Australian National Maritime Museum

Throughout March, the Australian National Maritime Museum will be celebrating a month of blue water as host of a variety of events and activations promoting ocean conservation and preservation.

The Museum will be taking part in the Ocean Lovers Festival, Earth Hour, and celebrating World Water Day, Sea Week and Clean Up Australia Day with a series of events and activations which make up this exciting Month of Blue dedicated to providing a greater understanding of Australia’s blue harbour heart, waterways and coast.

With onsite, offsite and online events available for people of all ages, there are so many ways to get involved with this exciting program and learn more about how to best help our ocean.

Ocean Lovers Festival Cruise with Tribal Warrior – Cruise the world’s most beautiful harbour while hearing captivating stories of original custodians as well as find out about innovative science efforts to restore much of its habitat.

This includes an adventure onto Be-lang-le-wool, known today as Clark Island, where hosts will guide you back to pre-European settlement to discover their sustainable practices for fishing and food that sustained Aboriginal communities for thousands of years.

Time: March 15, 11am – 1pm
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book.
Price: Adults $80, children $49.50, concession $53.90

Ocean Lovers Festival Sea Science Student Expo – Secondary school students are invited to a half-day expo on Friday, March 14 to see science displays, and listen to and meet marine scientists and course leads from participating universities and other ocean institutions. Students will be able to hear about study options in science, particularly marine-related; ask questions of the scientists and faculty staff

Be inspired by how past science students have used their studies in their work.
See how science helps to restore nature and support our ocean.

Times: March 14, 9:30am
Ages: Suitable for secondary school students
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book.
Price: Free

For more information: Sea Science Student Expo | Ocean Lovers Festival

Ocean Lovers Festival Excursion Day – Students will have the opportunity to meet and talk to marine scientists, learn about inspiring ocean restoration projects, participate in hands-on workshops, immerse themselves in interactive art exhibitions, and enjoy some fun ocean science activities for all ages. They can even drive an underwater drone and discover what lies beneath the surface at Bondi Beach, in real time, and talk to the Australian National Maritime Museum science educators.

Times: March 21, 9:30am – 2:30pm
Ages: Students in years K-6
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book
Price: Free
For more information: School Excursions | Ocean Lovers Festival | Bondi

Seabin Foundation Ocean Health Lab – Discover the Ocean Health Lab, a pioneering off-grid microplastic research facility at the Australian National Maritime Museum, tackling marine plastic pollution and inspiring change. Operated by the Seabin Foundation, the lab analyses debris captured daily by 24 seabins in Sydney Harbour, fostering collaboration among scientists, volunteers, and interns to deliver data-driven solutions. Free 20-minute tours of the Lab will be available throughout March.

Times: March 15 – 16, 10am – 4pm / Weekdays in March, 11:30am and 1:30pm
Ages: Students in years K-6
Booking: No bookings required
Price: Free

For more information: Seabin Foundation Ocean Health Lab | Ocean Lovers Festival | Sydney

Ultimate Depth – A Journey To The Bottom Of The Ocean – Embark on a journey from the ocean’s sunlit surface to its deepest, darkest depths, exploring five unique zones, each brimming with its own wonders. Make your own Deep-Sea Creature and release it into the Midnight Zone and end your adventure in the deepest reaches of our ocean, the Hadal Zone, where you can investigate the DEEPSEA CHALLENGER, the submersible that took James Cameron to these extreme depths in 2012.

Times: Daily, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Booking: No bookings required
Price: Included in See It All ticket

Ocean Photographer of the Year – Explore the awe-inspiring beauty and fragility of our oceans. Featuring 118 extraordinary images, this exhibition celebrates the vision of talented photographers from around the world.

Times: Daily, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Ages: Suitable for all ages
Booking: No bookings required
Price: Included in See It All ticket

Earth Hour – The Maritime Museum will be participating in Earth Hour once again and switching off all lights (except those needed for security) as a demonstration of support for the environment.

Times: March 22, 8:30 – 9:30pm
For more information: Earth Hour Switch Off Locations

Rubbish Stories – Get inspired for Schools Clean Up Day by writing a brilliant story about plain old rubbish! In this English and Science workshop, students will follow the journey of a bottle cap dropped in a school playground as it travels into the drain, through the sewers and out to the ocean. While developing storytelling superpowers, students will also be inspired by real-life examples of sustainability initiatives to help them re-write a rubbish ending.

Times: February 27, 2-3pm
Ages: Students in years 3-6
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book
Price: Free
For more information: Rubbish Stories – DART Learning

Deep Sea Habitats and Adaptations – Explore the extreme environments of the deep sea and meet the incredible creatures who live there. Students will dive deep and explore each of the five ocean zones and discover what makes them a unique habitat. They will investigate each layer of the ocean and discuss its environmental conditions, the species that have adapted to survive there, and the technologies used to explore it.

Times: March 3, 2-3pm
Ages: Students in years 5-6
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book
Price: Free
For more information: Deep Sea Habitats and Adaptations – DART Learning

Explore the Deep Sea with Professor Pufferfish! – Don’t miss this one-off performance as the hilarious Professor Pufferfish helps students learn about deep ocean environments and species. Empty of museum visitors, Professor Pufferfish reports to students on an after-dark investigation of the new exhibition Ultimate Depth, exploring the strange environment of living things in the deep sea. Our resident odd-ball scientist Professor Pufferfish will also attempt to answer anything your students might want to know, and we would love for you to send us your students’ questions before and during the session.

Times: March 7, 2-2:45pm
Ages: Students in years K-2
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book
Price: Free
For more information: Exploring the Deep Sea with Professor Pufferfish – DART Learning

Our Ocean, Our Future – Dive into the science of ocean environments in this interactive virtual excursion from the Museum of the Sea. The ocean is a unique, irreplaceable environment that is home to many living things. This session builds on UNESCO’s Ocean Literacy principles to help students understand why the ocean is important for all life on Earth. Students will discuss the pollution problems facing our ocean, learn about real life examples of sustainability and brainstorm achievable ways to help the ocean in our everyday lives.

Times: March 21, 2-3pm
Ages: Students in years 3-6
Booking: Bookings required, click here to book
Price: Free
For more information: Our Ocean, Our Future – DART Learning

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