Gulf Island Journey

Gulf Island Journey campers in salt marsh

  • For rising 7th-9th graders
  • Sample Schedule
  • 2027 Dates: June 6-13, July 25-30
  • Program Cost: $650 (includes tuition, room, meals, and supply fees)

Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. CST February 1, 2027.

Camp registrations are processed in the order in which they are received.

This week-long overnight camp is designed for rising 7th-9th graders. Led by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab’s full-time educators, campers explore areas of Dauphin Island, Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and the northern Gulf of Mexico learning about the animals, habitats, and science of the region. Activities include seining and sieving for nearshore and underwater species, collecting and studying plankton, trawling aboard the Sea Lab’s research vessel, the Alabama Discovery; dissecting a shark, and spending the day on Sand Island to explore birds, fish, invertebrates and swim a bit. In the evening, campers may explore nocturnal inhabitants of the beach and enjoy the island’s famous snow cones! Throughout the week, campers make friends, learn a bit about Alabama’s coastal environments, and grow in confidence.

Registration Information

Space is limited. Please complete the online registration form (available during open registration and until sessions fill). Once your registration has been processed and space is available in the session, you will receive a follow-up email from the DHP registrar with payment instructions. Your space is not secured until payment of the non-refundable registration fee is received.

Payment Timeline: The $100 registration fee is part of the program cost and is non-refundable. The next payment of $100 is due March 1. The balance of $450 is due by May 1.

Registering after March 1? The non-refundable $100 registration fee and the $100 installment are both due at sign-up. The balance of $450 is still due by May 1. If the May 1 deadline has passed, the full balance of $650 is due at sign-up.

Coming off the waitlist? The non-refundable $100 registration plus any installments already due must be paid at sign-up. The balance of $450 is due by May 1. If the May 1 deadline has passed, the full balance of $650 is due at sign-up.

Camp Handbook: Once your registration fee is received, the DHP registrar will email you a camp handbook, which includes required release forms that will need to be completed by a deadline provided in the email.

Refund Policy: Tuition (but not registration) payments are refundable if notice of withdrawal is communicated to the DHP Registrar (in writing) at least four weeks prior to the first day of camp AND we are able to fill your camper’s spot from our waitlist. Camp costs are non-refundable should a camper choose to or be asked to leave the program once it has started.

Questions about the program or the registration process? Reach out to us at dhpsummer@disl.edu.

The Dauphin Island Sea Lab reserves the right to cancel the program in the event enrollment is inadequate. Noncompliance with the rules of the program results in expulsion and forfeiture of the program cost.