Wildlife Wednesdays: World Oceans Day Celebration June 4 at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot

On June 4 at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot, families can explore, learn and play with a host of special activities in celebration of World Oceans Day.

Ever wonder what it would be like to be a sea turtle? Sea turtles face great odds to reach adulthood. See a life-sized replica of a sea turtle nest and learn how hatchlings start their journey, and experience a turtle excluder device, used on fishing boats to keep sea turtles from getting caught in fishing nets.

Hey dudes and dudettes, you can lend a helping flipper to Crush’s and Squirt’s pals by adopting a sea turtle nest at The Seas. During nesting season, Disney’s Animal Programs cast members monitor the beach near Disney’s Vero Beach for sea turtle nests. You can adopt one of these very special nests and follow the status of the hatchlings online. Receive an adoption certificate complete with the date of adoption, the date the nest was laid, the species of sea turtle, and the nest number so you can track the nest online, as well as a Squirt keychain and a Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund hero button. The adoption fee goes to sea turtle conservation efforts in Florida.

You can meet animal care and other experts from The Seas. Talk with these experts about their roles and their day-to-day activities.

Learn about coral reefs and the critical role they play in our oceans. Did you know that although coral reefs encompass only about 0.2% of the area on our planet, they are home to 25% of the world’s marine animals? These rainforests of the ocean are in danger of extinction due to nutrient pollution and ocean acidification. The Disney’s Animal Programs team at The Seas is committed to coral reef restoration and is currently working on a project in Abaco, The Bahamas. You can talk with Disney scientists and learn about the work they are doing.

The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund also is helping coral reefs by funding critical projects like one by the Coral Restoration Foundation, which is helping to engage communities in the protection of threatened coral populations in the Florida Keys. Take a look at the video:

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On World Oceans Day, and every day, it’s important to remember that no matter where we live we are all connected to the oceans—any action we take that reduces waste (including recycling everything possible), saves water or keeps it clean, protects ocean wildlife or reduces emissions helps our oceans.
Upcoming 2014 events for connecting families with nature (as always, dates subject to change):

At Disney’s Animal Kingdom:

• June 10: Pollinator Day
• July 29: Big Cat Day
• August 5: Primate Day
• September 23: Elephant and Rhino Day

Wildlife Wednesdays: World Oceans Day Celebration June 4 at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at Epcot by Jackie Ogden, Ph.D.: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog