Jump into a tropicalreef and swim with fish and marine mammals at this large oceanarium, known forits dolphin and sea lion shows.
The Miami Seaquarium is the place to go for interactive dolphinOpens in a new window and sea lion shows, and reef encounters. You’ll see endangered Florida manatees and a group of rare Pacific white-sided dolphins. Watch Lolita the orca perform, or put on your swimming costume and play with the friendly dolphins.
Adventurous types cantry their hand at training sea lions for a day. Or, go under water with SeaTrek Reef Encounter. You’ll wear a special diving helmet for this 20-minutewalking tour through a recreated tropical reef.
Visit Discovery Bayto learn more about marine conservation. This mangrove habitat exhibit hasvarious Nile crocodiles, endangered sea turtles, native birds, deer andindigenous fish.The seaquariumwouldn’t be a Miami tourist attraction without some celebrities. Bebe, abottlenose dolphin born at the seaquarium in 1956, starred as Flipper in thelong-running TV show of the same name. Her offspring still reside in the parktoday. Another in-house actor, Salty the Sea Lion, made his big screen debut ina 1967 film.
The Miami Seaquariumwas the largest marine park of its day when it opened in 1955. One of the mainattractions was a dolphin show on a scale never seen before. The otherhighlight was the Shark Channel, where you could admire many of theseawe-inspiring creatures up close. Today, those two attractions are as popularas they were over 50 years ago. The aquatic wonderland now attracts over half amillion visitors each year.
The Miami Seaquarium is on the island Virginia Key, a short drive from downtown Miami. Public transportation is available from many hotels in the metropolitan region. For families, the park is well equipped with three cafés, a snack bar and several shops filled with reference books and souvenirs. Allow for a full morning or afternoon to cover all the attractions and enjoy the shows. The seaquarium is open 365 days a year, so get your tickets Opens in a new windowtoday.
