Did you know that UC Davis has a Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute in Bodega Bay? And more importantly: Did you know you can tour this place for free?
Every Friday from 2 pm – 4 pm the Bodega Marine Laboratory offers free docent-led tours. You sign up online for an hour-long tour, which has a maximum of 10 participants. This gives you a great opportunity to ask questions!
When you arrive, you can admire the aquaria in the entrance way displaying local fish and other sea life. The tour starts with a history lesson about the area. One is an amazing story about community activism, preventing the building of a nuclear power plant on the fault line.
After that, you walk through the center with your docent and hear about the work of the institute. The highlight is a stop at the tidepool where you get to hold an urchin. The work they do for white abalone breeding is also amazing.
The Bodega Marine Laboratory is open for public tours by appointment on Fridays from 2 pm – 4 pm. The tour is free, but a donation is appreciated. It is located at 2099 Westshore Rd. in Bodega Bay.