Clearwater Marine Aquarium Reviews

So cool to see Winter and Hope!! The place has a real loving vibe like the movies. Worth it.

It was fun to see all of the sea creatures. The girl who runs the dolphin training presentation is very knowledgeable. Understand you are going to be hot the whole time. Pack your patience.

I went on the sealife safari boat ride which is highly recommended for children because they throw out a net and show everyone what they caught and talk about it. We did see dolphins and a fever of sting rays. We also did the behind the scenes tour and that was very interesting also. Highly recommended for all ages

I love the animals, and what they do for them but was very disappointed to see the pelican in an enclosure.

This aquarium looks big but it s not. For 4 people we paid $50 which I thought was kinda cheap for what s inside. You first walk in and they take pictures of you. And they have a big gift shop. Then upstairs you have the dolphin show which is small and short but worth it. They have a shark tank. We went downstairs to the shipwreck area where you can see through windows under the tanks. We went into the hospital rehabilitations and saw a beautiful sea turtle half the size of my boy maybe bigger and it was so amazing . They also had subs divers in a tank with some animals. My favorite part was petting the sting rays. They were medium size and completely safe. You can tell they are use to being around people and are friendly. I m from Indiana and I loved this place but that might just be my state is boring lol

Great staff and sweet critters in need. So happy that a place like this is here to help the needy.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is an incredible experience provided you understand what it is. It is a fully functional marine animal hospital that allows you to see behind the scenes as they work to rehab and eventually release the animals. The sea life safari boat ride is also completely worth the cost.

They have to have a show for people to see but winter is something impressive that I see in my life but it is super cool.

Just needs a big improvements glass is green and kind of Cloudy you can't see real good parking's too expensive

Great to see wonderful animals and support their good work

Took my 3 boys on a rainy day since it wasn't a good beach day, and I almost had a heart attack over the prices. Luckily we qualified for discounts. We've been to several aquariums, including the Atlanta aquarium, and we're surprised to find out this is more of a rescue center. Dolphins, cranes and turtles were the only animals we saw, which is cool, but not enough to entertain my kids for long. Bathrooms are port-a-potties outside the building, which can become quite smelly in the FL heat. The "aquarium" had cruise packages to go out and see more animals in the wild, but this was also very pricey for our family of 5. With the number of zoos and aquariums in FL, I would pass on this one, unless you have a discount or have kids that are obsessed with the Dolphin Tale movie and want to see Winter.

Be aware and prepare.Ticket will be charged additional donations without letting me know. Also parking fee is $12.

Daughter did the dolphin assistant program and loved it!

This started as a marine rescue facility and grew hugely popular with Winter the dolphin's story. It's wonderful that they're rehabilitating animals but unfortunately, the building simply can't house the number of visitors. They ARE building an entirely new facility next door, which I'm sure will be much better. Meanwhile, know that it's expensive to see only a few aquatic animals (a couple of dolphins, a few tiny sharks, some sea turtles, stingray and a few otters in an enclosure that makes their viewing difficult). The building is very small and the entire experience will last an hour tops. There is an outdoor show with again, a small seating area, but we missed this time slot. They DO offer FREE military discount.

So sad to see what this place has turned into. Nothing but a tourist trap that uses their animals for money. I used to go to the aquarium since I was really little and did their summer camps and had multiple birthdays there. It was nice back in the day before the game of the movie. After going back after
some time, I was hoping to see the place spruced up with all the new money from the movies. I was so disappointed to see the tanks were filthy, with very little fish. It was dark and cheaply constructed to show guests more about the movie than any conservation efforts. Hardly any animals were on display and the overall appearance of the aquarium was in disarray. Their "aquarists" seemed only concerned with showing off Hope and Winter and not educating guests on local Flora and fauna and conservation methods. This past year, I got to work at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT and I can safely say nothing good is happening at Clearwater Aquarium. For the price of a ticket I expected so much more. It has evolved from a cute neighborhood aquarium that I loved going to as a kid to a nasty tourist trap. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND TO ANYONE. If you want to see a nice aquarium in the area, go to Mote marine aquarium in Sarasota, FL. Other excellent aquariums are the Georgia aquarium in Atlanta, Mystic aquarium in Mystic, CT, and Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA. If you really want to see Hope and Winter, just watch dolphin tale 1 and 2.

Not very many exhibits, more like a Dolphin Tale Museum....

Really fun but they oversell the activities. It's smaller than they make it seem. Fun, nonetheless

It's an ok place, just dont plan on spending more than an hour. Trust me

Nice aquarium. Interesting information about their mission as a rescue hospital. You can see Winter and Panama, and listen to how they are taken care of. It's small, so a couple of hours is more than enough to watch everything. It's a good deal if you purchase the Tampa City Pass.

It's an ocean animal rescue and rehabilitation facility that is open for the public. They are very friendly, have reasonably priced admission, good education and advocacy for the animals. Bus and boat trips to the separately located museum for "Winter's Dolphin Tale" movie included. Good store.

