Clearwater Marine Aquarium Reviews

I wasn't very impressed and our visit was actually very short since there isn't much to do or see. No guidess snd only one exhibit had someone to tell us something about sting rays.

They are providing a great service for these beautiful creatures.

Gteat place , staff are great. Thanks for making our day so pleasant. Loved the dolphins and all the great help you are providing.

Very impressive to see and learn about the rescued animals. Will definitely recommend it to everyone!

This was a fun place. Smaller scale but very hands on and informative. Absolutely love that they nurse the injured back to health and release. Loved seeing Winter and Hope.

Amazing! My girls loved it very informative and an eye-opening experience.

Great place to go visit with children! Took my granddaughter and she got to see Winter the dolphin from the movie Dolphin Tale. Was the highlight of our Florida vacation! She was so happy!

Aquarium is kind of misleading word to use. Its a marine rescue center.

Absolutely the worst aquarium I have ever been to, the underwater viewing glass was dirty so we couldn't even see the marine life. The view of the dolphins was terrible, they had 2 otters and called it otter oasis. We didn't even get to see the dolphin from the movie dolphin tale and they made a big deal about it. I don't recommend going here at all! Worst $27 ever spent because we of course had to pay for parking. NOT WORTH IT AT ALL. The nicest staff was outside when we were getting tickets. The only reason I give it one star is because I have to in order to review it.

Great place to visit and see Marine life, most indigenous to Florida.

Got to meet spirit at this quaint aquarium. Although the aquarium isn't so big, it has a good history behind it. And with it being the story behind the movie "dolphin tale" who wouldn't want to know more about what they do and how they operate. My family and I had a great time there. Would certainly recommend it!

Wonderful...
Saw the biggest sea turtle ever.
Will go back often.

Kids love seeing Winter. Tip: get your tkts online.

Ever since the movie Dolphin Tale, my son and I wanted to visit the dolphins Winter and Hope , great place, people are friendly

These people really love what they do. My family learned a lot and had a whole bunch of fun. It would be a good time even without the movie hype.

My 5 year old loved it. They were so nice and I learned a lot

Decent aquarium, but due to COVID it has some restrictions regarding what s open and dolphin shows. Probably a better experience when fully up and running

A fun and magical place with friendly staff. A place to learn more about our neighbors in the ocean and the dangers they face.

Captain Dave and his crew were awesome. Definitely take time to enjoy the cruise. Lots of information, fun facts, viewing tanks, and little sessions with individual tanks so you never miss anything. Me and my husband went without the kids lol we enjoyed ourselves thoroughly. We have to come again soon, we'll bring the kids next time!

This place is incredibly small with barley any marine animals definitely not with it but it s under construction right now soo my thing is don t charge full price

Such a great place to visit and we love your mission!

First let me say that I admire their mission and their work and I'm glad the Dolphin Tale movies have enabled them to advance their mission. That all being said, it felt like one big advertisement for that movie and just about nothing else. I had hoped for better.

They do Amazing job.
I love Winter and Hope!!!

The staff were extremely friendly and helpful. They have several behind the scene tours and additional experiences that you can check out. It is an amazing experience to see how people are trying to care for the wildlife that are injured. They are also very military friendly.

It was great fun to enjoy this wonderful place with my son.

Love Winter, Hope or dolphins, the Aquatic world to protect and care for? Come on by!!

It was for me and my family members but shark bite cafe need I'm povrment

its the greatest aquariam ever .its fun fun for the whole family .it has boat toars and a dolphin tale muesem

I know this aquariums prime attraction is winter, but I did at least expect a little more rescues/fishes, Sadly was very limited nonetheless decent.

Very small but a lot to do and see. Also, a must do is the free ferry ride to the movie set in Downtown Clearwater.

We are so grateful for the incredible staff at Clearwater Marine Aquarium. We celebrated my daughter's thirteenth birthday with a photo op with Winter and Hope. My daughter had been in treatment for a rare pediatric camcer for close to a year so this trip was a very special moment for her. The trainer, volunteers and staff were so incredibly kind to our family it was unforgettable. Winter's journey really resonates with my daughter and the joy in her eyes as they bonded was a memory our family will forever cherish. Thank you for being a beacon of light for so many of us.

It was disapointing. Not too much to see compared with New Jersey aquarium.

