Looking for a nearby educational activity for the children? Take a trip to the UGA Marine Education Center and Aquarium on Skidaway Island. This Center is 20 minutes southeast of Savannah and a perfect day trip to explore and learn for several hours. The Aquarium is open every day of the week except Sundays and major holidays. Cost is $5 for children from 3 to 12, $7 for 13 and older and $5 for seniors, military, and college students.
The aquarium showcases 16 saltwater tanks of marine life with water taken directly from the Skidaway River. Each tank has a great standing platform for the little ones to get an up-close view. Among the exhibits are lionfish, moon fish, sea bass, turtles, stingray and more. There are also two open touch tanks which host a variety of different crabs. Get your hands wet and explore the shells and features of these critters. For the older children there are exhibits to learn about fossils, the reef, and how litter and debris effect the environment.
After you are finished viewing the Aquarium, take a hike along the nature trail and boardwalk. There are 2 different routes, one of which is ADA approved. The longer trail is a .7 mile loop and each loop leads back to the parking lot. Both trails head to a boardwalk overlooking the Skidaway River. If the timing is right, you might even see dolphin traveling this intracoastal waterway which spans from Boston to the Gulf of Mexico. There is a structure of early employee housing from the 1930s that is filled with educational information and open to exploration. The trail is loaded with enormous live oaks and educational signboards offering information on the local wildlife.
Bring a lunch! There are plenty of picnic tables that sit amongst the shade of live oaks and overlook the Skidaway River.
The UGA Marine Education Center also offers summer camp programs and special events through the year. Check out the website at https://gacoast.uga.edu/ for more information.
