Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf waving in front of an aquarium tank for The Sea Star Search at SEA LIFE Orlando

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Elf on the Shelf at SEA LIFE Orlando: Sea Star Search 2026

October 28, 2026October 28, 2026 by onthegoinmco No Comments

The Sea Star Search with The Elf on the Shelf is a new interactive holiday adventure at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium.
It runs November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027.
The experience is included with general admission, and kids take home a Christmas Sea Star ornament and certificate.

What’s Happening with Elf on the Shelf at SEA LIFE Orlando?

The Elf on the Shelf is coming to SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium with The Sea Star Search, a new holiday adventure running November 20, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Decorations from the aquarium’s Undersea Christmas Tree have gone missing, including the Christmas Sea Star that sits at the very top, and Santa’s Scout Elves need young explorers to help get them back.

The event is part of a new partnership between SEA LIFE and The Lumistella Company, creators of The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse. If your family already welcomes a Scout Elf home each December, this is a fun way to bring that tradition along on an aquarium visit.

How The Sea Star Search Works

Get your gear: When you arrive, kids receive an activity booklet and a lanyard with an empty sea star template.
Complete six challenges: Interactive challenge points are set up throughout the aquarium, each with an activity that helps the Scout Elves recover a missing decoration.
Build the Christmas Sea Star: Every completed challenge earns another arm of the sea star for your lanyard. Finish all six and you’ll have a full Christmas Sea Star ornament to keep.
Become a Christmas Star: Finishers collect an exclusive The Elf on the Shelf Christmas Star Certificate.

Two Elf on the Shelf Scout Elves posing in front of a blue aquarium tank at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium

Elf on the Shelf Scout Elf in front of glowing jellyfish at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium

Key Details & Highlights

Dates & Availability: November 20, 2026 – January 3, 2027.
Location: SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, Orlando, Florida.
Pricing & Access: Included with general admission tickets. Find details on the official Elf on the Shelf at SEA LIFE Orlando page.
Notable Features:
- Six interactive challenge points set among the aquarium’s marine habitats.
- Take-home keepsakes: a Christmas Sea Star ornament and a Christmas Star Certificate.
- Festive storytelling from The Elf on the Shelf Santaverse paired with underwater discovery.

The Sea Star Search with The Elf on the Shelf event poster featuring Scout Elves and an undersea Christmas tree at SEA LIFE

What You Need to Know

Because The Sea Star Search is included with admission, there’s nothing extra to book. Just grab your activity booklet and lanyard when you arrive. Give yourself enough time to visit all six challenge points, since kids need to complete every stop to finish the sea star ornament and earn their certificate. The ornament also makes a sweet keepsake for the tree at home.

This is a new holiday tradition for the aquarium, which previously celebrated the season with events like Deck the Seas at SEA LIFE Orlando. For more fun at the aquarium, check out our recap of Pirates of the Haunted Seas.