Our Policies

Tickets for all events at Ocean Institute are non-refundable unless proof of illness or medical emergency with a medical note is emailed to guestservices@oceaninstitute.org. 

Ocean Institute must receive a rescheduling request notification at least 24 hours before the departure or start time of your event/program/ticket. Rescheduling requests sent in less than 24 hours before the event/program/ticket date and time will not be accepted.

If you are more than 24 hours from your event/program/ticket and would like to reschedule to a future date, and there is availability, we can accommodate your request, but the new date must be within 30 days of the original event/program/ticket date. A 5% transfer fee will be charged for all rescheduled tickets.

 Please email: guestservices@oceaninstitute.org

 Any deviation outside the terms listed above will not be accepted, and all payments will be released to Ocean Institute without the option of rescheduling. Requests after the event/program/ticket date and time will not be accepted unless proof of illness or medical emergency with a medical note is emailed to guestservices@oceaninstitute.org

Pets are not allowed inside the Ocean Institute unless they are trained service animals.

In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for a person with a disability. The task(s) performed by the dog must be directly related to the individual’s disability. Service animals are working animals, not pets. 

Please note the following: 

• Control: Service animals must be harnessed, leashed, or tethered at all times unless these devices interfere with the animal’s work or the handler’s disability prevents their use. In such cases, the handler must maintain control of the animal through voice, signal, or other effective means. 

• Responsibilities: The care and supervision of the service animal is the sole responsibility of the handler at all times. 

• Exclusions: Service animals may be excluded from the Ocean Institute if their behavior poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others. Examples include aggressive behavior, being out of control, or not being housebroken. 

• Restricted Areas: Some areas of the Ocean Institute—including animal care spaces, certain labs, and immersive habitats—may be off-limits to service animals due to potential stress or harm to sensitive species. These restrictions may change based on breeding, medical treatment, or the arrival of new animals.

• Emotional Support Animals: Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort, emotional support, or therapy do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not permitted in the facility. 

Ocean Institute strictly prohibits weapons of any kind on the premises, regardless of whether the person is licensed to carry the weapon. 

This prohibition specifically includes guns, rifles and firearms of any type, including those for which the holder has a legal permit. Other examples of prohibited weapons include, but are not limited to, firearms of any type (including those for which the holder has a legal permit), knives (larger than 6 inches), ammunition, bombs, bows and arrows, clubs, slingshots, blackjacks, metal knuckles and similar devices that by their design or intended use are capable of inflicting serious bodily injury or lethal force. 

Visitors who violate this policy may be removed from the property and reported to the authorities. This policy does not apply to law enforcement or security personnel engaging in official duties.

The safety and security of all visitors is of vital importance to Ocean Institute  (Company). Therefore, the Company has adopted a zero-tolerance policy concerning violence. Threats or acts of violence – including intimidation, bullying, physical or mental abuse, and/or coercion – that occur on the Company’s premises will not be tolerated. It is our goal to have an environment free from acts or threats of violence and to respond effectively to such acts or threats. 

Violence is defined as any intentional conduct that is sufficiently severe, abusive or intimidating to cause an individual to reasonably fear for their personal safety or the safety of their family, friends and/or property such that employment conditions are altered, or a hostile, abusive or intimidating environment is created for one or several people. 

This policy prohibits violent conduct by all persons on our premises, including visitors and employees. 

Examples inlcude, but are not limited to:

• Threats or acts of violence occurring on Company premises, regardless of the relationship between the parties involved in the incident; 

• Threats or acts of violence occurring off Company premises involving someone who is acting in the capacity of a representative of Company; 

• Threats or acts of violence occurring off Company premises involving a worker if the threats or acts affect the business interests of Company; 

• All threats or acts of violence occurring off Company premises, of which a worker is a victim, if we determine that the incident may lead to an incident of violence on Company premises; and 

• Threats or acts of violence resulting in the conviction of a worker or agent of Company, or an individual performing services for Company on a contract or temporary basis, under any criminal code provision relating to violence or threats of violence when the act or conviction adversely affects the legitimate business interests of Company. 

Examples of conduct that may be considered threats or acts of violence under this policy include, but are not limited to:

• Threatening physical contact directed toward another individual; 
• Threatening an individual or their family, friends, associates or property with harm; 

• The intentional destruction or threat of destruction of Company property or an individual’s property; 

• Menacing or threatening phone calls; 

• Stalking; 

• Veiled threats of physical harm or similar intimidation; and 

• Communicating an endorsement of the inappropriate use of firearms or weapons.