Thursday 3rd and Tuesday 8th October

The Marine Discovery Centre will once again take part in this years Nature Festival, a wonderful festival with over 400 nature-inspired events blooming across South Australia from 28th September to 13th October 2024.

You can book tickets to one of our events here>

The annual Wara Wayingga Tennyson Dunes Open Day will be held on Sunday, 20 October 2024.

Join us for walking tours and displays to learn more about the amazing natural ecology of this important coastal dune ecosystem. Suitable for children and adults

Saturday 9 November 2024

Tickets and information

A collection of our winter beachcombing finds. This winter was bountiful with so many amazing sea snail shells, giant razor shells and the occasional crab or fish. The strong swell and winds this season brought up so many interesting delights; we make the most of it and get out on a beach walk every day (well most days!)

1. A stumpy pencil sea urchin displaying it's five pointed teeth that are underneath its body.
2. A curated collection of sea snail shells including periwinkles, whelks, top shells and screw shells.
3. A dried ornate Cowfish - the male of this species and most relatives are beautifully coloured with orange, blue and yellow markings.
4. A student's collection being arranged on the sand. We like to leave all our beach finds in interesting ways for others to come along and enjoy.
5. A Haeckel's Jellyfish bell - tiny fish can sometimes be observed swimming behind these jellyfish in the sea as a form of protection.
6. An amazing array of beach finds including lots of razor shells commonly washed up during winter.
7. A granular sea star that was returned to the water after being washed up by stormy waves
8. We've noticed a high number of Pheasant Snail shells on Henley Beach this winter, sometimes living and sometimes empty like these. We're always amazed by the variety of patterns created.
9. An adorable tiny sponge crab with a much too large ascidian on its back for camouflage! We helped this guy turn back over.
10. A Great White Shark tooth! It's truly the Holy Grail of beachcombing.  Fun fact: Did you know that Great White Sharks have up to 3,000 teeth arranged in 5 rows and can grow and replace around 20,000 teeth throughout their lifetime?

Saturday 7th December 2024

Tickets and information>

Support Porci's Ocean Patrol and Help Us Reach 1,000 Subscribers!

The Marine Discovery Centre has already released 8 exciting episodes of Porci’s Ocean Patrol, and we need your support to keep the journey going! Join Porci the friendly Porcupine Fish (pronounced “Pour-key”) as he explores the vibrant marine life of South Australia, teaching valuable lessons on ocean conservation, Aboriginal culture, and environmental sustainability.

Each 8-minute episode features MDC’s own Karno and Georgie, alongside local South Australian students, offering fun and educational adventures that come with downloadable activities and teacher resources for even more learning at home or in the classroom. Plus, students in the Children’s University program can earn hours towards their passport by completing the tasks through the Children's University Australasia portal!

Here’s How You Can Help:

We’re aiming to reach 1,000 subscribers on YouTube, which will allow us to generate income to support the Marine Discovery Centre’s mission. By subscribing, you’re helping us continue creating educational content that inspires the next generation to protect our oceans.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up-to-date with new episodes, and share with your friends and family to help us hit this milestone:

Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/@porcisoceanpatrol

Your support makes a difference—thank you for being a part of our mission to protect South Australia’s oceans and marine life!

Don’t forget, you can also download all the free educational resources for each episode: https://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/.../series-episodes

Explore 1-minute videos and activities for students here: https://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/porci.../activities

Together, we can make waves in marine conservation!

A project funded by Green Adelaide

Look! We have an artist on our team! After completing her University of Adelaide internship at the Marine Discovery Centre, Alesha gave us a wonderful thank-you gift. She created a beautiful cross-stitch of a Leafy Seadragon, which took hours of dedication. We absolutely love it, and it's now proudly displayed in our aquarium room.

We are also thrilled to announce that Alesha, along with Bela, has decided to stay on as part of our dedicated MDC volunteer team. Over the coming newsletters we will introduce them all to you.

We are thankful for our dedicated team of volunteers, reach out to us if you are keen to be involved. 

Tuesday 17th December 2024

Tickets & Information>

The team at the Marine Discovery Centre hope to connect you and your students with the marine world through our interactive excursions and classroom activities. Learning experiences at the Marine Discovery Centre are facilitated by qualified marine scientists and a cultural educator.

The Marine Discovery Centre is closely aligned with ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) particularly the cross-curriculum priorities of Sustainability and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures.

Whilst we still have some availability in 2024, we are now accepting bookings for 2025.

School Excursion program (new program coming soon)

Online Bookings

Vacation Care Group Bookings

Teaching and activities​ include curriculum tables, information packs, excursion activity sheets, classroom activity sheets, puzzles and fun activities.

Porcis Ocean Patrol

More educational resources

Friday 24th January 2025

Tickets & Information>

If you would like to get in contact with us, please call 08 8115 7402 or email info@marinediscoverycentre.com.au

We would love to hear from you.