Our mission
At Planet Ocean Montpellier, we believe that a spark of curiosity, a moment of wonder, or a question whispered in front of an animal can change the way we look at the world.
By offering an exploration of life based on an understanding of our planet, from the depths of the sea to the far reaches of the universe, we bring together, raise awareness and engage with the general public, schoolchildren, scientists and associations in the preservation of our environmental heritage.
Planet Ocean Montpellier is a place where these actors come together: a space where scientific knowledge, field experience, and questions from the public intersect to better understand living things, raise awareness about them, and take better care of them, here and elsewhere.
We believe that the more we understand living things, the more we want to take care of them. Acting together for living things means making each visit a sensory expedition where everyone explores, learns, and marvels, together with others.
Welcoming living creatures and caring for animal ambassadors
During a stopover, time seems to stand still: an eagle ray glides just above a child. He takes a step back, his eyes wide. His face shows a mixture of surprise, joy, and disbelief. This moment of wonder is often just the beginning: curiosity is sparked, questions arise, and the desire to protect follows.
To make this encounter possible, Planet Ocean Montpellier welcomes animal ambassadors. Rare, protected, endangered, or simply fascinating species become spokespeople for all living creatures.
Nearly 3,000 animals live here under our care, in ecosystems designed to meet their needs. Their space, feeding, behavior, and health are monitored daily by a team of animal keepers who work according to rigorous protocols, in close collaboration with a specialized veterinary team.
Caring for the animals entrusted to us, in appropriate conditions, is our primary responsibility towards living creatures.
Participate in scientific progress
Observe to protect better, understand to act better.
One evening, after the public has left and calm has returned, a keeper notices new behavior in an endangered species, the Pacific chimera. He mentions it to the curator, they compare notes, review data from previous weeks… This shared observation gives rise to a scientific question, then a collaboration with a laboratory.
A few months later, a publication in a specialized journal highlights this daily work (click here to read the publication).
Behind this anecdote lies a daily reality:
- Planet Ocean Montpellier participates in 13 international conservation programs for 13 different species of endangered animals (African penguins, sharks, rays, chimeras, etc.);
- We are a pilot site for the reproduction of the sawfish Pristis pristis, a critically endangered species.
- We contribute to European networks (EAZA, EUAC) to monitor the populations housed and optimize breeding plans.
- We coordinate research groups on certain little-known species.
All of these actions contribute to scientific knowledge and the conservation efforts that result from it. The behaviors we observe, the data we collect, and the successes we achieve do not remain within our walls: they are shared, compared, and enriched to better protect living creatures.
Share, raise awareness, inspire action
Science that is not shared does not protect. At Planet Ocean, we choose science that is communicated, experienced, and felt. We believe that before explaining, we must first touch.
An eye that looks back at us. An impressive silhouette that seems to brush past us. A play of fins underwater… Then comes the time to understand: reading an information panel that links the shark in front of us to the state of the ocean out there; a free lecture on climate change; or an exhibition dedicated to the mysteries of the night sky.
Every year, nearly half a million visitors experience this odyssey with us. And with each of them, science becomes a journey rather than a static discourse.
We pursue the same ambition with the tens of thousands of students who make up our audience: to make Planet Ocean Montpellier a place of exploration where they raise their hands, dare to ask questions, and visualize concepts seen in class… From the depths of the ocean to celestial objects, we want every young person to leave with an answer, a new question… and a slightly stronger desire to protect life, here and elsewhere.
Through these experiences, we also share concrete conservation actions that have been and will be taken: programs, endangered species, everyday actions. Because understanding the issues is already a step toward taking action.
Supporting the preservation of life beyond our borders
Imagine the invisible thread connecting the association that took care of a penguin after an oil spill and a family moved to tears as they gaze upon a baby penguin for the first time in Montpellier. We are not there, but part of what is happening in Montpellier (successful breeding, financial support, equipment loans) helps make the work of those in the field possible.
It is this discreet link between educational experience and action in the field that we bring to life every day.
In 2025, Planet Ocean Montpellier donated to the Sanccob Association, which works to preserve African seabirds; to Yaku Nawi, which aims to inventory the unique aquatic ecosystems of the Amazon; and to Planète Mer for the Yaf Keru coral restoration project.
Being responsible ourselves
Talking about protecting life is something we take very seriously: we want to apply the values we defend to ourselves.
In our daily choices and in our projects, we are moving forward with an approach that seeks to reduce our footprint and strengthen our positive contributions. In concrete terms, this means that we are working to:
limit our environmental footprint (water, energy, waste, purchases),
encourage the commitment, fulfillment, and development of our teams,
promote clear and responsible governance,
contribute to local economic vitality,
and strengthen our educational and scientific role year after year.
Sometimes these are small adjustments—an optimized technical installation, a local supplier chosen, a protocol redesigned, a new training course offered. Taken together, these choices represent a movement: we are transforming the way we operate to better respect life.
This approach is now recognized by a certification process underway with the “L’Emotion responsable” label, which frames and evaluates our environmental, social, and educational commitments. Click here to discover our CSR policy.