A good place to know about marine life and enjoy with your family!

A really great place to visit. However, the distance from the parking garage to the main entrance is somewhat daunting if you are handicapped. Also, for a smaller attraction, it has very large crowds so you can't even see Hope and Winter most of the time. Our great-grandson ended up liking the otters best, because that was the only one he could see well. The entry fee is a little pricey, but funds go to work with rescued sea life and the staff, I didn't mind paying it. However, there were money collection jars at every display. A Fanta drink was $3. So the day became a little expensive. That won't keep us from coming back, but perhaps after all the construction is finished.

When I first looked into this aquarium, I wasn't sure if we should waste our time and we didn't go the past 2 yrs. This year we went and had a blast. EVERYONE there from the parking garage workers to the volunteers were welcoming. The area is small but expanding. Lots of educational opportunities and a touch tank!

It was great but a little small. The use of the word aquarium is a little misleading because it was more a hospital for marine animals which is great but I came in expecting to see more. But the staff is really great and helpful, they seemed to really love sharing information and answering questions. Seeing Winter was really exciting too!

It was a great visit
"Wendy" our tour girl was so enthusiastic that she'll make u live what she was talking about. ,
Can't wait for the new aquarium to open!

Great place to take your family the prices are reasonable the only disappointing thing is to find out the true story about Winter and Hope

It was totally amazing seeing all the rehibilitated Marine animals!!

Great place to visit. Boat tour was great. Very good military discount. Staff/volunteers very knowledgeable and friendly. Kids enjoyed it too. Highly recommend visiting!

Loves this place. Great staff, quick to answer any questions you may have. Definitely coming back!

Great place to visit to see some aquatic life. People that worked there are very informative and helpful. Thier work goes to a great cause catch, heal, realese.

Was an amazing experience. The only thing I would have wanted to know was that the extra experiences are at specific times so was a bit hard to coordinate things

An amazing experience for the family to share. The staff being very dedicated to rescuing and nurturing the animals.

I thought it was massively overpriced for what it was. 21 dollars for adults and 16 for children? There was no AC in the building, it was pretty rundown and the animals weren't all too impressive. The only thing my kids remotely enjoyed was looking at the things in the gift shop, which would be fine if it wasn't all at extortionate prices. Yes, the money does go to a good cause but I do still think it is overpriced. Wouldn't recommend unless you are willing to pay the prices.

I expected more .... I don't think it's worth the trip just to visit this aquarium ... if you're in town for other cool reasons! Otherwise, Florida has other, more interesting options. At least for me....

The dolphins were very nice to see! I think that children we love it! Got splashed with salty water at end of the show. Educational!

Awesome rehab facilities and staff. Tons of activities and great gift shop. This is not a sea world experience, don t go and expect flying orcas and a big aquarium. This is a rescue and rehab center and the staff here do a great job at it.

A great place with a terrific mission! Winter, Hope, PJ and Nicholas are all waiting to teach you about marine conservation. Look out, though! Nick likes to splash!!

My favorite aquarium. I love the fact they have sea turtles.

Boat tour with Morgan was the highlight, very knowledgeable must do if going to aquarium. Plenty of volunteers and staff and all were helpful. Can't wait to come back when expansion is complete. Love the mission and rescue aspect! Even though all for good cause prices in gift shop high on top of entry price.

The people that Care for the animals is always a great place ..

Super informative friendly staff. They provide a wonderful service.

Go early befor it gets busy. Everything now cost .

Love visiting the rescued sea animals. Bless the people for the heat job that they do!

Excellent, educational, fun experience! Perfect for the entire family!!! Regardless of age, young and old will love this place. My partner and I are avid animal lovers, making this an ideal location to visit. Everyone has a chance to get up close and personal with turtles, dolphins, sharks, sting rays, and many different species of fish and marine life. Of course, the aquarium provides not only great entertainment and fun, but a great educational experience too!! At the moment, the facilities are a bit cramped and dated. However, the aquarium is expanding and a new facility is being built. Therefore, this facility is going to be more fun and exciting when construction is complete. There is construction in progress, but it should not deter you from visiting. Clearwater Marine Aquarium is a must see!! Plus, what makes the aquarium more special is their outstanding rescue and care programs for the animals! When you visit you will learn about the great work they do here and the fantastic care they provide to the animals that make their home at the aquarium. Most, if not all, of the animals and sea creatures you see here could not survive in the wild. Fascinating experience and visit! Absolutely, highly recommend a visit here. Also, I must say, every employee my partner and I encountered, could not have been more friendly and nice. Very helpful and courteous!!! I was totally impressed with the tremendous and important work the staff accomplishes everyday!! You must go, have fun, learn and enjoy!!!

Small and simple aquarium, but it was perfect for a 5 and 2 year old. The staff was friendly and very informative.

'Free' transportation was horrible. Only took 3 hours of waiting in the hot florida sun before we could make the trek back. Ouch!

Rescue. Rehab. Release.

