Wear blue, tell two, you can be a superhero, too!

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, June 8 marks the official World Oceans Day, a celebration of the ocean’s vital role in our lives.

The worldwide celebration will find its way to Santa Barbara from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. this Saturday, June 5, at the Ty Warner Sea Center. With scientist presentations, live feeding demonstrations, a Harbor Patrol boat and blasts from a canon, the center’s goal is to raise awareness and empower individuals to be superheroes.

In 2008, the United Nations declared June 8 as the official World Oceans Day. “Wear Blue and Tell Two” launched as a slogan to spread ocean awareness.

The comic-book-inspired Superpowers! exhibit, which opened May 8, already showcases the amazing powers of local sea creatures and the villains they must face — plastic bags, dog feces, oil, carbon dioxide and trash. Children can slip on red capes and zoom through the interactive displays.

The World Oceans Day Festival will take heroism one step further. Students from El Montecito School, Harding Elementary School and Goleta Family School created works of art that demonstrate the diversity of the ocean. Their colorful, ocean-inspired images will decorate the main lobby.

Community organizations, including the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, the Ocean Conservancy, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Reef Check and Surfrider, will present information.

The World Oceans Day Festival is included with admission to the Sea Center.

Special Demonstrations Schedule

» 11:30 a.m.: Swell shark feeding

» Noon: Harbor Patrol fire boat demonstration

» 12:30 p.m.: Two spot octopus feeding

» 1:30 p.m.: Sea anemone feeding

» 2:30 p.m.: Sunflower star feeding

» 3 p.m.: Canon fire demonstration

— Noozhawk intern Andrea Ellickson, a UCSB graduate, is a journalism student at SBCC. She can be reached at aellickson@noozhawk.com.