Attending an event with us is a fantastic opportunity to experience Irukandji in a whole new way, or work with us outside the attraction in conservation efforts for the Ocean.
International Mermaid Day Special Event
March 27th 2021
In celebration of International Mermaid Day, Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters will be holding a super magical event with three local mermaids. They’ll be stopping by for one special day only, to spend some time with young ocean lovers and teach them all about their amazing home.
Beautifully adorned in their eco-friendly, plant-derived glitter, they’ll charm your child with all their incredible knowledge, and take them on a tour in the shallows to meet their shark and ray friends.
They’ll also get to enjoy morning or afternoon tea with them, indulging in some beautiful mermaid themed treats.
There’ll be lots of opportunities for photos so they’re welcome to bring a camera!
The Shallows Encounter is included so make sure they wear shorts or skirts so they can dip their legs into the water, footwear will be provided. Dress-ups are permitted as long as they are eco friendly and suitable to wear in the pool. Please note that no plastic sequins or glitter are permitted in our lagoon – the mermaids are wearing eco glitter made out of plants! If you wish to purchase this glitter it can be found at The Glitter Tribe and is very pretty!
Suitable for ages 7 plus without adult supervision ( an extra staff will be going along to ensure their safety) however children under 7 may participate if an adult accompanies them. The accompanying parent may follow the tour for photos and supervision and will need to purchase a regular admission ticket with shallows encounter so they can be near their child in the water. Parents of the older children are welcome to follow along and take photos if they would like to join in. Siblings and other children who are not participating in the Mermaid event may purchase tickets for entry and other experiences at Irukandji to be there at the same time seperate to the Mermaid Tour.
TICKET INCLUSIONS ($75):
Tour with a mermaid guide
Photo opportunities with the mermaids
Morning or afternoon tea include cupcake and cookie
Shallows encounter in socks (socks will be provided)
Join Us for Some Art Making with Denise Duffy!
October 2nd and 9th, 2020
These school holidays we have an extra special activity planned for you. This event is all about unleashing kid’s creativity and making a masterpiece inspired by the ocean.
Denise Duffy is a local Port Stephen’s artist with a passion for the ocean. Her artworks are inspired by marine life and coastal landscapes and even include natural elements and found coastal treasures. You can read more about Denise here https://www.deniseduffy.com.au/bio
During this workshop, Denise will guide participants through the process
of exploring the beauty and magic of the underwater world while working with a variety of media including pastels, ink, markers and sea water.
The workshop runs for around 45 minutes and is expected to include:
GRAND OPENING CANCELLED
With years of planning going into our brand new aquarium, we had planned for a grand opening in April 2020. Unfortunately, due to the covid-19 crisis this has been cancelled. Down the track, when it is safe to do so, we will hold a small celebration event.
In light of this, as we are unable to invite them all to a grand opening event, Irukandji would like to thank all the incredible people who helped us get here.
This includes all of our amazing contractors and construction workers, our helpful local council and community members, and importantly our dedicated volunteers and staff.
Thank you all so much for supporting us through the entire build and allowing Irukandji Shark & Ray Encounters to continue doing what we love in our new state of the art aquarium.
Annual Fundraising Activities
Irukandji is a proud supporter of the annual Stockton Beach Clean Up. 15 tonnes of rubbish could be pulled out on the day with so much more left behind including many years worth buried under the sand. Every single piece of plastic could kill hundreds of marine animals as once they die and decompose the plastic returns to its job of being consumed by unsuspecting sea creatures.
If the Plastic is not big enough to block the intestines any more it brings with it another problem; all the small pieces of plastic floating in the ocean bond with DDT (an extremely dangerous chemical that never leaves the ocean/earth cycles) then it travels up the food chain where the top (us) consume it in ever increasing proportions. In Humans DDT is linked to many ailments including miscarriage, diabetes and it can be an endocrine disruptor leading to auto-immune diseases.
Plus there are so many prizes at the end, last year pretty much EVERYBODY got an awesome prize from a local business. Its win win!
World Oceans Day
Irukandji World Ocean Day Celebration Saturday June, 9 2018
Join us on World Oceans Day to help make a difference! This year, help us clean the mangroves!
Annual & Upcoming Events
LOCALS MONTH!
To celebrate our amazing aquarium we host a very special discount for Port Stephens residents during August every year. Local’s month is a great opportunity to meet all the people who call Port Stephens home, to show them what we are all about and help grow the conservation message for our local beaches.
Visitors with a Port Stephens address on their license will receive a massive 50% off entry every day for the whole month! (Port Stephens address required on ID)
Any local businesses who would like to bring all their staff in at once are more then welcome (Bookings Essential)
We are very excited to meet all the friendly locals, share our stories and our dreams.