Chaperone Information

Your free or discounted admission carries with it responsibility for a group of students during their visit to the aquarium.
Your aquarium chaperone badge must be visible at all times and is your pass for exiting and re-entering the aquarium with your group.
You will help the students explore the aquarium and make sure they behave appropriately.
You will stay with the students who have been assigned to you. The aquarium requires that students stay with their chaperones at all times, regardless of the age of the student.

Know who is in your group.
Keep the group together and stay with the students at all times. You're responsible for the behavior of the students you're chaperoning.
Be sure you understand the plan for the day including when and where to meet at the end of the visit.
Ask the teacher for material that will help you lead the students through the exhibits.
Share the aquarium behavior guidelines with your groups of students.

Stay with your group. Students and adult chaperones must stay with their group at all times—inside the aquarium, out on the deck, in all gift and book stores and in the lunch area.
Be courteous and respectful of all visitors. Talk quietly and walk through the aquarium. Use the stairs, leaving elevators available for those who need them. Don’t play on the escalator.
Be respectful of the aquarium exhibits and building. Use books or clipboards to write against, instead of walls, windows or exhibit labels. Don’t climb on exhibits or railings.
Help protect the animals. When permitted, touch the animals gently. Don’t disturb animals by tapping on the windows. Don’t feed the birds on the deck or at the picnic area.
Keep food, drinks and gum outside the aquarium. School groups are not allowed to eat sack lunches or drink beverages in the aquarium, on the benches in front of the Great Tide Pool or on any deck areas. This includes the Portola Café and the seating area outside the café dining room next to the otter exhibit.
If permitted, shop for souvenirs in the Ocean Discovery Store and stay with chaperones.
Please respect our aquarium neighbors. If allowed to visit merchants on Cannery Row, students must be accompanied by a chaperone and are expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior.

Let the students know that you are visiting the aquarium to have fun and to learn at the same time.
Review our Educational Activities for activities to do with your group before, during and after your visit.
Help students find answers to questions they have about the exhibits by reading the written labels and talking with Aquarium Guides (in rust-colored jackets).

If a student gets lost or injured, go to the Information Desk near the main entrance.
For shopping, use the Ocean Discovery Store near the gray whale model. It carries popular, affordable items. You must accompany your students in the store.
Restrooms and drinking fountains are inside by the Ocean Discovery Store and outside on Hovden Way.
The group picnic area is outside, behind the bus loading zone.
Download aquarium map

Celebrating 25 Years of Ocean Conservation