Fins & Scales Camp
Open to Alaska residents only.
This camp is all about FISH – learning about fish, catching fish, dissecting fish, making fish art, preparing fish, eating fish, you name it! Campers will spend five days and four nights at the Peterson Bay Field Station investigating ocean food webs and exploring some of the special fish that call Kachemak Bay home. Weather permitting, campers will have a chance to kayak and potentially dipnet at China Poot Creek. No prior fishing experience necessary!
Ages: 10-12
Coastal Studies offers full and half scholarships for youth to participate in our camps. Apply now!
Price
To increase accessibility to our programs, Coastal Studies offers a sliding-scale payment option for our overnight camps. Please choose the option to pay the full cost of the program if you are able, and select the low-cost option if that is the right financial fit for your family. For questions about the tier system, contact our Program Director.
Full cost: $999
Low-cost: $650
The cost of the program includes participants’ water taxis, food, and lodging.
Some travel funding for youth from Kachemak Bay/Lower Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound, the Kodiak Archipelago, and Alaska Peninsula is available. Please contact Katie Gavenus at 907-235-1974 for more information.
Duration
July 19th-23rd, 2026
This is a 5-day/4-night program. (Yes, 5 days and 4 nights! This is an extra day and night compared to 2025.)
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Fins & Scales Camp is only available for Alaskan residents due to State-enforced subsistence activity and dipnetting regulations. See the Alaska Department of Fish & Game for more information on residency requirements.
Fins & Scales takes place at our Peterson Bay Field Station across Kachemak Bay. Participants will meet at the designated departure time at the top of Ramp 2 at the Homer Harbor.
A detailed packing list will be included in your confirmation email. At minimum, your child will need to bring a sleeping bag, rain gear, good walking shoes, a water bottle, and a day pack.
Approximately 2 weeks from the camp's start date, you'll receive an introductory email from the program leader that includes drop-off and pick-up times.
If you chose to just pay the deposit when you booked, you can stop by the office, contact our bookkeeper, or mail a check to pay the balance due. This must be done before the first day of camp. If not paid by then, the credit card on file will be charged the remaining balance.
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Cancellations made 30 days or more prior to your registered session's start will receive a full refund minus a $25 processing fee.
Cancellations made 15-29 days prior to the start date will receive a 50% refund minus a $50 processing fee.
Cancellations made 14 days or fewer prior to the start date do not receive a refund.
Sudden Camp Cancellation Policy: If you need to cancel due to an emergency or the participant cannot stay for the full camp after the camp has already started, please contact us and we can discuss options around a partial refund. Examples include but are not limited to: family medical emergency, participant experiences an illness and needs to go home, camp cannot meet pre-disclosed participants behavioral health needs. This Sudden Camp Cancellation Policy does not apply when there is a violation to our Behavior Policy, section “Right to Revoke Access.”
If you cancel your reservation, that spot will be offered to someone on our waitlist. We do not accept recommendations as to who should fill your cancellation.
