1. Where will they sleep?

MarineLab has ten dormitory rooms ranging in size from the smallest that accommodates just 4 people (usually assigned to chaperones) to our four largest rooms, each accommodating up to 16. All rooms are air-conditioned and have air filtration systems. They are furnished with twin-size bunk beds. Rooms are segregated by school and gender, so a female student will share a room with her female classmates. Some schools require a chaperone of the same gender in the dorm rooms and others require chaperones to have rooms separate from the students. We follow each school’s guidelines. Our housekeeping staff work hard to keep the dorm rooms, restrooms, showers, classrooms, and common areas clean and disinfected. Take a virtual tour of our campus!

2. Can you accommodate special diets and food allergies?

Yes, we commonly provide gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian, and vegan meals, to name a few. Our food service director does a great job of serving special meals similar to the regular menu so that those trays look a lot like what their friends are eating. For example, gluten-free pasta on spaghetti night, Vans waffles for breakfast, or Daya pizzas for lunch. He even makes special trips to the grocery store to pick up milk substitutes or lactose-free products. Uncommon allergies, like those to specific preservatives for example, are more difficult and we suggest that those guests may be more comfortable bringing along their known safe foods. Chaperones have access to a refrigerator for storing perishables or meds that need to be kept cold. Instructors are also careful to double-check any listed food allergies and food preferences during orientation, and always make sure each food allergy is confirmed. See more about our amazing kitchen staff here.

3. How deep is the water?

Florida Bay, where most of our mangrove and seagrass excursions take place, is a relatively shallow body of water. The average depth is 4 to 5 feet. The coral reefs are on the ocean side of the Keys and several miles offshore. The reefs we frequent are generally less than 10 feet from the water’s surface, with the sandy bottom maybe 15 to 20 feet from the surface. At some sites, the reef is so close to the surface that you can’t snorkel over the top of some sections! Read more about our sites.

4. Do they have to get in the water and snorkel?

Nope! But we do encourage everyone to give it a try. After all, that’s what makes a MarineLab trip special! All our field instructors are also Red Cross certified lifeguards. They are happy to give extra attention and encouragement to a nervous first-time snorkeler and have a great track record of turning even a timid non-swimmer into a confident snorkeler. But if anyone is completely against giving it a try, we are happy to outfit them with a life vest and let them enjoy the boat ride and watch their classmates in the water. (They cannot stay on campus unsupervised.) Read more here.

5. Are there animals in the water?

Yes, and they are BEAUTIFUL! Many are vibrantly colored, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Florida Bay is a natural fish nursery, so we see many very young fry and juvenile fish amongst the mangroves where they can safely live and grow until they are bigger and ready to venture out toward the coral reefs and deeper water. Of course, we can’t guarantee what they will see, but it isn’t uncommon to encounter sea turtles, manatees, eagle rays, and dolphins (they like to play in the wake of our boats!). Nervous about some of our most misunderstood animals? Read our critter corners about moon jellies, nurse sharks, and stingrays and why we love to see them!

6. Are MarineLab boats safe?

Yes! Our boats are U.S. Coast Guard inspected, which means a couple of things. First, it means that the U.S. Coast Guard inspects our vessels once a year to make sure that we’re up to date on our safety equipment. Every two years, we have to pull our boats out of the water to have the USCG inspect the hulls of the vessels. Monthly safety drills are required and logged. And lastly, our vessels are operated by people holding US Coast Guard Master’s licenses, which require over 720 days of on-water time. Our crew members go through rigorous training with monthly man overboard training, fire drills, and abandon ship drills. All of our captains have years of experience, local knowledge, and tons of great jokes! Before your first boat trip, our instructors/mates will walk you through the important gear on each boat, show how to wear your life jacket in case of emergency, and talk about boating safety. Plus all our crew have been through extensive training on working with passengers from elementary school through adults. Check out our Lead Captain’s safety promise here.

7. What Do We Do In Case of Storms?

We monitor weather conditions constantly during all months of the year, not just the wet (or “storm”) season. If a storm is approaching and it looks like it MAY impact us, we contact the groups who are scheduled to be here and make arrangements to reschedule them. In case of a rapidly moving storm, we cut programs short and send groups home. We will always work with you to try and find rescheduled dates that work for you and all of your students. Read more about rescheduling and storm policy here.

8. Can you come to MarineLab without a school group?

Yes! Not only do we offer summer camps annually for local kids, we also have an overnight high school summer camp, and our newly returning family eco adventures. Are you an educator, naturalist, or marine science enthusiast interested in experiencing MarineLab’s curriculum? We have teacher workshops annually as well! Every month we also have family days where we open our campus to anyone who wants to experience MarineLab programming for free! Read about past family days here.

9. What if we don’t know how to swim?

That’s totally fine! Although we have a required swim test for all participants, we have a 100% passing rate. Our instructors are all trained lifeguards with lots of experience helping swimmers of all abilities. We also offer ski vests as an alternative to the required snorkel vests that our snorkelers wear, which provide much more support in the water.

10. What if we lose something on the MarineLab campus during our trip?

While our instructors work hard to police the common areas during a group’s stay and put anything unclaimed into our lost and found, anything expensive (cameras, phones, earbuds) is kept safe in our office. If you have lost something while you are still on campus, ask one of our instructing staff, and they will happily help you find it! If you have already left campus, reach out to our office manager at (305) 451-1139 option 2 and she will make sure to alert our staff.

11. Does MarineLab still go out during the winter?

We run programs all year round, during every month! Luckily for us in the Keys, winter isn’t much of a problem, but the water definitely cools off (or gets “refreshing” as our instructors would say). Beginning in late fall and carrying through early spring, wetsuits are recommended and included in your MarineLab program at no additional cost.

12. How do we get to MarineLab?

The Florida Keys are fully accessible by automobiles and buses thanks to US Route 1/Florida’s A1A, known locally as the Overseas Highway. Most groups come to MarineLab on a chartered bus. Florida schools and those from a few southern states take a charter bus the whole way. Groups from farther away usually fly into Ft Lauderdale (FLL) or Miami (MIA) airport and then have a charter bus or shuttle (for small groups) transfer them to and from MarineLab. We offer contact information for some of the local charter companies through the lead chaperone’s portal access, or contact MarineLab Coordinator Anne Hill at coordinator@marinelab.org. An internet search will yield even more options. If you are considering coming in personal or rental vehicles, please note that MarineLab has very limited parking space and can only guarantee one spot per group. Extra vehicles will need to be parked off-site at a nearby retail plaza.

13. When is MarineLab open for programs?

We are open for programs 7-days a week, year-round except for the second half of August and December when our instructors all have vacation time to visit their family and friends. Our administrative office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 5 pm, eastern standard time (closed major holidays).