10/29/09

Great Place!

by Inmotionparty

This place is actually a very nice attraction. I have read many negative reviews about it however, if you really look at some of the pictures, there isn't anything wrong with it! Many of the people who protest it are young and stupid teenagers who think that they are trying to make a statement but they are really just trying to get attention for themselves.

This park is clean and the staff are all very friendly. Don't compare it to SeaWorld since thats a huge corporation (its like comparing apples to oranges). No, the Miami Seaquarium isn't as big but still, it is a very cool place to go. My personal favorite was the Flipper show and the Top Deck Dolphin show.

If you see all of the shows, exhibits and keeper talks, it should last you about 5-6 hours max. Give this place a shot, it is a lot of fun! You might even "fall in love" with some of their animals!

• Pros: Shows and exhibits
• Cons: Could be bigger but still a lot of fun!

05/26/09

Definite Rip Off

by user2008

I would call this a definite rip off. It was expensive but worthless. It was a dirty place; poor customer service; there was not much to see; sea mammals are confined to tiny spaces - A VERY SAD PLACE.

There were a couple of alligators, large turtles, couple of dolphins, unexciting tropical fish, and it was a tiny place. We expected so much more from it. Especially after a visit to a Sea World in San Diego this place was "pathetic" in comparison. The animals even looked sad. My husband and I were shocked at how little space the sea mammals had...it was disturbing.

The only show we saw was the dolphin/whale show, which was mediocre; we left right after that as the next show was in 2 hours and we saw the whole seaquarium in less than 30 minutes.

NEVER go and waste your money on this place.

• Pros: ?
• Cons: rip off; dirty; poor shows; little to see; animal cruelty;

03/15/09

Peaceful setting

by helenajutila

Good to visit with childer, rare manatees and well-trained dolphins. We were wishing to see more flamingoes though.

• Pros: Lots to see
• Cons: Expensive

11/28/08

Animal Cruelty at it's worst!! Please don't go there!!

by altermood

I would NEVER EVER give this place a dime of my money! Marine parks are NO FUN for the animals that they catch from the wild, while tearing them away from their families and exploiting them for entertainment. Lolita, the orca that they have here, was captured in 1970 with ten others from her family. She is the only one who is still alive. Miami Seaquarium refuses to release her back into the wild, WHERE SHE BELONGS, because they are GREEDY and MONEY-HUNGRY, as she is the star attraction. These places don't "educate" people about marine life..they EXPLOIT them. Making a wild animal do tricks is NOT teaching people about them. How would people like it if animals went and hunted them and then sat them in a tiny cage on display??

Also, Miami Seaquarium is in violation of many laws regarding their animals, but get away with it, probably with a pay-off to the city!

"The whale tank at Seaquarium is in violation of the Animal Welfare Act, APHIS - section 3.128, states space requirement minimum 48ft across but Lolita's tank is only 35ft across and 22ft long. Seaquarium is not a member of AZA - Association of Zoos and Aquariums - because the tank is illegal, furthermore orcas should NOT be held solo."

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...do NOT patronize this abusive place!

• Pros: absolutely NONE
• Cons: animal cruelty...let Lolita go!!!!!!!

07/06/08

Never have I felt so bad for spending $23.95.

by saveouroceansnow

First of all it is the dirtiest park that I have ever been to, and I've been all over the United States.

When I walked in I looked at my boyfriend and asked him "Are they serious?" it Is THAT bad. From that moment on things got worse. Once you stroll around the paths coming off the entrance you get to the whale "stadium". I could not believe how small this tank was, it blew my mind. I found an employee walking around the tank and asked her "why is the tank so small?" and she responded "because it was built for when she was a baby." I later learned that the tank is the oldest in the world and illegal by government standards for housing an orca. To make matters even worse she shared that tank with a dolphin as well.

Her show was tear jerking and left me infuriated that I had actually contributed my money to this horrible establishment. Her tank was only a little over twice as long as her and when she did her jumps she often banged herself off the bottom because it was so shallow.

Other than that the coral reef tank had salt water leaks coming from the viewing windows that formed algae on the glass where you looked in so you could hardly see anything on the inside. It was really scary when we were walking out of that building and you get wet because of a big leak squirting on you from the top of the tank by the exit. I actually thought it was a sprinkler to cool us off before we went outside, until I asked another employee about it and he said it was a leak.

