Parent FAQs: Our 3 Marine Biology Camp for Teens
September 13
0 min Read
Catalina Sea Camp 2022 went swimmingly and we can’t wait to see our campers again in 2023! If your child didn’t get the chance this summer to explore our private shores while making new friendships, then next year is the perfect time to try their hand at marine biology summer camp.
Before sending your teen to our three-week session you’re most certainly going to have some questions. We’ll try to answer some of the big ones here, but if you’re looking for more information you can check out our Parent FAQ page here.
Dates and Rates
In 2023 we’re offering three sessions of our three-week-long teen summer camp: June 12 to July 1, July 3 to July 22, and July 24 to August 12. If you register your child early, you can save up to $250!
Plus, we offer sibling discounts and referrals. Learn more about our 2023 dates and rates here.
Our Activities
Catalina Sea Camp’s three-week sessions are designed to give campers opportunities to build a schedule based on their individual interests. Campers provide their activity preferences before the start of camp. They attend those activities multiple times during the camp session to build their marine biology knowledge and skills. Similar to a college program!
Our activities range from island and ocean adventures to marine biology and scuba diving.
NAUI-Certified Scuba Diving Lessons
In our private bay, we offer a wide variety of NAUI-certified scuba lessons for everyone, at any level. For new scuba enthusiasts, we offer an NAUI Open Water Scuba Diver course where campers gain their open water certification that can be used all over the world!
Campers that are looking to grow beyond their open water certification can take advantage of our NAUI Advanced Diver, NAUI Master Diver, NAUI Rescue Diver, and NAUI Night Diver courses. In each of these lessons, divers build on the skills they developed in previous classes.
Dive Deck
Campers get outfitted for snorkeling on our own dive deck with wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins. Once the campers are all suited up, they can participate in one of our three snorkeling classes: night snorkeling, shore snorkeling, and boat snorkeling.
Stand-Up Paddle Boarding & Surfing
Campers are encouraged to float around on stand-up paddle (SUP) boards and explore our ocean playground. Different skill levels are encouraged! Our campers can kneel, stand, or practice their favorite yoga poses on the boards.
Our oldest campers (16-17 years old) can travel to the west coast of the island to hang 10. The surfing instructors can guide experienced surfers and hone their skills, or help beginners catch their first wave.
Who Goes to Catalina Sea Camp?
The three-week session is built for campers aged 12 to 17. If your child is younger, don’t feel discouraged! We have a one-week session meant for younger kids.
We encourage Catalina Sea Camp campers to have an interest in science and be enthusiastic learners. Even though we’re a marine biology camp for teens, no prior marine experience is needed. We just ask that everyone be excited and open to new things.
What is Toyon Bay Like?
Gorgeous! It’s our beautiful private cove just a few miles from the town of Avalon on Catalina Island. Take a virtual tour of our grounds and see why we call it a slice of paradise.
Toyon Bay offers campers an ideal setting for a life-changing three weeks. Our dorm-style housing ensures that campers are comfortable, well-rested, and have a safe space to bond with their cabin group. Plus, our large dining hall and designated activity spaces allow campers more opportunities to make incredible memories with camp friends old and new.
Want another added perk of Toyon Bay? We have our own yacht club! From which we launch sailing classes and ocean adventure courses. When campers sail the coastal waters of Catalina Island they’ll be able to try the simplicity and performance of our lasers (small sailing dinghies), the exhilarating fun of 420s (a larger, but still small, sailing dinghy), and journey on a group adventure in a catamaran.
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Catalina Island and marine biology camp are a match made in heaven. If your teen is science-minded and you’re looking to give them an earth-shattering opportunity, register them for our Summer 2023 season! We can’t wait to have them.
