Clearwater Marine Aquarium Reviews

Veryh small aquarium. Without the movie reference, it wouldn't warrant much attention.

It is a great cause for what they are doing, but if you're looking solid entertainment and inspiration, you'll only be adequately satisfied.

Kids had a blast.
Neat little place.

For the tremendous work they do for animals in need, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium deserves five stars however, not so today. When we arrived, we realized the aquarium was more a huge construction site than a tourist venue. And, in spite of the giant construction mess, ticket prices remain full price.

From deafening drilling noise to the foul smell of sewer outside the buildings, I was immensely disappointed with Clearwater Marine Aquarium until I found out they were never built to accommodate tourists, instead their focus is on research and rehabilitation. With this in mind, I began to appreciate this facility more and more but still can't give them a 5-star review based on my family's experience today.

It is my hope the construction project will provide a better experience for visitors to come. Even so, we are not planning to return any time soon.

It is a place that you should visit an experience to never forget.

A must see. Very interactive and educational. We return often. Great programs and great events

The Clearwater Marine Aquarium is perfect for a 90-minute trip.
Currently it is being rebuilt, so it is probably limited walkable.
It's not cheap, but you get what you expect.
For children who are interested in marine animals, it is best suited.

You could not even move around, there were way to many people in there at once. Not very many animals to look at. ( Dolphins, otters,turtle, and,a bird) you could not see the Dolphins because there were way to many people. It cost more that it's worth. Won't be going back again!

Great job they doing with the rescues , will be back

Maybe it will be nicer when the construction is complete but right now it seems overpriced to pay $80 for a family of four when you can see all exhibits in under an hour.

My first time going. I wasn t really impressed. I see they have construction going on so hopefully it will be a 360 upgrade. The sea creatures were beautiful though

Great dolphin show, staff / volunteers very informative...

Very expensive for the few animals tbe house. If you enjoy spending the day and really want to see Winter and Hope. Look around for a discount set of tickets. Parking is at a charge and there is construction between the parking garage and entrance.

We did the behind the scenes tour which was informative and fun. Loved it, fun day spent here. Volunteers are fun and love their jobs.

Who doesn't love the dolphin that has a replace limb

Overcrowded and no available parking spots on a Saturday afternoon.

Friendly staff and volunteers and great wildlife. Dolphins, otters, turtles, pelicans and more. The boat ride is fun too.

Not extremely expensive (as some attractions in florida tend to be), but its less interactive than what some people expect it to be. Makes for a good educational school field trip rather than a 'family outing'

Our family has been fans of the Dolphin Tail movies. Our girls were really thrilled to see the stars, Hope and Winter. The facility was nice. It is almost exactly as it is shown in the movie. They are expanding at the moment which will be great in the future.

They are limiting admission based on times. Be sure to check out their website for the details. There was plenty of hand sanitizer since there are already interactive exhibits. All the staff we encountered wore masks.

Very neat aquarium. Can't wait for the expansion to be done and visit again. Very educational and the staff and volunteers are wonderful. Definitely a good part of the CityPass.

Not an aquarium...not by the standard definition. Its more of a marine hospital and rehab that you can tour and see a few sea creatures. I think i counted maybe 15 exhibits in all. Apparently if you have seen the movie dolphin tale, its interesting...but i greatly prefer the Florida aquarium in tampa...especially when comparing ticket prices

Very small, very pricey. Took about 20 min to get thru it. Cost $50 for my friend and I. Plus paying for parking.

A wonderful experience!! The staff was so friendly and kept up with the social distancing guidlines and was constantly wiping down surfaces. Got to see the recently opened dolphin tank and it was amazing! Staff was quick and willing to teach and inform!

If you understand that as the movie stated this is a rescue and rehabilitation place and you want to see Winter and Hope IT IS A GREAT PLACE. I think it was great......I saw Winter I saw the show and that is what I wanted.......I Loved It......

The Aquarium, the staff and everything that it represents is amazing. Money well spent and glad to do it. Beats any amusement park or water park for kids. You learn about all these wonderful sea creatures and you get to meet the their caretakers. Awesome. We took our 7 year old grand daughter and highly recommend everyone to visit & help keep this effort going.

They are expanding and the new building should be ready late 2020.

Awesome work done to educate people on trained rescue wildlife. Not a typical aquarium. It's more of a long term care hospital for marine animals.

