Ocean in Motion
The ocean is always moving—and at Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar, so are you!
Our newest exhibit invites everyone to play, move, and connect with ocean animals. Created especially with littles ages two to six in mind, it offers something for visitors of all ages.
- Location
- Second floor
- Ecosystem
- Coral reefs
- Live cam
- Penguin Cam, Coral Reef Cam
The ocean moves us
Hop from rock to rock like a leaping blenny. Hold on to towering seagrass like a big-belly seahorse. See a bluespotted ribbontail ray glide through a 20-foot living coral reef while waves ripple through the water. And at the heart of the exhibit, waddle alongside a colony of African penguins while discovering what it will take to protect this critically endangered species.
Ocean in Motion / La Danza del Mar invites the young and young at heart to see the ocean from the animals' point of view and leave with a deeper commitment to protecting it.
Explore the online exhibit
Waddle like a penguin
They may waddle on land, but African penguins dart through the water like pros.
Hold on like a seahorse
Explore the amazing world of big-belly seahorses and dive into some underwater fun.
Leap like a blenny
Meet the leaping blenny and watch how this amazing little fish hops from rock to rock.
Flutter and march like a cuttlefish
Be mesmerized by the way flamboyant cuttlefish move, change colors, and explore the seafloor.
Sway like a garden eel
Explore a garden of wiggly fish as they peek out of sandy burrows and catch food in the ocean current.
Nestle and peek like a clownfish
Peek into the world of clownfish and discover their special relationship with sea anemones.
Coral community
Dive into a bustling underwater world, and meet the colorful residents that call coral reefs home.
Exhibit-related games
Game
Garden eel lunch
Help garden eels sway in the current and catch a tasty snack! Can you guide them to their next meal?
Play now – Garden eel lunch
Game
Blenny hop
Help a leaping blenny hop from rock to rock. Watch out for slippery spots along the way!
Play now – Blenny hop
Game
Animal match
Put your memory to the test! Match clownfish, seahorses, garden eels, and other amazing ocean animals.
Play now – Animal matchExhibit-related activities
Activity
Water play at home
Ages: 4–6
How do ocean animals move? Explore ocean movement at home with these simple water play activities.
Activity
Garden eel finger puppet
Ages: 2–6
Create your own garden eel finger puppet and help it sway in the sand!
Activity
Coral reef maze
Ages: 3–6
The clownfish is lost in the coral reef! Can you help him find his way home to the sea anemone?
Activity
Daddy seahorse pouch challenge
Ages: 2–6
How many seahorse babies can Daddy hold in his pouch?
Waddle, wiggle, care: The science of raising a nature-loving preschooler
Ocean in Motion engages young minds and bodies in developmentally appropriate, research-backed fun!
Keep exploring our exhibits
Exhibit
Kelp Forest
Enjoy a diver's-eye view of sunlit kelp, sardines, leopard sharks, wolf-eels, and a host of other fishes.