Arizona Science Center invites guests to climb aboard an interactive replica of the most advanced marine research and media vessel ever built in the immersive exhibition OceanXperience.
An exhibition designed for all ages. OceanXperience gives visitors access to OceanX’s renowned OceanXplorer vessel and the cutting-edge science, technology and media the ship uses to explore the ocean and bring it back to the world. It opened over the weekend and goes through Monday, Sept. 2.
Guests will become true explorers as they embark on their journey aboard the ship. They will uncover the ocean’s secrets and create compelling media, helping connect people worldwide with our oceans, a precious resource. Along the way, they will conduct experiments like OceanXplorer scientists and experience the thrill of exploring some of the oceans’ most remote locations.
“OceanXperience utilizes bold scientific exploration, state-of-the-art technology and compelling storytelling to create an immersive experience,” said Guy Labine, The Hazel A. Hare president and CEO of the Arizona Science Center. “The exhibition aims not just to educate Guests of all ages but also to forge a connection with the oceans, inspiring them to actively engage with, comprehend, appreciate and safeguard this majestic realm.
OceanXperience offers diverse options for guided research missions, allowing guests to visit multiple times for a unique experience each time. One mission option challenges “Xplorers” to study orca group dynamics, virtually tag an animal and collect data to learn how members coexist. On future visits, guests might research complex humpback whale communication or the tropical habitat of great hammerhead sharks.
Guests record their research using RFID technology wristbands as they move throughout the exhibition, as they explore recreations of the OceanXplorer’s most fascinating rooms - including Mission Control, the Bridge, Wet and Dry Labs, and the Sub Hangar. In the groundbreaking HoloLab, visitors wear HoloLens 2 headsets and learn how to use technology for scientific research and collaboration.
In the immersive area, footage of an OceanX submersible descending into the ocean depths is on view, paired with authentic sights and sounds cinematographers captured during previous OceanXplorer missions. The experience delivers an unforgettable feeling of being a daring marine explorer 40,000 leagues under the sea.
“OceanXperience elevates OceanX’s mission to educate people about the wonders of our ocean, most of whom only get to see the unique lifeforms and ecosystems through a screen at home,” said Mark Dalio, founder and co-CEO of OceanX. “Our oceans require our care, attention and appreciation right now, and what better way to form a deep bond with our oceans than to put yourself in the shoes of an ocean explorer.”
Flying Fish, a world-renowned producer of exhibitions and experiences, created OceanXperience to be the premier ocean exploration educational experience. This immersive exhibition presents the OceanXplorer team’s latest breathtaking discoveries in an educational and engaging format. The exhibition was produced with additional support from the National Geographic Society.
“The goal with OceanXperience was to go beyond producing a traditional visitor experience. We've created an exhibition that's dynamic, engaging and fun but with a purpose – to raise awareness of our oceans and the importance of their conservation. Cutting-edge science and technology are used throughout the exhibition in straightforward ways, ensuring accessibility for all. We've used RFID technology to deliver customized visitor missions and interactives like the ROV pilot stations, animal tagging and mapping touch tables add to science-based learning. We developed OceanXperience to be a true adventure with intention and connection for explorers of all kinds. We're very proud of the results,” said Jay Brown, principal and managing director of Flying Fish.
OceanXperience is based on the groundbreaking upcoming television series produced by BBC Studios Natural History Unit and OceanX in association with Earthship Productions for National Geographic. The series follows a fearless team of pioneering scientific storytellers exploring the deepest and most inaccessible areas of our world’s oceans, highlighting their achievements and the challenges they face along the way. The exhibition underscores OceanX’s mission to preserve, restore and discover the fascinating marine ecosystems of our planet through awe-inspiring media, cutting-edge technology and trailblazing science and research. OceanXperience aims to increase awareness of our oceans and inspire lifelong learners, future conservationists and change makers.
OceanXperience will be open daily to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Sept. 2. The exhibition is included free with an Arizona Science Center membership or general admission ticket. Kids under 3 are always free. To learn more or to reserve your tickets, visit AzScience.org.