Great little aquarium with a big heart for rehabilitation and release

Such a great place. My kids were in awe of the wonderful aquarium and esp. Winter! Can not wait to come back when all the construction is finished.

We appreciate that this aquarium is a rehab center and all the animals they rescue are released back into the wild unless they are too sick or injured. Animals are not forced to do tricks or shows and staff pride themselves on education. Additionally, the outreach programs facilitate a connection with wildlife and special populations, like our sons who have autism. Everytime we come to Florida, we make time for Winter and friends!

I would only visit here if you or your child is crazy about the movie A Dolphins Tale, they don't have much else.

Going through renovations, but packed with information!

This tiny aquarium only had a handful of exhibits. They were all big tanks with a couple dolphins, a few turtles, a petting tank, 2 otters, and 2 small sharks. There were no small fish, and there wasn't much to do. We were done in 20 minutes and a ticket is 20 bucks.

Had a pleasant visit. Didn't get to take any great shots of Winter n Hope cuz it was crowded, but had a great time just Mark n I.

Workers were happy to take time and talk to us about the animals and the history of the sanctuary. Was so cool to see all the aquatic life swimming around happily and not depressed like many other aquariums.

Very interesting and fun to see Winter and Hope! Totally worth the money, especially since all money goes towards helping the aquarium as a nonprofit. The Christmas decorations we're also really nice!

Nice marine rescue facility with some star power (Dolphin Tale movies). Its not too big and only takes about 2 hours or so. Worth the trip.

Quite different type of aquarium. No seaworld character attached to sanctuary for sick marine animals that one can visit. Nice experience for the whole family

Waste of money. I would not call it an aquarium as much as I would dirty fish tanks. The staff were great with selling food and merchandise, but there was nothing to see. The 2 dolphins were there but the viewing area was so crowded you could not see anything. Other than that, we just wondered around to look at stingrays and a turtle and empty dirty fish tanks that smelled awful.

Not even a real aquarium. I seen 2 dolphins, a couple turtles, and a handful of fish and sting rays. Waste of $40 for my boyfriend and myself to walk around and literally see the entire place in under 20 minutes. I do not recommend. Save your money and go somewhere else.

I fell in love with this place ... if you look at it superficially it might seem like a simple small aquarium but what is done here through those who work there every day is fantastic, a job of safeguarding and caring for all the marine animals that have it need.
A small place with a huge heart !!!
The story of Winter is also a great inspiration for many people who thanks to it have been able to see life in a different way!

Here all the animals, even the small water turtles have a name and are treated with great respect and generosity!

Not only do I recommend you to visit it if you have the opportunity, with an open heart to understand well what you do here .... I also recommend you if you want to visit the site and maybe make a small contribution, if they really deserve it !!!

#cmainspire

Update:
I had the opportunity to do the Dolphin Care Experience, it's a wonderful thing, anything but commercial ... they make you feel part of the team and make you understand how these wonderful animals react to stimuli and bind to people, FANTASTIC! !!
Thanks for #cmaquarium

Small right now but expanding Staff needs more training on photos and sales. Will be a very interesting

This is a great small aquarium! If you have seen the Dolphin Tale movies then you have probably heard of Clearwater Marine Hospital/Aquarium. They are much smaller than your average aquarium experience, but knowing that you've helped a place dedicated to helping wild animals as well as educating people about marine species. Their programs are wonderful, the staff is very knowledgeable and being able to see Winter and Hope and Nicholas "in-dolphin" is wonderful. The aquarium was very clean - even the touch tank area. And had wonderful facilities, with more under construction. The construction didn't really impact the ability to visit any of the current exhibits.
My family did take the behind the scenes tour and the dolphin adventure tour. Both were excellent for those with a great interest in the marine hospital/conservation side of the Aquarium's work. For those who want to see more animals up close and personal, these might not be the best tours. The dolphin adventure tour is cool, we did see dolphins and ospreys. And if you were going to go on a dolphin spotting tour - I recommend going through CMA as the other tours do "chase" the dolphins quite a bit more.

My only complaint would be the lack of places to eat. We were there all day (since we had both the behind the scenes tour and dolphin adventure tour to fit into our day). There is a small cafe at the entrance of the Aquarium and the line was out the door and around the corner for a large portion of the day. When you did get served the seating area was tiny.

