Celebrate World Oceans Day with the Flint RiverQuarium this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. with family friendly activities designed to focus on the world’s oceans and the actions that can be taken to preserve them. 

World Oceans Day was declared an official holiday in 2008 by the United Nations to recognize the challenges the world faces in preserving an area that makes up 71% of the planet. This year’s theme is Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet and highlights the importance of stopping plastic pollution.

To illustrate that theme, the Flint RiverQuarium Imagination will be alternating showings of the children’s program, Octonauts: The Great Algae Escape, with the documentary Plastic Paradise, which tells the story of The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, syphoning plastics from three distant continents. The film sheds light on the effects of rabid plastic consumption and insidious problems it creates.

Visitors can also sign up for the Better Bag Challenge by agreeing to stop using plastic disposable bags for one year. Those that accept the challenge can take selfies with props at the selfie station and use the hashtag #BetterBagChallenge in order to let their friends and family know they are taking a stand against ocean pollution.

Other planned activities include recycling plastic bottles into planters and bird feeders, creating a no-sew tote bag from a t-shirt, and enjoying an ocean-themed puppet show.

The Flint RiverQuarium is southwest Georgia’s premier aquarium, featuring more than 1,000 animals that call the Flint River watershed home. The Flint RiverQuarium is located at 101 Pine Avenue in downtown Albany, Georgia. Regular operating hours are Tuesday- Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m.-5 p.m.