent venue in the small town of Crescent City. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The facilities are sparkling clean. A friend and I visited on a Saturday. The tour started immediately with a nice group of people, just the right size group to be able to see what was going on the entire tour. We saw a great exhibition of sea lions and seals where the staff had them jump, clap, make sounds like barnyard animals, retrieve a basketball and put it through the hoop, slide down a slide and much more. Then we went into the tide pool room where visitors could reach into the tide pool and touch the creatures living there. One can even pick up the starfish if they haven't tightly attached themselves to the rocks. There are a considerable number of stairs to the large aquarium below. Those with mobility issues can wait above and view a comprehensive video as the rest of the tour descends and views the underwater creatures while the tour guide explains what is being viewed. Those unable to descend do receive a discount as they can't see that portion of the tour. Next on your visit is the petting tank where visitors have the opportunity to actually pet two small sharks in the tank. The tour guides are very patient and helpful at all the exhibits. There is also an several areas with fun props for group or family photos. The tour guides are happy to assist by taking photos of your group or family using your own smart phone or camera if you wish. Allow enough time to browse their extensive gift shop with a wonderful array of ocean and nature decor, locally imprinted t-shirts, sweat shirts and hats, as well as fun ocean related gadgets for the kiddos. I must rate Ocean World a 10. They do a fabulous job of providing entertainment, education and fun for all their guests! You'll want to go back again and again! read more

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We always visit, every time we come to Crescent City.. Love the gift shop , and the whole experience is always enjoyable...

Wonderful place for the kids, they will defiantly enjoy the fun activities that they have inside, beside getting a pick of our nature.

Nice little aquarium. They have a touch pool, a few animal displays downstairs, a shark petting area and a sea lion show. It was a quick tour (maybe 30-45 mins), but the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. The sea lion show at the end was very personal and impressive. read more

Ocean World is a fun way to spend an hour or so when visiting Klamath County and an option to supplement your day in the redwoods. We visited here after spending the morning in Trees of Mystery. I hadn't really read ahead so didn't realize that visiting the aquarium is by tour only. We lucked out and arrived about 15 minutes before the next tour started and it was about $25 for two people. The tour itself is about 45 minutes and during that you get to go to two touch pools and see the larger aquarium that includes rays, sharks and other local sea life. At the end there is a harbor seal and sea lion demonstration. At first I was a little concerned about these animals being confined in this environment but then I learned that they were rescues. They also seemed in great health and plenty to play with and keep busy. Our guide was amazing and I wish I remembered his name. He obviously cares about the environment, local sea life and the marine biology of the north coast. He's also a scuba diver who knows the area and it's animals well. Really fun way to spend part of the afternoon. The gift shop had a decent mix of quality souvenirs mixed in with cheaper items for the kids. Free parking, not crowded and also close to the city pier and beaches. read more

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Fun tour. Clean facility and friendly tour guides. The gift shop is very well stocked and worth a visit on its own.

Annie, thanks for the informative guided tour. It appears you love what you do. Sure, it's not filled with a large variety of fish tanks, but none the less what they do have is just right for few minutes not overwhelming for kids. I did not attend with children, but observing the children on the tour, it was just right for them. As a parent it is just enough time to stop along the drive between California and Oregon to stretch their legs, burn off some energy, and travel on. Mention the coupon online that is 10% off never expires. Yes, this is a small place and you can only take the tour. No self guided tour. About 15-20 minutes tour. But it's cool to take your time to get your photos, ask questions, and just observe the underwater world. Kate, thanks for the masks!! They are so beautiful! Photos attached. Enjoyed my visit. read more

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Years ago I went and loved this place. I fell in love with seal named Cora. I don't know if she is still alive, but it's enough that I am going to visit this month, October 2020. I sincerely hope the place is as cute as I remember. read more

Ocean World - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

This was a great find for an afternoon in Crescent City. It definitely caters to tourists with a trap of a gift shop that parents must navigate before and after the guided tour through the aquarium. With that said, the actual tour was great...hands-on access to a tidal pool with sea creatures (like star fish and sea anenome (?)) and you get to pet a shark in a different pool! They house some impressive sturgeon, rock fish, rehabilitated rays, seals, and sea lions, and the woman who led the tours was quite knowledgable and great with kids. Worth a stop, for sure! read more

Ocean World - Ocean World...giant sturgeon! - Aquariums Near Me - Crescent City, California

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