Cabrillo High School’s aquarium was overflowing on Wednesday night as the community marveled at the little sea of creatures and students showcasing their marine life exhibits.
The aquarium’s open house celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Lompoc facility and unveiled an updated mural highlighting Chumash heritage.
The aquarium was founded in September 1986 by former coach Dave Long, who wanted to establish a way for students to show off what they were learning by holding events, similar to how athletes show their skills in sports games. Currently, the aquarium features more than 20 displays, all run by students in the school’s career technical education program.
Aquarium Director Greg Eisen, who is in his 35th year of teaching and his 23rd year as the aquarium director, reflected on how the program helps students gain worthwhile skills, both in marine biology and beyond.
“I think that students need opportunities to use their talents, their skills and their interests, and the aquarium has just been a wonderful tool for students to bring what they’re interested in and what they’re talented in,” Eisen said.
The open house highlighted the new Chumash Kelp Forest Mural, which was secured via a $75,000 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The high school commissioned San Luis Obispo muralist Colleen Gnos, with help from Chumash cultural teacher Levi Zavala to accurately portray the tribe.
According to Gnos, the mural is based off the Chumash story “Coyote Rescues Sharpshin Hawk,” in which a man named Coyote rescues Sharpshin Hawk by blowing a deer tibia flute to part the ocean waters, bribing guards of an underwater crystal house with tobacco, winning a dance contest and ultimately saving Sharpshin Hawk for the villagers.
Reflecting on the cultural value of her work, Gnos said that since she is outside of the Chumash culture, it was important to collaborate with Zavala to ensure Chumash people felt “seen and heard” rather than misrepresented.
Gnos highlighted the connection between students learning about the sea alongside Indigenous culture.
“You look at the surface of the ocean, [and] you don’t know what’s under it. By teaching children that there are all these beautiful keystone species under the water, I think it’s going to inspire people to want to protect and preserve what we have,” Gnos said.
Throughout the evening, students were guiding visitors through the live exhibits in which they specialized. Ninth-grader Emma Durham presented a Shark Tank, explaining how juvenile horn sharks are distinguished by their spotted pigmentation, as well as inflating similar to pufferfish to fight off predators.
Nearby, 11th-grader Taylor Raffel showcased the South American sea nettles, which are jellyfish that possess four stomachs. It requires the students to feed the jellyfish up to three times daily, wearing long protective gloves during the process to prevent stinging from their hair-like tentacles.
In addition to the mural grant from NOAA, the Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded the aquarium a $100,000 grant through its Museums for America Program. According to aquarium advisor and grant writer Chris Ladwig, the funding will be used to renovate the exteriors of the aquarium’s rainforest, drop-off tank, shark tank and jellies exhibits.
The project will include installing organic cladding and cabinetry, similar to displays at major theme parks, replacing the aging plastic coverings and giving the aquarium a more cohesive and natural look.
The aquarium, located at 4350 Constellation Road, is free to the public during its recurring open house series throughout the school year. Its next event, Sharktoberfest, is planned for 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 21.
