If you’ve been following me for any length of time (or browsed through my post topics), you probably already know that I love animal experiences! I’ll take just about any chance to see more of the incredible creatures in our world and learn more about them. But there’s always the question of animal care. How are the animals being treated, are they there because they can’t survive in the wild, or are they just captives, are their lives being enriched, etc? But one place that blew all those questions away for me was the Clearwater Marine Aquarium!
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium isn’t so much an aquarium as it is a working animal hospital that outsiders get to see. They are 100% aligned with rescue, rehab, and release, and the staff there save hundreds of animals each year from the waters around Florida!
It’s so inspiring, and seeing the animals in an active rehabilitation state makes the process much more real.
Let’s dive into the specifics so you can learn more about this incredible place!
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What Kinds of Animals Can I See at Clearwater Marine Aquarium?
That really depends on what animals are in rehab! However, the aquarium does have a few permanent residents who were unable to go back into the wild due to severe injuries, sickness, or lack of survival skills.
During our visit, we saw sea turtles, bottlenose and rough-toothed dolphins, manta rays, sting rays, a leopard eel, great white pelicans, a shark, and lots of smaller fish. I believe they also had a couple of otters, but they had both recently passed away.
Do They Have Shows?
Not in the traditional sense. None of the animals here are trained to do tricks for amusement’s sake. However, guests can watch active rehab sessions where the Animal Care Specialists work with the dolphins on care and enrichment exercises.
They focus on natural play and learning behaviors that the dolphins would do in the wild, as well as some special actions that allow the trainers to provide detailed care during rehab.
In the main building, you can watch these training sessions from the Dolphin Terrace on the 3rd floor or go downstairs to the Window of Wonder to see them swimming and training below water.
What Makes the Clearwater Marine Aquarium so Special?
The Clearwater Marine Aquarium isn’t just an aquarium. Yes, you can walk around and see creatures in their watery habitats, but that’s not the focus.
For example, each creature here has a story! And for most of them, you can read exactly why they’re at the aquarium and not in the wild. They even have details on which animals are close to being released.
Another thing that sets it apart is the active rehab and triage facilities. Guest can walk through the marine animal hospital to see behind the scenes of animal conservation in action!
There’s an operation and exam room, kitchens where you can see the masses of food being prepared, and a windowed walkway where you can see dozens of sea turtles recovering in little pools.
I think what stuck out to me the most is that they don’t try to “dress it up” either. While this is an enjoyable experience, nothing about this is for entertainment. The sea turtles were in practical plastic pools outside, with an awning and some boards providing shade from the sun. It’s what they need for recovery, not the pretty exhibits most people want to see.
Something else that stuck with me was a whiteboard that had all the sea turtles currently in their care listed, along with details on their progress and a list of all the turtles rehabbed and released between 2021 and 2022.
They’re doing great things here, and it was amazing to see it up close.
Is This the Aquarium from the Dolphin Tale Movie?
Yes, it is! If you ever saw the 2011 family movie Dolphin Tale, you’ll definitely want to visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. Winter, the star of the movie, was a real dolphin that was rescued and brought here for rehab as a baby.
Winter’s story was very sad. She was rescued with an extremely injured tail, and they were unable to save it. Winter lost her flippers, so it was very hard for her to swim. But the staff at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium worked throughout her life to develop prosthetic tails to help her! You can see all the prototypes on display throughout the aquarium.
Winter passed away last year, but she was able to have a long and happy life at the aquarium, thanks to their endless care!
If you are a fan of the movie, you’ll also enjoy seeing some film memorabilia scattered around the aquarium, the Dolphin Tales Theater, and the Dolphin Tales Exhibit Gallery.
What Else Can I Do/See at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium?
There’s so much to experience here besides seeing the animals in rehab and permanent care.
Several of the animals have daily hands-on experiences where you can work alongside the team to create sea turtle salads, assist in training sessions, and learn all about the animals’ rehab routines. There’s also an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience where you can really get into the details of how the aquarium runs.
You can also catch daily presentations around the aquarium, where the staff teaches about rescue, rehab, and release practices, or go on a dolphin-watching boat tour!
Finally, each section of the aquarium has tons of information about rescue, rehab, and release. You can learn all about Winter’s rescue as an example, but there are lots of other informational signs filled with all sorts of fascinating information about conservation and individual animals’ stories.
If you do want to book an experience, be sure to do it as far in advance as you can! I looked the day of, and they were completely booked.
Is This a Good Experience for Families?
Definitely! While this is an educational experience, it’s a fun one. And in a world that desperately needs people to care about conservation, this is a great way to show kids first-hand what that looks like. Seeing the animals in rehab is also very compelling, and you may just discover a future conservationist in your family!
But the Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a good fit for anyone interested in animal conservation over entertainment. Daniel and I had a fantastic time walking through on a little date, and we even finished up with some surprisingly good food from the aquarium’s cafe!
How Long Does it Take to Tour the Aquarium?
I would recommend at least 2 hours to really enjoy everything. We spent about 90 minutes here, but we also missed all the video presentations and all but one of the trainer talks. I would have really enjoyed the extra time to learn more about the creatures here, but we came too late in the day.
How Much Does it Cost to Visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium?
Admission is $35.95 per adult and $26.95 per child (3-12). Or, if you have a Tampa CityPASS, admission is already included in the bundled fee. That’s actually how we found out about the aquarium and what led us to come to explore.
I highly encourage everyone reading this to go check out this incredible place! 100% of the proceeds go toward supporting the rescue, rehab, and release efforts, as well as continued care for the permanent animal residents.
It’s a great cause and a truly eye-opening experience. I will say it was a bit sobering at times to see the injuries these poor creatures had because humans were irresponsible. But overall, it was encouraging to see people doing so much to help these injured animals get back to their normal lives!
If you have any questions that I didn’t answer, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Thanks for taking the time to read about the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, and I hope you get to experience it for yourself soon.
What to Read Next…
Everything You Need To Know About The Tampa CityPASS
Fun in the Sun: Must-Do Activities for a Tampa Vacation
5 Great Reasons to Visit the Florida Aquarium
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