We visited whilst on holiday to Florida back in November 2017 and luckily decided to drop in on our way back from the Tampa Aquarium. I say luckily as to be perfectly honest I don't think it is worth the hour long drive to get there from where we were staying.
I would have been quite let down if we had purchased tickets especially but seeing as it was part of the CityPass (which is great value) we didn't mind.
We touched the rays, looked around at the limited amount to see but couldn't really get a decent look at the dolphins. I don't think I would recommend it because we didn't find it that entertaining but that is just our view.

It is a good place to learn about caring for marine animals.

Home of Winter and Hope and all sorts of rescued sealife. Great place to visit with kids, don't miss the boat trip!

Fun place, nice people every single one. Was able to "rent" a wheelchair for my SO for $50. We would be given that money back when we returned it at the end of the day. That was all well and good. When I went to return it, i still had to wait in the "will call" line to do the paperwork, which took 20 minutes by itself. C'mon folks, one more labeled window for returns at the end of the day, just have one person keep an eye open for a return.

Pretty small can do the entire tour in 30 min. Way over priced for the attraction. Nice staff though. Not toddler friendly.

It's a great place to take kids. It's a working Marina and it's well worth the money for your kids to get to pet and feed sharks, stingrays, puffer fish, dolphins, etc.

This was such a great experience! We learned so much about the hospital and the permanent residents there. We loved how helpful all of the staff and volunteers were! If you're in the Tampa area, the short drive over to Clearwater is a must!

If you are new to the area or visiting.....save your money and time. This place is completely unorganized and completely under construction....a few dolphins and turtles. We were there for 25 mins and saw everything they have. We spent $54.00 between parking and entry for 2 adults. What a rip off! We relocated from NM and they have a way cooler aquarium in the desert than they do right next to the ocean in Clearwater FL. We asked an employee when were leaving if it is always like this? He said we are more of an animal hospital than an aquarium. What?????? That is not what there name or website implys at all. Looking forward to visiting the real aquarium in Tampa.

This was my first time going there. I went for my birthday and got my picture taken with a dolphin. I love this place. Very well kept. The animals were very happy and well taken care if. Would go again and tell family and friends about it.

Overall we had a great experience! The dolphins were great especially Nick, we touched a stingray, sea erchent and a hermit crab. My babies thought that they would be able to touch the dolphins like on dolphin tales but they weren't allowed. The otters were in hiding and didn't come out the whole four hours that we where there and we were told that there was nothing that could be done about it. They take good pictures of you but the pictures are extremely high. The steps going up to the upper level are to steep, you have to go thru the gift shop to get to the animals which is a ploy to get you to buy something. I believe that there is only one cash register in the gift shop because the line went all the way back to the turtle exhibit. Restrooms are only on the main level and I believe that there were only two stalls! It's a block and a half walk from parking and check in to get to the aquarium! Otherwise it is a great place to visit. It is very informative and I learned things just like the kids. I would definitely recommend that people of all ages experience this aquarium at least once!

Went after 4:00 and had a blast! But crowded, great value, interaction of staff with my grandaughter priceless!

An amazing place. So nice to see a place for these amazing animals to be taken care of. The staff is so friendly and all the animals are very well cared for. Also neat to see a bit of movie history in my own backyard. Winter and Hope were so nice to see in person. Will definitely be returning. Can't say enough about this place. AMAZING

Its a great stop. Now its not a huge aquarium like most that are attractions. There first mission is animal rehab and research. But still a great visit

Great place to take the kids. They have done an amazing job with the renovations. If you haven't been in awhile definitely worth checking out.

So much fun but the only problem is that it is super expensive but I understand that it is all for animals and it is also super small for it's price.

Very beautiful place Especially the task that meets the marine fauna

Great Place, be prepared to break the bank with souvenirs

This place is awesome even though it is small. It is definitely for a great cause. I would recommend going to everyone the Dolphins and Sea turtles we're my 5 year olds favorite. The gift shops item goes directly to rescues and the wildlife there. I really can't describe it, but you definitely need to come at least once and see. They have a stingray petting exhibit and boat tours as well. Cent recommend enough. 5/5 stars would recommend for all ages!

Wow! Took my grandchildren and they loved it. I was thrilled. My first time going. Can't wait for remodel to finish.

Disappointed in the lack of things they had to see.. just not what I expected

Animals with very unusual stories. Definitely get to the Winter Tale talk! And a lovely boat ride with ecological measures

Great place to take the family and to see Winter the Dolphin.

