Dolphin Research Center Reviews

First of all, there is a big disclaimer, the dolphins are not forced to do anything they do not want to do. I mean, who are we humans to say that the dolphins must do what we tell them to do. These are dolphin in a natural habitat who will interact and be with humans because they like us, not because they are being forced to. Because of this, the times and activities will change and will depend on if the trainers allow, and how the dolphin feel that particular day. So when planning your dolphin adventures, please understand the ocean does not revolve around you, these are animals and please respect them and the trainers' decisions to keep them happy and safe when the day's schedule of events is determined. With this said, you are going to interact and touch, and be near the ocean's most intelligent and magical creatures. I did two encounters, the full in the water encounter and the play encounter with my aunt who was unable to get in the water. When you look this creature in the eye and realize you are shaking hands/fins with such a mammal, it is a humbling experience. What is even more exciting, is knowing that they want to be near humans. While waiting near the first experience area they were swimming by and "checking us humans out." The staff here are all knowledgeable, professional, and awesome. This is the must place to go - do not go to the more "commercialized" dolphin experiences, because that is what you will get, more "commercialized flashiness." All earnings here also go towards the survival of this establishment, and not into the "commercialization" that will happen at the other places. I mean, who else is going to wake up one morning and a few hours later being pulled around while holding a dolphin's dorsal fin - what a truly humbling and awesome experience it was to be with my mom and aunt and enjoy such a treat. Highly recommended experience.

This place is amazing! This was the first time I ever met a dolphin. I participated in the meet a dolphin program. The trainer took us on a platform and we pet them and did a hand/fin shake. The trainer was very nice and helpful and the dolphins seemed excited to interact with us.

The staff were very knowledgeable and were happy to chat and answer any questions. I really like that they are in their natural habitat and they have plenty of space. I am confident that they are all well cared for.

I really like that they have different programs where people can swim with the dolphins or interact with them on the platform. I also think the prices are very reasonable. I looked at other places that charge more than double. This place was the highlight of our honeymoon and I will never forget this experience.

Kasey, Diva and Atoche were wonderful! We had such a good time petting the dolphins and learning all about center and how they take care of the ones born at the facility as well as the rescues that the center brings in. Kasey was very knowledgeable and answered all our quirky questions. Pictures were taken for mementos and, of course we brought them all home. Well worth the time and money to stop and support such a wonderful institution.

1992, a long time ago. Glad you are still going strong! Swimming in the same pool as the dolphins was amazing! Would love to return some day!

I had the best time there all of the trainers were so nice and friendly they talked to us about how they got into dolphins and more. If you give this place less than four stars I don t know what your problem is I would give a million dollars to the place! I did the dolphin swim and it was so fun love this place so much it s so educational and fun!

Hubby & I did the family splash program where you are standing on a platform in a sea water section of the research center with the dolphins. We had the pleasure of being introduced to Cayo; a 14 yr old dolphin. We were able to touch, give commands and play with Cayo. Our instructor (4got her name.. sorry) was great and very informative, she is from Ohio and worked with the research center for 2 yrs. We were able to have pictures taken with Cayo too. What a great time we had.

A can t-miss stop off in the Keys at mile marker 59. The Dolphin Research Center in a non-profit, cruelty-free facility which differentiates it from competitors where dolphins might be forced to perform. I had an ear-to-ear smile the entirety of my visit and we became members which saved us on admission while also becoming a write off. The volunteers and staff are full of heart and passion for these precious dolphins and the ocean as a whole. All-told, we probably spent an hour at the center and got to enjoy one of the many programs offered throughout the day.

If you have accessibility needs, they recommend calling in advance so proper accommodations can be ensured.

If you haven't been please go!! Amazing experience. Beautifully operated. Employees are amazing and so friendly and helpful. 100% hands down best experience

The Dolphin Research Centre might practice the highest standards of captive care, but it is still a cruel and miserable existence compared to the life these dolphins would have in the wild.

