New England Aquarium to celebrate World Ocean Day with free programming on Sunday, June 8

BOSTON, MASS. (June 2025) – The New England Aquarium is celebrating World Ocean Day with free activities for the public to learn about the ocean and take action to protect it.

People of all ages are invited to Central Wharf on Sunday, June 8, for a day of special educational programming along Boston’s waterfront. This year’s World Ocean Day celebration features expanded offerings, including an opportunity for guests to build their own coral reef, a roaming photo booth, and a book signing event with acclaimed author Sy Montgomery. More than a dozen community partners will be onsite throughout the day, from White Snake Projects to the Hispanic Access Foundation. As part of its commitment to accessibility and inclusivity on Boston’s downtown waterfront, the Aquarium is partnering with the Boys & Girls Club of Boston to provide free transportation to Central Wharf on World Ocean Day. The Yawkey Club of Roxbury and the Berkshire Partners Blue Hill Club will serve as hubs for two roundtrip shuttles, with departures scheduled for 9:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. and return trips at 12:00 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. More information is available here.

Guests can participate in free activities from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. outside the Aquarium in the Harbor Terrace Tent, on Central Wharf Plaza, and in the Simons Theatre, thanks in part to the event’s lead sponsors Ernst & Young and Barr Foundation. Educational opportunities will also be available inside the Aquarium for guests who purchase tickets.

Free programming will include:

• “Ask a Scientist” booth – Scientists from the New England Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation, and Animal Care team will meet with visitors in the Harbor Terrace Tent to answer questions about their work protecting the ocean and marine animals.
• Go inside a life-sized whale – Guests can take a tour inside “Salt,” a 45-foot-long inflatable humpback whale, to learn about whale anatomy with representatives from NOAA’s Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
• White Snake Projects performance – The Boston-based activist opera company will perform “Sing Out Strong: Environmental Voices,” comprised of six original songs about the climate crisis. The performance will be at 10 a.m. in the Simons Theatre.
• Remarks and book signing – Sy Montgomery, celebrated author of The Soul of an Octopus, will appear in the Simons Theatre for a speaking program and book signing at 1:30 p.m.
• Documentary screening – The Aquarium will screen the documentary Finding My Father, in which ABC News correspondent Will Reeve reflects on his father’s legacy beyond Hollywood and retraces his steps from a 1995 nature documentary, In the Wild: Gray Whales with Christopher Reeve. Showing in the Simons Theatre at 3:30 p.m.
• Art exhibition and activity – At an interactive, family-friendly table, guests can create unique pins using youth artwork featuring ocean and climate themes. The art, created by young people participating in Bow Seat’s Ocean Awareness Contest, will be on display in the Simons Theatre.
• Fish weir building – Join members of the Massachusett Tribe at Ponkapoag to participate in a hands-on fish weir building activity, providing attendees with an immersive experience into traditional fishing practices.
• More programming details can be found on the Aquarium’s website.

Programming for guests who purchase tickets:

• Special presentations – Aquarium staff from the Conservation Learning and Pinnipeds and Penguins teams will deliver short presentations explaining the many ways they take care of animal communities and how we all can act within our own communities to take care of animals.
• Remarks by Vivien Li – Hear from climate leader Vivien Li at the top of the Giant Ocean Tank at 11 a.m., where she will discuss her extensive activism on Boston Harbor.
• Exploration Station activity – Aquarium educators will run rotating activities, such as story time and ocean-themed art, all day in Exploration Station on the 3^rd Activities are geared toward young learners, but everyone is welcome to participate.

The Aquarium’s summer hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week. Tickets can be purchased in advance at neaq.org.

MEDIA CONTACT: Pam Bechtold Snyder—617-686-5068; psnyder@neaq.org