education IN Motion
Watch our Ocean Camp overview video and experience the highlights from years of unforgettable camp moments.
Registration opens soon for our 2025 Summer Ocean Camp. Scholarship assistance is available for Ocean Camp through the generosity of our donors for students who qualify for financial assistance and/or keiki impacted by the wildfires.
Registration for 2026 Summer Ocean Camp will open on April 10!
Please email [email protected] with any questions.
Ocean Camp (Grades 2-5)
What is Ocean Camp?
This unique offering encourages campers to learn about the ocean and Maui’s natural environment while developing useful skills and making new friends. Each session centers around a specific ocean-related theme and includes hands-on science lessons, team-building games, expressive crafts and daily field trips with local partners, including weekly 3-hour private snorkel trips on PacWhale Eco-Adventures vessels. Each weekly session accommodates a maximum of 20 campers.
Pacific Whale Foundation’s Education department is focused on the nurturing of minds to become the ocean’s stewards of tomorrow in a safe and accepting environment. We encourage all students of all identities to come as they are as their most authentic selves. As educators and volunteers, it is our responsibility to respect and actively support the identities of our students from their race to their gender identity, to the religion they practice and more.
Schedule
8:00-8:30 AM: Drop Off
Early-mid morning: Fun and weekly themed learning activities and games!
Afternoon: Field trip
3:30-4:00 PM: Pick up
What to Pack
A weekly field trip schedule will be provided for your session to help pack for specific activities. Good everyday items to pack each day are:
- Backpack
- Reusable water bottle
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Change of clothes
- Lunch/snacks
Pricing
We will be using a 4-tier payment system where adults can pay the full program cost to a reduced cost to applying for a full scholarship. Please keep in mind Tier 3 pricing and scholarships are only available to Maui County residents. Mahalo!
Price includes instruction and activities, daily field trips with local partners, including private snorkel trips on PacWhale Eco-Adventures vessels.
Session Information
June 8 – June 12| Wayfinders of the Sea
Set sail on a journey across the Pacific as campers learn how Polynesian wayfinders navigated using the stars, winds, and waves. Through hands-on activities and lessons, we discover the skills, strength, and stories that guided these incredible ocean voyagers to their new home on the Hawaiian islands.
June 22 – June 26| Totally Jaw-some
Step into the role of an ocean predator and discover what it takes to hunt, hide, and survive in the wild. Campers will explore food chains, predator-prey relationships, and the special adaptations that make ocean hunters so powerful.
July 6 – July 10| No Bone Zone
Can you imagine having no bones? Dive into the weird and wonderful world of animals without backbones, from octopus and insects to crabs and corals. Campers will explore how these strange, squishy creatures survive, move, and defend themselves in the big blue ocean and beyond.
July 13 – July 17| Blubber, Baleen and Breaches, Oh My!
Explore the lives of whales, seals and other marine mammals as campers learn how these amazing animals breathe, communicate, and survive in the ocean. From songs to migrations, we’ll discover what makes marine mammals so unique.
FAQ
What age groups do you serve?
- Our Ocean Camp program serves rising second graders-fifth graders.
Where/when is drop off and pick up?
Campers will be dropped off between 8:00-8:30 AM at the Discovery Classroom entrance in the lower level of the Harbor Shops complex next to Boss Frog’s. Pick-up is at the same location between 3:30-4:00 PM. PLEASE NOTE: a listed driver’s license is required to sign out campers every day.
Does my child need to know how to swim?
Basic swimming ability is recommended for water activities. We always prioritize safety and provide supervision from certified lifeguards, flotation devices, and guidance.
What is the staff-to-camper ratio?
We maintain a low ratio to ensure safety, engagement, and individualized attention.
What happens if the weather is bad?
We adjust activities as needed and always have backup plans, including indoor lessons, crafts, and educational activities. We will notify adults as soon as we are able with any concerns or changes.
Can my child attend multiple weeks?
Absolutely! Each week of Ocean Camp has a unique theme, so campers can join multiple sessions without repeating the same experience. However, there are limited sessions for Ocean Camp: A Deeper Dive and Ocean Career Quest.
Do you provide snacks or lunch?
One daily snack is provided: campers are responsible for their lunch each day at camp.
Scholarship assistance may be available for Ocean Camp through the generosity of our donors for students who qualify for financial assistance and/or keiki impacted by the wildfires. Contact [email protected] with any questions.