Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab

Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab The Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab takes you through the Alabama Watershed.
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The Alabama Aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, formerly named the Estuarium, takes you on a journey through the four key habitats of coastal Alabama: the Mobile Tensaw River Delta, Mobile Bay, the Barrier Islands, and the Northern Gulf of Mexico. Visual and engaging exhibits deliver a broader understanding of the interactions that take place in Mobile Bay which is the fourth largest estuary s

ystem in the United States. Admissions:
Adult $12.00
Children (5-18) or Students with ID $6.00
Children under 5 Free
Seniors (60+) $10.00

Group rates available. AAA and Military discounts.

*Prices are subject to change without notice.
**The Alabama Aquarium is a handicapped-accessible facility.

Check out our event calendar for September. Boardwalk Talks, Excursions, and National Estuaries Week! Find the Boardwalk...
08/30/2026

Check out our event calendar for September. Boardwalk Talks, Excursions, and National Estuaries Week!
Find the Boardwalk Talk themes and excursion tickets on our website in our bio.

Follow us to the depths! Join us on October 9 at 10:15 a.m. for a live ship-to-shore conversation with scientists, engin...
08/29/2026

Follow us to the depths!

Join us on October 9 at 10:15 a.m. for a live ship-to-shore conversation with scientists, engineers, and educators aboard the E/V Nautilus as they explore the deep ocean off the Hawaiian coast. We’ll be streaming the conversation on the Alabama Aquarium’s big screen, where you can hear about their discoveries, careers, and technology—and ask questions live as the expedition unfolds!

Interested in joining us? Fill out our interest form to be added to our email list and receive event details and updates as they become available.
https://forms.gle/zAdpJWJhbdzGQ7gdA

Check the comments for a link to this year’s expedition trailer and more information about the E/V Nautilus!

08/26/2026

Who needs a disco ball when you have Ctenophores!

It may look like they’re putting on a light show, but this colorful display isn’t bioluminescence (even though they CAN bioluminesce); it’s the result of light passing through their cilia! Ctenophores have eight rows of tiny, hair-like cilia that they use to move through the water. As these cilia beat in coordinated waves, they propel the animal forward. When sunlight hits the ctenophores, it passes through and refracts off these rows of cilia, producing the shimmering rainbow effect. The cilia are constantly moving, so the colors appear to ripple and change as the animal swims!

Dolphins, and manatees, and whales, oh my! Join us September 2 at 11:15 for a Boardwalk talk with Madison Thornhill, a S...
08/24/2026

Dolphins, and manatees, and whales, oh my!
Join us September 2 at 11:15 for a Boardwalk talk with Madison Thornhill, a Stranding Biologist with the Marine Mammal Stranding Network! We'll be discussing what to do if you find a stranded marine mammal and how the data they're collecting gives insights into our ecosystem's health.
The Boardwalk Talk series features informal chats that highlight current Dauphin Island Sea Lab research and other community-focused science topics. These talks are held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 11:15 a.m. at the Alabama Aquarium.

Our latest Lab Tour was a little bit of everything! We explored AUVs used to study the deep Gulf, learned how oysters he...
08/22/2026

Our latest Lab Tour was a little bit of everything! We explored AUVs used to study the deep Gulf, learned how oysters help protect our coast, and heard from the Marine Mammal Stranding Network about their work with dolphins and manatees. If you'd like a look at the incredible science happening at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, check out our website for more dates and information.

Join us in September as we celebrate where rivers meet the sea and all the incredible features that make the Mobile Bay ...
08/21/2026

Join us in September as we celebrate where rivers meet the sea and all the incredible features that make the Mobile Bay estuary system unique. We’ll have a different activity each day throughout the week, giving you plenty of opportunities to explore the plants, animals, habitats, and natural processes that make our estuary so important!

What’s in the Water Wednesday? It’s one of our aquarists, Dakota!Dakota is performing routine maintenance on our shark a...
08/20/2026

What’s in the Water Wednesday? It’s one of our aquarists, Dakota!

Dakota is performing routine maintenance on our shark and stingray touch tank, an important part of keeping the animals healthy and their environment in good condition.

This tank is one of our largest and has a pretty cool feature: a geothermal heating and cooling system! This system circulates freshwater through underground pipes that go down 120 feet, where the water reaches a steady temperature of around 70°F. A heat exchanger then transfers that temperature to the tank’s saltwater, helping keep it cool during the hot summer months and warm during the winter.

This system helps maintain a stable, comfortable environment for our sharks and stingrays while also reducing our energy use.

To learn more or to feel the water yourself, join us at the Alabama Aquarium!

Need a way to cool off in these last legs of summer? Come get muddy with us in the salt marsh!Join us for a Salt Marsh E...
08/15/2026

Need a way to cool off in these last legs of summer? Come get muddy with us in the salt marsh!

Join us for a Salt Marsh Excursion this Tuesday, 8/18, and discover the plants, animals, and hidden life that call this unique habitat home. The best part? You might just leave a little muddier than you arrived!

Check out our website for more information to get your feet wet and cool off in the marsh with us!

Our new Native Plant Network Demonstration Site, located on the side of our parking lot exit, was brought to us in partn...
08/14/2026

Our new Native Plant Network Demonstration Site, located on the side of our parking lot exit, was brought to us in partnership with the Mississippi State Coastal Extension to help grow the future of coastal restoration!

Here at the Alabama Aquarium, we're cultivating two important native salt marsh plants—black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus) and smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora). Once they're big enough, these plants will be transplanted to a coastal restoration site where they’ll help trap sediment, reduce wave energy, stabilize shorelines, and provide valuable habitat for countless wetland species.

To learn more about the Native Plant Network and coastal restoration efforts, check out the link in the comments.

Address

102 Bienville Boulevard
Dauphin Island, AL
36528

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+1 251-861-7500

Website

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