Sea Exploration
WEB-EXCLUSIVE: Newport Harbor Nautical Museum's Sea of Adventure exhibit aims to encourage visitors to build their own relationship with the ocean.
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| Sea of Adventure Newport Harbor Nautical Museum In the Balboa Fun Zone 600 East Bay Ave., Newport Beach 949.675.8915 :: nhnm.org Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Adults $6; youths, $3 Expected run through at least June 2011 |
These days, walking into the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum feels like embarking on an adventure into the great open sea. The walls are painted a vibrant blue, there are murals of the ocean and inspiring quotes by famous explorers peppered over walls.
“We wanted to emphasize man’s relationship with the sea as a major theme,” says Rita Redaelli Stenlund, interim executive director of the interactive exhibit, Sea of Adventure, which opened June 18, 2010.
The exhibit was curated so that anyone with an imagination can explore the ocean’s existence. The hope is to encourage visitors to explore the sea on their own and build a newfound relationship with the ocean. In order to do this, the exhibit has been set up as a sort of portal to the sea. You can hear seagulls calling and the ocean waves crashing as you immerse yourself in the art and culture the exhibit offers.
The exhibit begins with a bit of history – you learn about the curiosity that led to exploration by sea and its relationship to Newport Beach Harbor and Bay. It is this curiosity that inspired Sea Explorer Captain Samuel Dunnells to take his steam wheeler Vaquero out into the open sea and land at Newport Bay in 1870. You also learn about popular pastimes of the ocean, such as sailing, sportfishing, surfing, surf culture (like about the famous surf spot, The Wedge, a filming location in the 1966 film, Endless Summer), and, of course, surf music. It was the ocean, after all, that inspired musicians like The Beach Boys. Visitors can see and hear the importance of what came from the sea.
Next, you're taken into a room demonstrating what is happening today in the world of the sea. A replica of Alvin, a deep-sea explorer famous for its mission to the Titanic, is on display, complete with footage of the dive to Titanic. You can walk inside the ship to get an idea of what it might be like to sit in the ship and explore the ocean floors.
You'll also get to learn about the Transpacific Yacht Race – one of the greatest ocean races in the world. “We really wanted to bring ocean racing to life,” says Redaelli Stenlund. The Elapsed Time Trophy, which is awarded to the winner of the Transpacific race, was commissioned for the exhibit by Roy Disney and was designed by Andrea Favilli, a former Disney Imagineer. The visitor can learn about the race, how to prepare for it and what an adventure it offers to its participants. You can even climb on board a piece of a boat that was salvaged and re-fabricated especially for the exhibit.
Lastly, you enter a room showcasing people engaged with the sea today – such as Dudley Foster, the pilot for Alvin and Kelvin Allie, the director of the Wildlife Trade. You can also learn about different sea activities, such as kayaking and surfing, and an interactive map shows you different areas in Orange County where you can interact with the ocean in some way.
The last piece of the exhibit is a touch-tank with the word “investigate” written boldly above it. Visitors can reach in and touch a kelp sea crab or a bat sea star, among other sea creatures, and learn how precious and fragile they are.
Before leaving the exhibit, questions are posed: “What will you do? What will be your next adventure?” As Jacques Cousteau said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” That is exactly what the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum is hoping will happen to visitors of the exhibit.