My husband enjoyed this Aquarium but we were sorely disappointed that we couldn t pay for the behind the scenes tour. Let s face it, this is not an Aquarium (yet). They are under major construction and I also wish we knew that before parking several blocks away in their garage. They should offer a shuttle option to transport people or offer a bike to bike to entrance. Once inside it seemed jam packed which tells me they are in desperate need for the expansion they are building. I m not sure why they don t limit people entering because at times I couldn t enjoy the experience with people crowded all over. Lastly they should be honest and brand themselves as a Rescue Center and not Aquarium. I am glad my husband and I went because we learned a lot about Winter and their sea turtle rescue program but for the price we would have appreciated more time, less crowd and a behind the scenes tour option.

It was a very educational experience and quick line if you have a Tampa Bay Citypass.

My son and I came down to Ft Myers, FL from southern Ohio for a 5-day quick getaway, and given his love for the Dolphin Tale movies, I knew we had to make it here. I booked us for a the behind-the-scenes tour, as well as the Sea Life Safari boat ride. Total price for the 2 of us was $94 - sure, a bit pricey but a) this is probably our only visit, b) they are a non-profit so all finds go towards their mission of rescue and rehab, and c) we were going to do a boat tour anyway and it was more expensive to go elsewhere. Let me just say, we spent all day here (10am - 5pm), and it was well worth every single penny. Every single CMA person we encountered, whether a paid staff member or volunteer/intern, was exceedingly friendly and helpful. We were able to watch the trainers interact with all of the animals, multiple times. It's clear that these animals are well cared for, loved, and happy. The "show" with Nicholas (the male dolphin) is a definite must-see!! We were also lucky to be just 15 feet away from Winter as the trainers did some physical therapy with her, and then they put her tail on and swam with her. I had tears in my eyes, and a quick glance around showed many of the other adults did as well.

If you are able, please indulge and purchase either the Sea Life Safari or Dolphin boat rides....ours was fantastic and highly educational. We chose the Sea Life Safari for several reasons, mainly I just wanted to be sure we would see many things and not be disappointed if we chose the Dolphin ride, but saw no dolphins. As it turns out, we were just out of the dock and alongside the aquarium when a small pod of wild dolphins made their appearance! There were 5 or 6 of them, and they came within feet of the boat to check us out. The other things we saw, and learned, were just as amazing....especially when we were taken to a small shell island and were allowed a good amount of time to walk around and hunt shells.

On the behind-the-scenes tour, we were lucky to see not one, but three turtles given their medications and then fed. We learned a lot of history about the facility and their mission, but if you have smaller children I would advice you skip this option.

All in all, we had a FANTASTIC time and were sad to leave. I am frankly quite surprised to see any sort of negative reviews of this facility. I assume that those people didn't understand the nature of what CMA does....this isn't a true "aquarium," or zoo. Rather, they are a rescue and rehab facility - don't come in expecting to be entertained, come in ready to learn! We watched an endoscopic procedure on a sea turtle, Winter getting rehab and her tail, medication administered, etc. I am very glad we did this, and my son hasn't yet stopped talking about it. Thanks, CMA, for making our experience truly memorable!

Awsome place for a family if you understand its a hospital. Expensive gift shop but they REALLY do need it.

Wow what a wonderful place. We saw Winter the dolphin, what a beautiful creature. The staff was just supper, professional and very polite. They do so many rescues of sea animals, they truly do God's work. God bless them and all who are like them.

It was fun seeing the Dolphins but I did not like how commercialized everything was. The gift shop was huge and the tour path keeps leading you back through it. They also mentioned the free shuttle to the other building with an even larger gift shop. It felt like the local carnival where everyone is trying to sell you something all the time.

Great place. Kids loved seeing Winter and Hope. Staff was very nice and knowledgeable.

Good place to visit with children especially Winter fans. It is relatively small, it travels easily and instills the care of nature.

The boat cruse is actually a must see. They obviously have fed/helped the wild Dolphins because they come right to the boat. Saw 4 in total in less than 10 minutes. We have done 3 other boat rides in the area and never experienced such amazing views, and wildlife experience. Sunset was beautiful and our captain moved the boat as other larger boats almost blocked our view, but he adjusted the boat so we all could enjoy. They need more donations. At least signs in the parking lot that says step by step what to do and where to go... We and several other guest were a bit confused. Tried to buy a lot, because the only way I know to help with cthier efforts and keep my kiddos happy at the same time.

Parking in garage is very expensive as tickets to get in are also! Remembering THAT it is not an amusement park..IT is educational. Our favorite was touching the stingrays!