The sea lions had a small tank and 2 out of the 4 we saw had absinthes on their face and we're really cut up. The dolphins had a normal style stadium that actually was in the best shape out of anything there, but they had so many dolphins jammed into it.

The food was expensive and reheated. We ate at a Cafe and spent about $30 on 2 mini pizzas and 2 waters. Trash was floating all over the grounds because the trash cans were over flowing.

YOU WILL LEAVE THE SEAQUARIUM DISAPPOINTED AND UPSET.

• Pros: Lots of parking
• Cons: everything else

02/22/08

Great Experience

by Lilibet722

It had been years since I had been to the Miami Seaquarium. I recently had company from out of the country visit and I decided to take them. What a great experience. Both adults and children had a wonderful time. It is amazing the changes they made after Hurricane Andrew. The section for Africa was my favorite. Overall it is very well kept. I recommend anyone that has not been here in a while to go.

• Pros: Great family day
• Cons: Very hot

02/20/08

Kind of lame.

by jdsdls

My three children and I were looking for something fun to do on vacation. This attraction seemed good for a 2 year old, 8 year old and 10 year old. At first glance, the attractions seem out of date. All three children did very much enjoy the killer whale/dolphin show. They wanted to see it again. After that, there was another dolphin show, and yes a third dolphin attraction. We did try to see the shark encounter, which mainly consists of a staff member standing over a murky canal explaining shark information while they drop chum in the water. The water is so dark you cannot see the shark, and there is no underground viewing of the sharks. The rest of the shows were kind of lame. We were in and out in 3 1/2 hours. The price seems kind of hefty for less than a half a days adventure. Oh and of course they charge you $7.00 to park. I guess if you have seen Monkey Jungle, Butterfly World, etc. you might as well give it a whirl, but I would not go out of my way to go to this attraction.

06/14/07

Dolphin Swim - Miami Seaquarium

by buster_bubba

My children have had the opportunity to participate in another dolphin swim program (Bahamas) and the Seaquarium program was a costly ($800) disappointment. The staff that was to initially greet us was late (no fun to wait in the heat and humidity of a Miami summer), and while we all kept asking when the program was going to get started, only the gentleman at the front gate seemed to show the slightest bit of interest. When the staff finally arrived, we were given a quick tour of some of the Seaquarium venues. It was noisy and the guide spoke softly and so fast that she was hard to understand. Most of the group didn't hear the presentation because they were lagging behind as they fought their way through the crowds. The actual orientation seemed more focused on getting waivers signed and "pitching" the photo packages then in providing any education on dolphins and their habitat. By the time we finally got in the water, everything was rushed since the trainers wanted to get the program in before it started to rain, so the experience really consisted of riding a boogie board while being pushed by a dophin to one end of the "pool" and then being dragged back by a dolphin to the other end of the pool. There was very little interaction with the dolphins. In the other swim programs, you don't stand on a dock in waist deep water, but are actually giving life vests so you're in the water with the dophins. In the other program, you're interacting with the dolphins throughout the entire time you are in the water. If this experience at the Seaquarium wasn't so expensive, it would have been laughable. The only people who could possible say that this was a great experience are people who have never had the opportunity to experience a "real" swim program! Pass on the Seqaurium and check out one of the other swim programs available!

• Pros: Most convenient Swim Program to Ft. Lauderdale
• Cons: Expensive, disappointing, the facility is run down, the staff is apathetic

Home to the original Flipper, this aquarium has been thrilling visitors since 1955.

by Contributor

In Short
Home to Lolita the Killer Whale, Salty the Sea Lion and dozens of dolphins, the Miami Seaquarium features performing marine mammals and offers an educational experience as well. Visitors can check out the reef aquarium with its 750,000-gallon saltwater tank, which is teeming with fish of every size, shape and color. Inside, a diver swims around, hand-feeding the residents, including groupers, loggerhead turtles and moray eels.

Home to the original Flipper, this aquarium has been thrilling visitors since 1955.

by Contributor

In Short
Home to Lolita the Killer Whale, Salty the Sea Lion and dozens of dolphins, the Miami Seaquarium features performing marine mammals and offers an educational experience as well. Visitors can check out the reef aquarium with its 750,000-gallon saltwater tank, which is teeming with fish of every size, shape and color. Inside, a diver swims around, hand-feeding the residents, including groupers, loggerhead turtles and moray eels.