World Ocean Day is this Sunday, June 8th. What better way to connect to and cultivate care for our coastline than to get a glimpse of what lies beneath its surface? The Aquarium of the Pacific offers that glimpse with watery exhibits giving all of us non-deep sea divers a portal into the largest, most diverse ocean in the world.

There’s something for everyone—you can check out giant sea bass, learn about kelp forests, be awed by sea nettles, and get up close and personal with tide pool critters like anemones and starfish along with more mobile marine creatures like rays and sand sharks.

It’s more than a day at sea on land as a visit illuminates conservation issues and what we can do to help sea animals and their habitats during daily presentations and at special exhibits like the upcoming “Ocean on the Edge: Top Ten Ocean Issues,” starting June 13th.

And, if you’re looking for an evening out in the wild, you can attend Shark Lagoon nights, free events with drinks, live music and the opportunity to touch and see all sorts of sharks. You’ll leave with the facts about these feared fish, like that you’re more likely to be hit by lightning than be attacked by one, and that humans are actually the ones threatening them. At least 100 million sharks are killed annually for their meat, or worse, just for their fins. Rent Sharkwater to see more on that.

Check out the next Shark Lagoon night on June 13th here.

And, you can contribute to the conservation and education efforts of the Aquarium by becoming a member, making a donation, or volunteering (there are plenty of opportunities for families and teens, too).

Other good forces are at work for our endangered ocean—meet some of them here.

Aquarium of the Pacific

100 Aquarium Way Long Beach, CA 90802

(562) 590-3100 http://www.aquariumofpacific.org/

Tags: aquarium of the pacific, world ocean day