Do a deep NYC and Connecticut dive into everything aquatic this summer

Whether you’ve got a junior captain on deck or a future marine biologist, New York City has no shortage of sea safaris to embark on with your kid.

Yeah, there’s the New York Aquarium on Coney Island (epic, obviously), but there are also chances to go fishing in Jamaica Bay, hang with the sharks in the Dirty Jerz, go whale-watching in Long Island and so much more.

Read on for top picks.

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Wave runners

Ahoy, tiny explorers. Project Oceanology oceanographic cruises (1084 Shennecossett Road, Groton, Conn.) is a fun experience about 130 miles outta Midtown, where children and their caretakers are treated to a 2¹/₂-hour boat ride cruising along the Long Island Sound.

During the trip, kids get hands-on experience using oceanographic instruments, interact with aquatic life and acquaint themselves with the Enviro-Lab research vessel like the little sea stars they are.

All this and plenty of smiles sets you back $30 per child and $45 per adult, with cruises on offer this year on select dates July 1 through Aug. 12.

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Catch of the day

Captain Austin Perilli at your service.

For $400 for up to four people, you can go family fishing on a three-hour private charter via Boatsetter, manned by a lifelong Brooklynite and public school teacher.

All excursions leave from DiMeglio’s Marina (Mill Basin Marina, 2480 E. 69th St.) and are personalized to your preferences, but no matter what — expect your offspring to learn how to bait hooks and ID local aquatic life.

Everyone sets their sights and reels on catching striped bass, summer flounder, bluefish, weakfish, porgy and dogfish sharks.

Departing from Jamaica Bay, NY Harbor and other parts of the NY Bight, these outings run annually from April 15 through Dec. 15; you can also book a longer or shorter excursion for adjusted pricing.

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Scale up

Wade into wonder at Mystic Aquarium (55 Coogan Blvd., Mystic, Conn.).

This renowned aquarium some 135 miles northeast of Manhattan is where we’d steer young seafarers and sailors, to two superb encounters in particular.

First up, the Dino Seas exhibit, where little explorers can engage in interactive experiences.

Explore a two-story aerial adventure ropes course (new for spring 2025) and indoor play area, and marvel at live amphibian and reptile habitats. Ticket prices vary but are typically from $26 for children, $34 adult and $29 senior (free for kids under 2).

Next, spring for the $9-per-person upgrade for UnderSea Explorer VR tickets for a virtual reality, educational journey among the fishies.

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Shell out

It’s turtle time in Suffolk County, at New York Marine Rescue Center (467 E. Main St.). If you don’t spot Queen — one of their recently released sea turtles — out in the wild, you can track her via satellite as part of the center’s many educational programs.

We recommend splurging for the mock stranding experience ($300), where future sea scholars learn how biologists respond to stranded animals using life-size models and actual rescue equipment, but for something more budget-friendly, $25 per adult and $10 per child will give you access to a behind-the-scenes tour of New York’s only marine mammal and sea turtle hospital.

By the end of the tour, kids will have a wealth of knowledge about local species.

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Shark tank

Shark Bridge at Adventure Aquarium in Camden, NJ (1 Riverside Drive), isn’t for the faint of heart. New last year, the Shark Bridge at Adventure is said to be the longest V-shaped rope suspension bridge in the world.

If that’s not enough of a draw for your “now what?” kiddos, said bridge is also suspended just inches above a 550,000-gallon tank filled with sharks.

As you walk above the Shark Realm exhibit, you and yours can ooh and ahh sandbar sharks, nurse sharks and sand tiger sharks. Don’t worry, the sharks are fully enclosed, but it’s still a bird’s-eye view that will make you gasp. Safe to say, this is one activity that your youngsters will walk away from without a plea for “what’s next?”

Access to this exhibit is included with general admission, which starts at $27.99 per adult and $19.99 per child ages 2-12 (kids under 2 are free).

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Whale of a time

Headed to The End this summer? At Marram beachfront resort (21 Oceanview Terrace, Montauk) guests can participate in the Marram marine program, a new educational program helmed by marine biologist and conservationist Ryan Mahoney.

Running through mid-September, grab the complimentary snazzy Swarovski Optik binoculars and stationary scope to marvel at seabirds, seals and — if you’re lucky — migrating whales.

Speaking of those majestic beasts, guests can also book Mahoney for private whale-watching sessions and marine biology lessons (pricing varies).

Suffice it to say, the whole family will have great memories to recount around the s’mores fire pit and gain a whole new appreciation for the Empire State’s coastal ecosystem.

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River run

Step aside, booze cruises. About 2¹/₂ hours from NYC in Essex, Conn. (67 Main St.), the RiverQuest waterfront adventure is designed just for curious cuties.

Operating on select Saturday mornings in May through August, fork over $10 per kid and $20 for those 12 and older and brace yourself for quite the riparian adventure.

As you cruise along the calm waters, guides teach children all about marine life and river ecology, school them on fun nautical terms and teach them how to use binoculars so they can play “I spy” on their own all along the Connecticut River.