Ecological Marine Adventures
Private
Marine-science education center and camp on Topsail Island in Surf City, offering hands-on ocean and coastal-ecology programs for children of varied ages. Activities include tide pooling, live-animal encounters at an on-site touch-tank aquarium, plus surfing and stand-up paddleboarding, with age-tiered classes such as 'Sea Squirts' and 'Tidal Tots' for younger kids alongside summer camps.
The practical details
We list only what the camp itself publishes, and programs change — dates, prices, ages and availability can all move after we check. Confirm the details on the camp’s own website and contact Ecological Marine Adventures directly before you register or pay. Last checked August 2026.
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★★★★★Steph SalaskoWe love the Ecological Camp in Surf City, NJ! The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming, making every day a great experience. My son has attended during Thanksgiving and winter break, and he truly loves going. He comes home happy, excited, and eager to share what he learned each day. We highly recommend this camp to any family looking for a meaningful and enjoyable experience for their 5+ year old.
★★★★★M BeeWe discovered this place when my oldest had a field trip here. My 3 year old has been in preschool here and absolutely loves it (first experience with childcare outside of family). All the teachers/staff have been wonderful. I've been in the parking lot waiting on class to dismiss for pick up and heard an older child having an issue and the staff working with that child was so calm, patient, and quickly diffused the issue before turning it around to positive excitement about the next activity. We've also been to a birthday party hosted here and it was also super fun. All in all, I'm comfortable leaving my children here for activities. They always have a blast and can't wait to return! Edited because I forgot to add the storytime on the beach with an animal is so fun! Not only do they get to meet an animal, hear a story, but they also get to build sand castles and tunnels for the animal to explore. Very fun experience for a wide variety of ages.
★★★★★Angela IveyWe had a great time, they were great with my son answering all his questions and interacting with him. He loves reptiles so he really enjoyed seeing and touching the reptiles.
★★★★★Cristina NigaiMy 3 yr son had educational fun filled adventures thanks to the wonderful people who work at EMA. I enrolled him in 4 different "Sea Squirts" classes this summer and I was beyond impressed with their knowledge, interactions, and engagement with this age group. He is exiting this summer with an increased understanding of the ocean and an appreciation for the local ecology. We'll definitely see you again next summer
★★★★★Lindsey AskewThis touch tank is amazing! Be patient with their limited hours due to rebuilding staff during a pandemic. Check Facebook for hours day of. We did not have high hopes, I was a bit hesitant to leave a sunny beach for this excursion. I'm SO glad we did. Molly was our guide and she was delightful! She is studying to be in the marine biology field, and her passion shows! She was so amazing with our toddler, spoke to him with relatable knowledge, did not speak down to him, had the utmost patience, and genuinely wanted his experience to be as wonderful as mom and dad did. We LOVE Molly. Our son was able to touch, see, and learn about a turtle, crab, snake, snail, shark teeth, skates, and more! They have a very cool interactive sand room, and a playroom upstairs that's thoughtful and held our sons attention for a while! Great for all ages. We wore masks by our choice, not required. Bring cash to tip these college girls who are amazing. Plan to get lunch at Shaka Taco behind the lot afterwards. Can't wait to go back!