Although the bottlenose dolphin is often seen playfully jumping through boat wakes in Florida's coastal waters, this type of experience usually offers just a brief glimpse of one of nature's most intelligent marine mammals. For those who seek a more up-close and personal view, there are several aquariums and zoos within the state that cater to fans of the flippered kind. Whether you're looking for an interactive experience or just want to watch dolphins leap through the air during a trainer-led show, there are zoos and parks in Florida that will provide lasting vacation memories.
If you've often wondered what it would be like to do the dog paddle alongside a dolphin or plant a wet kiss on a dolphin's nose, a visit to Discovery Cove in Orlando is the experience for you. Professional trainers accompany small groups of guests into a man-made saltwater lagoon for a 30-minute interactive experience. The water can feel a bit chilly during the cooler winter months, so bring an extra towel. The interactive dolphin experiences have to be booked online or by calling Discovery Cove in advance to make a reservation for a set day and time since the park limits the number of people that can enter per day.
In Northwest Florida, Marineland of St. Augustine also offers interactive dolphin experiences. You can get artsy with a bottlenose dolphin by participating in the "Dolphin Designs" program where a dolphin will create a clever work of art using three colors of paint while you stand near the edge of the pool with a blank canvas. Guests each have approximately 10 minutes of interaction with the dolphin -- during this time Marineland photographers will snap professional photos that can be taken home as a souvenir. Marineland's interactive programs are popular during the winter and spring months, so you'll need to call the park or make an online reservation for this experience in advance of your visit.
Just 9 minutes from downtown Miami, across the Rickenbacker Causeway, is one of the longest operating oceanariums in the United States -- the Miami Seaquarium. The Miami Seaquarium is perhaps most famous for being the primary filming location for the 1960's TV series starring "Flipper" the bottlenose dolphin. Today, guests can either book a 30-minute dolphin encounter experience or watch one of three different dolphin shows at the park. The Miami Seaquarium is open year-round and visitors can buy tickets online up to three months in advance of a planned visit.
Visit the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, located 90 minutes southwest of Orlando, to meet "Winter" -- a female bottlenose dolphin that was seriously injured and rescued after getting caught in a crab trap line. While Winter may have lost her tail as a result of her injury, she gained thousands of fans across the country after being the guest star in a movie titled "Dolphin Tale." Since the Clearwater Marine Aquarium serves as a working marine animal hospital, visitor hours are normally restricted to weekends between the hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
