MarineLab Family Day

Don't be a scaredy-cat! Bring the family along for an exciting afternoon of marine science activities and experiments at MarineLab. Meet our experienced instructors at a “sampler” of spooky stations to get you into the halloween spirit. Stations include a snorkel in our "haunted" lagoon, invertebrate discovery (creepy critters), and plankton identification (micro monsters). Come enjoy one station or sample them all!

 

Registration for this event will open up at noon on October 1st. 

 

Please sign the online waiver for each person attending!   If your waiver is not submitted you forfeit your spot in the program. These waivers contain vital medical information that needs to be submitted for the participants safety.

Click here to submit your medical/waiver form

or type https://waivers.marinelab.org/FamilyDayOct18-2026 into your browser window.

If you have any questions, email us at familyday@marinelab.org

 

Doctor's Note*: MarineLab requires a doctor’s note for conditions such as seizure disorders, heart conditions, recent injuries/surgeries, and/or conditions that can cause fainting (eg POTS) or loss of consciousness.  This list is not all-inclusive; parents/guardians should be prepared to provide a doctor’s note upon request.  The note should give approval for the participant to snorkel in seawater off vessels that may be up to 5 miles offshore, potentially a 45 minute boat ride to land.*Failure to provide a Dr note for medical issue/injury could prevent participation in boat trips and/or snorkeling.*MarineLab will not submit requests until a few days prior to your arrival - if unsure if note is needed, please reach out to assistant.coordinator@marinelab.org for guidance to prevent having to get a note last minute.  Please email at least 14 days prior to your trip.

 We are expecting your arrival at 1:00pm on October 18, 2026. MarineLab’s address is 51 Shoreland Drive in Key Largo. We are located at the intersection of Shoreland Drive and Transylvania Avenue at Mile Marker 103.2 on the oceanside.  Staff will be outside awaiting your arrival and will assist with parking. Please arrive on time to keep the parking and the schedule a smooth process. The MarineLab cellphone number is 305-709-9949. Please text/call if you are arriving late.

Please do not arrive before 12:45!  

1 PM: Arrive and check in.

Please do not arrive early as we have school groups departing at 12:30. A bus will be blocking the entrance. The Family Day program will begin promptly at 1:15. If you are running late, please call the marinelab phone at 305-709-9949.

2 PM - 4 PM: Sample our different stations - 

Creepy critters - Take a peek at some of the teeny tiny marine invertebrates that live on our rocks - fresh from our very own rock garden! Also, check out some of our favorite creepy crawly critters from Florida Bay. Channel your inner mad scientist (just in time for Halloween) and run your very own experiments on them.

Micro monsters - Get ready to see the real-life version of the plankton species that Plankton from SpongeBob is modeled after (yes, they really only have one eye!).  You will really be feeling like a scientist when you use our microscopes to find Plankton and his buddies. Then, build your very own plankton model and race it against the others!

Lagoon Snorkel - Anyone ready to brave the "haunted" lagoon is welcome to snorkel with us! Our instructors are ready and happy to assist new snorkelers in the water but if you’re feeling confident in your snorkeling abilities, you can step up your game and try to find one of our resident seahorses! We have plenty of snorkel gear, wetsuits, and life jackets for everyone, but you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.

 

**sequence of events and lagoon snorkel subject to change due to weather conditions

 

**if Family Day is cancelled in advance due to weather, we will contact you via email and you will be given a full refund. Due to high demand, we are unable to transfer tickets to a future event.

Admission: There will be a fee of $10 REFUNDABLE deposit for all participants. 

**if the refundable deposit poses a financial burden for your family, please contact us directly to register

 

Please consider that these are high demand events with waitlists - if you sign up and are no longer able to attend, please reach out to us at familyday@marinelab.org in advance so that another family can fill your spot!

 

Waiver Required! Submit your waiver here!

*we are now requiring a new waiver for each event. Even if you have already attended this year

 

Age: Open to all ages! All minors must be accompanied by an adult. 

 

Snorkel gear: Don’t have your own? We’ve got you covered! We are happy to provide snorkel gear in any size you need.

*due to safety concerns, we do not allow full face snorkel masks on our programs. But, we are happy to provide you with one of our masks if needed! We also require use of all snorkeling equipment - mask, snorkel, fins, snorkel vest (and lifejacket if we determine it is necessary after swim evaluation).

 

What to bring: A swimsuit, towel, water bottle, sunscreen, and snorkel gear (if you have it!)

 

For more information, email us at familyday@marinelab.org