Guys, this is the most beautiful place because of what they do. Every dime goes to conservation and their animal care. They hold a special spot in my heart. They always have and I believe they always will.

The only thing that makes this Aquarium special is the dolphins with a prosthetic tail. Very limited selection of sea life.

Good. But the ticket I found expensive for what it offers.

When you visit this place you need to keep in mind that

1) It is a rescue facility so it would be quite small.

2) In the movie it said that winter had to keep her tail on but actually in real life winter has to only keep her prostatic on for physical therapy.

3) Some staff may be rude but you have to understand that they have to deal with thosands of complaining people every day.

So if you think it is just an aquarium then go somewhere else.

very disappointing over priced for being under construction not much to see tourest trap

First off let me say that the staff and the reason this place exists are awesome!

Know that this place isn t really a traditional aquarium as most think of what an aquarium is. They do say that on their website. But I doubt most people would see that or think much of it.

Unless you do a tour, which we did not, no way you ll be here for more then 2 hours.

And I get the allure of the experience from the movie. That s why we came for our kids.

However. This place is insanely over priced. I plead with management to review your pricing. You are way over priced, taking advantage of your fame and probably taking advantage of people who can t afford to come here in the first place. And yes, I know you are building a brand new facility. Yes the one you are in is from 1970. Yes, you do great things for marine life who needs it. I get all that.

But here is my opinion on the pricing.

I can t comment on the food or gift store pricing. We didn t buy anything.

Everyone should know it s costs $12 to park when we came in mid June. I saw this nowhere on their site. It just says seasonal rates apply. At $12 that s half the cost of admission. It costs less to park at the Tampa International Airport for 24 hours. Or at Tropicana Park to see a game. Both are $10. See below for other rates.

And their photo prices are INSANE! $64 for 5 digital copies. I can get an all day PhotoKey at Busch Gardens Tampa for $49, which includes unlimited digital copies for an entire day at the park and loaded on an app I have access to forever.

Admission when we came was:
$25 Adult / $20 Kid
Sundown Special $13 per person after 4. This is the best way to go. You won t spend more then 2 hours here and you ll see all the same things. Wish we knew.
Parking $12

Here is a list of other aquariums and their pricing. Just to put this in perspective and for others to consider.

The Florida Aquarium (which is massive)
$28 Adult / $25 Kid
Parking $6

Mote Aquarium (We enjoy this place)
$24 Adult / $18 Kid
Parking FREE

SeaLife Aquarium (Orlando)
$25.50 Adult / $20.50 Kid
Parking FREE

Again the staff here is amazing. In the end our little kids had a blast, but definitely felt bored quickly. And what they stand for and are doing is really great. But in our opinion they are absolutely taking advantage of their fame. I think everyone should know the pricing and how it compares. We regret going.

Pretty cool place. My wife and I enjoy places like this. The story of Winter is heartwarming and adds to the charm of the experience. It's also kind of neat to recognize scenes from the movie. Definitely worth a few hours visit.

Our whole family loves this place! I'm so grateful for the experiences we've enjoyed there; to see my daughter's environmental awareness & concern increasing makes me one proud momma!
(When she was 7 she decided she wanted her friends to donate to CMA instead of buying her presents! My heart overflows!)

Not well equipped for handicapped persons so be wary.

Love this venue because of all the wonderful things they do for dolphins and various other sea life. They're a rehab facility that helps wind and sea animals, and not only do you have to love what they're doing, how could you not love the Dolphins Hope and Winter, both of whom are internationally famous?! The facility is entirely Reliant upon visitors to continue to function. Yes, some of their pricing is predatory, and they would actually probably do better financially if it were not so, but at least they have good reasons for it.

Had a great time with my son Steven and grandson Evan last week.

This aquarium and hospital is the best in our continent, perhaps in the world, where many miraculous rescue cases were found, for example that of the Winter dolphin, whose tail had to be amputated because it had many infections, a case of life or death, but they never lost hope, now Winter has a tail prosthesis, without her he could swim but the dolphins are designed so that his tail moves from top to bottom, and she moved it to the sides making her muscles inflame and affect your spine, so it could die, since, unlike humans, they handle breathing, circulation and movements with their spine. There were many attempts to queue, but they discovered that the case bothered him and invented a much softer and extra-good tail. Today, Winter lives in the Clearwater marine aquarium, along with Hope, another female dolphin (like Winter) rescued in Florida.

The place is kind of a mess right now. Lots of construction.

Well, it lacks organization when they do the dolphin show people stop where they want and hinder those we are sitting

I can't understand where all the positive reviews are coming from. This aquarium has a lot of potential, but when we visited it the water in the tanks was dirty, greenish and blurry. Didn't see a lot except for an otter, dolphin and some fishes. I expected much more after reading the reviews but now I think we just wasted our money. Tickets are overpriced.

A fun place to visit, even better if you have seen the movies.

What an amazing place. I could spend all day every day there. The staff was awesome and friendly. What they do there to help as much marine life as possible is amazing. I fell in love with Clearwater Aquarium!!