Miami Seaquarium
- 4400 Rickenbacker Cswy.
- Key Biscayne, FL 33149
- 305-361-5705
- http://www.miamiseaquarium.com
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Located on Biscayne Bay, the Miami Seaquarium offers a full day of entertainment with sea turtles, manatees, killer whales, dolphins and many more marine creatures. The park features a replica Everglades mangrove habitat, animals from the tropical rainforest, coral reef aquariums, Flipper the Dolphin Show, and a Killer Whale and Dolphin Show. Visitors can also pay to swim with the dolphins in Dolphin Harbor.
Located on Biscayne Bay, the Miami Seaquarium offers a full day of entertainment with sea turtles, manatees, killer whales, dolphins and many more marine creatures. There’s a chance you could get wet, so feel free to wear a swimsuit and light fabrics that dry out fast. Also, wear sunscreen and bring water, since it’s likely to be hot. Luckily, there are a handful of water fountains throughout the park, but be on the lookout because they’re not easy to spot. There’s one at the very front of the park and another by the café.
As soon as you enter, photographers will bombard you to take a souvenir photograph, which you can pick up and purchase at a Kodak booth in Dolphin Lobby. The lobby also has restrooms and a snack bar with pizza, hot dogs, ice cream and drinks. There are other food options throughout the park, but this is a good place to grab a snack and walk through the aquariums in the back. If you’re not sure where to go afterward, just look for the large crowds and follow them. Shows and presentations run back-to-back, so you’ll see most of the park with the same large tourist crowd as you bounce around the pools and theaters according to the schedule.
Climb the stairs above Dolphin Lobby to see the Top Deck Dolphin Show, where there are no seats, but raised standing areas with railings to lean on. So, take the kids up front if you want them to have a better view. The dolphins are trained to swim quickly around the pool’s perimeter and jump high into the air—more than 20 feet—just inches from onlookers. At the bottom deck, large glass windows have underwater views of the dolphin pool and lining the opposite walls are tropical fish aquariums. So, take a stroll around the pool to see smaller, colorful swimmers in their homes.
The celebrity dolphin show of the day features television legend Flipper the dolphin in the original lagoon used to film the popular show. Along with other Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, Flipper performs jumps and tricks for his fans.
Take a break from dolphins and fish at the Golden Dome Sea Lion Show, where Salty the sea lion and friends swim, jump and dive through hoops to music. On the other side of the dome is the Sea Lion Feeder Pool where trainers toss treats to the hungry performers and answer questions from visitors.
Be prepared to make long lines in the sun with hundreds of visitors to see the Killer Whale and Dolphin Show, but with the tight show schedule, you shouldn’t have to wait long. As you walk in, make a decision: do you want to get wet? If the answer is no, avoid the first four rows of the stadium. If you have an expensive camera, you should probably sit as high as possible, just in case. However, if the kids want to get soaked, send them to the first three rows in the center of the stadium, since that’s where the pacific white-sided dolphins and Lolita the killer whale tend to focus their back-flops for maximum splashing. You’ll see plenty of jumps and tricks, plus trainers riding the waves with the help of their animal friends.
Outside of the shows held at the large stadiums and pools, you can wander through the other exhibits on your own or stop by for the presentations, where trainers feed animals and discuss the wildlife and environment of each location. See a family of endangered manatees at the Manatee Exhibit, where trainers feed them fruits and vegetables while talking about what’s being done to save the species. Tropical Wings features exotic animals from the disappearing tropical rainforests, including toucans and poisonous arrow frogs. Amble along a replica Everglades mangrove habitat full of sea turtles, alligators, fish and more at Discovery Bay, and stop by Crocodile Flats next door, home to 26 Nile crocodiles that can grow to 16 feet in length and weigh up to 1,000 pounds.
Let the kids run around Salty’s Pirate Playground, a large multi-level pirate ship play area for kids equipped with water guns, or take the wheel at the remote-controlled boat lagoon at the front of the park. If you want to sit down for lunch, head to Manatee Bay Café, which offers cafeteria-style indoor dining for about $5-$7 per meal.
The crowning feature of Miami Seaquarium is Dolphin Harbor, home to twelve Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and a 12,000-square-foot, 700,000-gallon pool for visitors willing to pay for a swim with them. For $189, you get a two-hour program that includes a training session and 30 minutes of interaction with the dolphins plus use of a wet suit, parking, refreshments and admission to the park. If you’re not swimming but want to watch your child or family member in action, then you’ll have to pay a spectator fee of $40 per adult and $35 per child. Yes, it’s expensive, but unless you’re a trained ocean diver, this is your best bet to personally interact with the friendly sea mammals in Miami.
--Melissa GarciaHours
9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, including holidaysDetails
Location
- Current 59 °F
- It's an alfresco night
- Try a Grove sidewalk cafe
