Newport Harbor Nautical Museum

East Wing Learning Center

This facility is home to our modular classroom and interactive exhibits. Be sure to check our our Education page for information about our programs.

marlin

Sportfishing Simulator

Come find out what it feels like to catch a marlin! Test your skills against our interactive Sportfishing Simulator.

The Touch Tank is Fun
for Kids of All Ages!

Come Play with Our Sea Creatures and Experience What Lives Beneath the Sailing Seas

Read about the importance of giant kelp forests and get your hands wet in our interactive touch tank display. See and touch animals that are found along our coast and in our local kelp forests. Feel the prickly spines of a red sea urchin, stroke the bumpy skin of a California sea cucumber, and watch as giant ochre stars pull apart mussels for their lunch.

The touch tank animals are rotated in the exhibits as not to exhaust them or cause them undue stress. The animals “visit” our museum for a 2 week stay. After 2 weeks they are returned to their homes on the reef and we welcome new animals. Because of this rotation, our touch tank population changes regularly but usually includes:

touch tank

  • Ochre stars
  • Giant spined sea stars
  • Bat stars
  • Purple sea urchins
  • Red sea urchins
  • Brittle stars
  • Giant keyhole limpets
  • Wavy top turban snails
  • Kellet’s whelks
  • Norris’ top snails
  • Giant kelp
  • Hermit crabs
  • Sea cucumber

Thank You!

Thanks to Orange County Coastkeeper for providing us with our Touch Tank.