Also be advised, this place is not stroller friendly. Taking a stroller (or wheelchair) through the facility can be done, but not easily. And there are several narrow passages where a stroller or wheelchair may not fit (namely the underwater viewing area around Winter and Hope's tank). We did not have a stroller (our kids are not stroller age any more!) but encountered more than one frustrated family during our day.

The staff is so passionate and friendly. The animals all seem happy which is nice to see. Things are a bit pricey but its all going to a great cause. Even the short shows have a lot of interaction and fun packed in. There is a trolley that takes you to both locations which is fun. I recommend the dolphin show and feeding the puffer fish!

This place is magical, we particularly liked it very much. Seeing both marine animals and watching dolphin shows is unique. I would like to come back.

We went during their extended after hours rates, which are half off. I would say that is probably the best way to go because you don't really need too much time there. We caught one dolphin presentation that was pretty cute but not exhilarating by any means. Winter was fun to see and made a big impression on the kids. The staff there was great and answered lots of questions.

Its small ,not really worth the money,but its for a good cause

Totally an exploitation of the dolphin. This "rescue" is nothing more than a lame attempt to entice people into believing what they do here is okay. They keep a stingray in a soft wall swimming pool you could by at Walmart for crying out loud. Sea life barley has room to move and tanks are left completely unclean. Very sketchy about videography and photography as well; maybe as an attempt to hide what's really going on here from the public eye?

We had a great day. Thank you to all the staff in front and behind the scenes for all they do

Such an amazing place to learn about sea life and rehabilitation

Dont waste your time or money....Unless you seen the movie and want to see Winter and Hope. There isn't much to the aquarium and it isn't very accessible friendly either. Be prepared to leave your strollers at the door. There is a $50.00 wheelchair hold refundable fee as well. The elevator of the aquarium is on the very tiny side. The aquarium is very small. The presentations do not capture your attention at all...and whoever say they do is Lying. There were absolutely no sea creatures in the tanks to see besides Hope and Winter. We were very disappointed to say the least. Luckily it was only $10.00 per ticket. We didn't do any of the extra tours. After 30 minutes I was ready to leave.

This place is a lot of fun. Parking can be an issue on busy days.

wack don't go. takes 10 minutes to go through and is boring

This place is outstanding. You can really see the handlers care about their animals. The entire place was clean and inviting, despite its purpose of a rehabilitation facility.

Crowded as normal. Parking is additional $12 per vehicle

Great experience for kids and they are going to be expanding the aquarium

The staff is great and very cheerful, I know their expanding their aquarium so this might not be accurate for the future but more sitting space for their winter story and having a schedule for their group gatherings within the aquarium for the customers. It was a little cramped in their but like i said I know they are expanding the facility :)

Great place to visit as a family. We learned a lot.

The facility is small, but they have a super knowledgable staff. The boat tours are the best part! The Sea Life Safari is really fun and you always get the chance to see something neat. It is a good afternoon and all the money goes to the rehabilitation programs the facility has. :)

I love the dolphine tale 1-2 im in love with winter and hope

This place was a complete waste of time. Absolutely NOTHING to see. First floor was tiny and second floor had even less. I understand that the money spent on admission goes to wildlife, but there was hardly anything to see. One complete "area" had nothing more than an underwater view of one single sea turtle, that you could see from the top from "another" exhibit and one eel in a regular aquarium that looked poorly maintained. I literally saw more fish at the petstore in Lakeland than what I saw in an ENTIRE aquarium exhibit and the admission there was FREE. I am very passionate about the hobby, but this was a terrible display to say the least. Go to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa for a much better experience.

Loved the behind the scenes tour and knowledgeable staff.

I appreciate what they're doing. I appreciate that they need to merchandise. I fear for what happens when Winter the dolphin dies. I felt a little taken by the way they show the prosthetic tail so much, when really it isn't needed by the dolphin and I wonder if it isn't a detriment at this point. Either way, it's a great way to see the marine life. I would recommend going. I'm just not wowed by commercialism at this stage in my life.

It is a nice experience to meet winther the dolphin.

This was a very fun time for my daughter who was 7 and kept her entertained for about half the day. They do have some really nice exhibits with the main one being the Dolphins. With the price I would recommend it because it will give you something to do for the majority of the day.