Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea is an exhibit of 16 colorful wildlife sculptures made completely of trash found on the beach. These sculptures are fun to look at (especially if you love a good eye-spy game) and offer an engaging way to learn more about sustainability. To get the most out of this exhibit, we created a list of 6 things you won’t want to miss at Washed Ashore. 

6 Things Not to Miss at Washed Ashore: 

  1. Photo Opportunities: While each of Washed Ashore’s sculptures is colorful and makes for a fun photo, Greta the Great White Shark has an extra feature that makes for a perfect photo opportunity. On the side of the Greta is a small boat that is built into her sculpture for guests to climb aboard and get a picture with Greta! We promise she won’t bite!

  2. Hidden Mickeys: Only one of the sculptures was commissioned, can you guess which one and by who? Brody the Adelie Penguin was actually commissioned by Disney! As a way to commemorate the company, Washed Ashore placed hidden Mickeys all over Brody. Come by and see how many you can find.
  3. Eye Spy: Each Washed Ashore sculpture has an interpretive sign containing an eye-spy game! Use the eye-spy list to find all the trashy items that were once on our beaches and found their way onto beautiful sculptures. We bet you’ll never guess what Octavia the Octopus has hiding on her sculpture! 
  4. Sage and Blossom: Defender of the Garden, Sage, and friend of the flowers, Blossom, give us the 411 on all things Garden and Washed Ashore in the Washed Ashore Adventure Tour. They have punny jokes, fun facts and a photo-op at one of the Washed Ashore sculptures as part of this special ticketed tour. While we understand the desire to meet Sage and Blossom, they only make appearances on the Washed Ashore Adventure Tour, so make sure to get your ticket if you’d like to meet them. To get tickets to the Washed Ashore Adventure Tour, click here.

  5.  Don’t miss the QR codes: In an effort to be more sustainable, the Garden has taken steps to be more sustainable. You may have noticed that our drinking fountain looks a little different or that we have a couple of extra bins by Dottie’s. We’re even testing the use of QR codes that will open a link to our map so we can reduce the amount of paper we print on.  Scan the QR codes you find around the Garden to learn more about each change.
  6. Pledge to live more sustainably: Our greatest hope with Washed Ashore is to inspire visitors to take action and do what they can to live more sustainably. No one is perfect but we ask you to join us on our ongoing journey toward a more sustainable future in whatever way you can. If you felt inspired after visiting, please make your pledge here. 

For more information on Washed Ashore, click here