Welcome to World Oceans Week

Presented by the Rolex Perpetual Planet Initiative.

With flagship appearances from ambassador species - the mighty Menhaden, the elegant Osprey, and the iconic Salmon, plus a special milestone celebration for the matron of the sea.

The Pelagic Passport

For those brave enough to challenge the open ocean of frontline conservation alongside us, we are offering a special pelagic passport ticket option.

The passport includes:

• Special surprises — including a Sunday night welcome. 
• Gyotaku Japanese printing seminar. 
• Access to all scheduled public events.

A portion of the passport ticket cost will be tax deductible. Being a passport holder helps The Explorers Club to fund our Blue Generation program for early career ocean researchers and conservationists.

Tickets for each session are available as a standalone package. Programs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening including a closing reception from 8:00 - 9:00 pm.

🌊 SCHEDULE

🌎  MONDAY

5:30 pm - Oceans Week Kick-Off

• Hosted by Club Fellow Josh Bernstein, includes Flag Returns, Hope Spots, and stories live from the front lines of ocean science. 

• This event will include a Jubilee Celebration for Her Deepness, Sylvia Earle. Be sure to dress blue and white for this celebratory toast, including a historic group photo, and an evening of revelry to follow — join us for a chance to add your voice in celebration of the great Sylvia Earle.

🐟 TUESDAY

5:00 pm - Ambassador Hour - Menhaden

• The mighty fish that connects all links of the coastal food chain — come learn more about the vital species at the heart of ocean conservation.

6:30 pm – Big Ideas with MBARI & WHOI

• Kakani Katija, a wizard from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium Research Institute joins us to dazzle with engineering marvels: deep particle velocimetry, benthic respirometers, apex profiling floats, and sizing lasers married to photogrammetry to reconstruct 3D structures of the deep ocean like never before. Then, hear from Richard Vevers, Director of Room 71 at the iconic Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, on cutting-edge strategies employed to communicate the groundbreaking scientific discoveries at WHOI to the public.

🎬 WEDNESDAY

1:00 pm - Seaweed Stories - Screening & Panel

• Narrated by Forest Whitaker and presented by Lonely Whale in association with Re:wild, Seaweed Stories is a vibrant, global look at the wonders of seaweed, and some of the extraordinary stories and characters whose lives have been entangled by this often overlooked marine organism which may hold answers to some of humanity’s biggest challenges. Seaweed Stories includes insights from a Silicon Valley startup creating plastic alternatives from macroalgae, to the Indigenous Shinnecock Kelp Farmers using seaweed to prove their sovereign right to coastal land, and a scientist in South Korea supporting seaweeds’ sexual reproduction to create new species that can withstand the effects of a changing climate.
• A special session of our 2025 Blue Generation Program, open to the public.

5:00 pm - Ambassador Hour - Salmon

• Salmon As A Mirror — For millions of years, in the cold, rich waters of the Northern Hemisphere, an extraordinary drama has unfolded.  A creature of remarkable resilience and determination has navigated between two worlds– fresh and salt water– creating one of nature’s most spectacular journeys… salmon, the original explorers.

6:30 pm – Stories from the Deep: Art, Culture, and the Ocean Connection

• A special screening of the 2025 Oceanic Global Short Film Festival winning films, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. Experience compelling short films that illuminate the ocean’s beauty, challenges, and cultural significance, while also exploring ways to get involved in ocean conservation.

🪼 THURSDAY

5:00 pm - Ambassador Hour - Osprey

• Call it a sea hawk, a river hawk, or fish hawk — no matter the name, the Osprey can be seen stalking waterways around the world. Cruise the warm currents of  field science and cultural narratives which continue to carry this apex predator.

6:30 pm - Future of Ocean Exploration: Sea Floor Mapping

• How do you map the sea floor? Hear from the world’s top aquatic explorers redefining how we see the largest part of earth. Guests will include Club Medalist Victor Vescovo, Vicki Ferrini with Lamont-Doherty, Mark Miller with GMSO Research Vessels and moderated by Erika Montague with Schmidt Ocean Institute.

🦪  FRIDAY

6:00 pm - World Oceans Week Send-Off

• Come and party on the high seas without ever getting wet. We are closing World Oceans Week as only we know how, with ocean art, music, cuisine, and the good fellowship found only at The Explorers Club Headquarters.

• Please note: with many Members traveling to UNOC in Nice, we have reduced the ticket cost of this event to $20 and will serve a lighter fare with more relaxed structure.