Tybee Island Marine Science Center — Attraction in Tybee Island

UPDATE: The Director did reach out to us, as my colleague also sent her an email. She was very apologetic and assured us she would be talking to her staff and making some internal changes so that no one else is treated the way we were and left with such a negative experience. I do appreciate her taking the time to speak with us, although as I stated the damage has been done. Our kids are resilient; but this was definitely a teaching moment for ALL.

Just had a very HORRIBLE and what came across as a RACIST incident at this establishment. We drove down from Atlanta to Savannah with our Air Force JROTC cadets (a predominantly African American program) who were excited for the trip and visit to the island and science center. Upon entry we were greeted by a very sweet and knowledgeable older lady that explained to us about smoke and the whale population. Fast forward to the “touch and feel” area where you can pick up the crabs and snails etc.

My JROTC cadets were there, picking up the animals listening to explanation of the animals and enjoying themselves. We were then rudely interrupted by another staff member, who asked the young lady talking to us if this was a group. I responded to her with yes it is, they are JROTC cadets. She then made a very dismissive face and told the other girl that we needed to leave because the group she had (all Caucasian) “paid.” So they proceeded to ask my cadets to leave the table. They were confused as to why they had to leave so abruptly and we were told we could come back after Hannah’s group. As I told the workers, the damage was already done, my kids were upset and so am I.

We “paid” our money just like the other group and none of the workers had an explanation as to why that incident happened the way it did, instead they just stared at me with blank expressions. I then asked for the contact information for who is in charge. This is UNACCEPTABLE!!! In 23 years of traveling the world in the Air Force, I’ve never experienced this level of dismissiveness.

My other Chaperone/Senior JROTC Instructor gathered us all outside to discuss what just happened, good and bad customer service and how to deal with situations like this.Regardless of intent, the optics are bad!

I’m very disappointed with this establishment and the treatment we experienced this morning. It was a waste of time and money and I will NEVER return and I’m most certain the cadets are forever traumatized by this blatant level of disrespect. I’m not one to throw the race card but this definitely came across as discrimination and I DO NOT appreciate it. I will be contacting the director for further discussion, as we deserve answers...

We absolutely loved this place!! We started the day with the Sift & Seine program. The guide took us down to the beach, where we got into the water to sift through the sand for organisms. We didn't find much there other than a few butterfly clams, but we had never seen live ones, and it was really cool to see how they moved in the water! While we were sifting, our guide found a cannonball jellyfish that we got to experience & learn about (cannonball jellies don't sting! I had no idea!), then a moon jellyfish washed up on shore & she taught us all about that. It was so cool!! After that, we took the Seine net into the water to see what we could find. It took a while for us to catch anything, but seining in the ocean was really fun, even though we didn't have immediate success. If you do this activity, you definitely need to wear a swimsuit. Between using the net & the ocean waves, we were absolutely drenched afterward! I was glad to be wearing a swimsuit.

Later in the day, we came back for a Turtle Talk, which my family also highly recommends. This was more of a lecture style class, not a hands on adventure like the Sift & Seine. That said, the instructor presented the material in a captivating way. We got to see & touch turtle shells, turtle egg shell fragments, bones, and an entire turtle skull! We learned a ton of fascinating things about sea turtles, then we went downstairs to feed Ike, the Center's resident sea turtle, who just moved downstairs to a bigger tank.

After our Turtle Talk, we had about 10-15 minutes before the center closed, so we went to their aquarium & touch tanks. While we were up there, our instructor from earlier called us over to see a baby alligator that she was holding! She also talked is through all sorts of interesting things in the touch tank.

I HIGHLY recommend going to the Marine Science Center and participating in these activities. This place is small, but it makes great use of it's space on the beach & proximity to the ocean. It's packed with information and staffed by passionate people who are enthusiastic about the...

We did a beach walk tour (1hour) Saturday morning at 10 am. Before heading over we were able to stop at Tybeebean coffee (which was also very amazing). I researched the different walks and programs before deciding on the beach walk tour.

This was the best decision! My mom and I are from Kentucky, and have been to Tybee a handful of times. I’ve always wanted to understand how to find shells and marine life. The tour was $25 and included admission to the center all day (9:30-5 pm). This was well worth the money. The center is beautiful inside. The rocking chairs overlooking the beach are so peaceful. The center isn’t HUGE, but it’s very very beautiful. There were so many live animals (and a hidden flounder!). We were able to watch one of the sea turtles be fed.

The beach tour last ~1 hour and we were the only ones booked for it, so it felt like a private experience. He said the max they allow is 10 people, which is still a great size as well. I was worried there would be 20+ people there, and not be as enjoyable with a huge crowd.

Our tour guide, I cannot remember his name, but he was so smart and passionate. It really made a difference. We walked out to north beach and discovered marine life along the jetty. I learned about barnacles, claims, oysters, hermit crabs, and regular crabs. He was able to pick some up and left us hold them. By the end, all three of us were wading in the water finding crabs hahaha. Then we looked for shells and shark teeth along the beach. He knew so much history about the beach, the ecology of it, and a lot of geology. He is in school for marine science, and his passion really showed. It made the whole experience so enjoyable. He enthusiastically answered all of our questions and taught us a lot of new terminology.

I’m 26, and my mom is, well my mom. I was scared we would be too old for the tour, but it was absolutely perfect. The next time we visit we will be doing...