In the wild, dolphins hydrate through their food. As they are fed dead fish in captivity, they must be tube fed water.

In the wild, dolphins travel up to 100km a day, but prolonged confinement in this relatively tiny swimming area can cause aggression, frustration, depression and self-harming behaviors. Also because depth is limited, dolphins are often over exposed to the sun. To follow trainers instructions, dolphins undergo food deprivation training, where they are kept hungry enough so they will always obey instructions.

Dolphins are intelligent mammals. Their captivity is cruel and dangerous and many have died in this facility. Please don t buy a ticket or support dolphin captivity.

Great family fun place that will steal your heart please support their ongoing efforts with dolphins. These guys are so much fun to watch and they are playful and curious.

The Dolphin Research Center, also known as the DRC, is a cute place for the family in Marathon FL. They have dolphins and sea lions at the center and a variety of activities that can be booked in advance or purchased a la cart while on site. We purchased the family splash dolphin swim with our kids and thought it was fun. I thought we might be able to touch the dolphins more. We did not hug them or high five them. We got to pet them twice as they swam past us. It did not include the dorsal pull and we knew that. There was a package that did but was about $50 or $60 more per person so we decided it wasn t worth it since our kids were young and probably not able to hold on very long. Not sure what else that session would have entailed as the online details did not explain any other difference besides the dorsal pull. There is a schedule of events that occurs throughout the day with the trainers and dolphins. One is the dance with the dolphin show which basically gave our kids the same experience they had in the water with the dolphin except they were standing on the sidelines and telling the dolphin to do some tricks rather than doing so with the dolphin in the water. The sea lion feeding was short but cute. My friends daughter did the paint with the dolphin and she enjoyed that and was a cute souvenir. I thought there might have been more pictures taken of the dolphin splash since we weren t allowed to bring our own camera but there was only one picture and cost $25. The lady did give us a Kodak card that allowed us to order them later at a lower cost than on site so that was nice. Overall, was an ok experience.

This was a fantastic experience! A few of us in our party almost didn t go because we weren t participating in the personalized encounter with the dolphins like the rest and didn t think much else would be going on. So glad we decided to go too! Loved it!! There were so many informational session and up-close opportunities to interact with the dolphins. And we got to very closely observe those in our group swimming with the dolphins.

We ve had several opportunities to swim with dolphins on other vacations and this one was by FAR the best! They are so good with the dolphins. They don t force the dolphins to do anything they don t want to do and really seem to love the dolphins! And the dolphins seem so happy to be there. They answered all our questions and the place is very well run. So happy to support such a great place. Only wish the sea lion training had been a little more worth it since we returned to the park after lunch just for that, and it wasn t worth the return. Only 10 minutes or so of basically feeding the sea lions fish.

One suggestion for the owners is to update the website telling more about what non close-encounter participants can experience to encourage more to come!! Well done, DRC!! 5-stars for sure!!

This is the place to go if you want to see and learn about happy, well loved and cared for dolphins. You can go and watch them swim around, and the dolphins come over and watch you sometimes. There are programs throughout the day that have narration while you watch a trainer work with the dolphins and show you some of the things they like to do. Also you can sign up for programs where you interact more directly with the dolphins - some in the water and some not. Those cost extra, but are well worth it! No dolphin has to perform if they don t want to, and all the people who work there will stop and answer questions whenever they re free. I have found the people there to be kind, patient, interesting and knowledgeable. I live 1500 miles away, but I m a member because I believe in the overall positive impact of this unique place. And because you can see that the dolphins could swim away if they wanted to, but that they stay and they are happy there.

The service is mean when i wanted to play with the animals one of them said SIR WHY DONT YOU NOT DO THAT in a rude way plz fix your attitude then i will come more often .

Staff was very informative and friendly. Overall a great experience! We definitely recommend visiting here if you visit the keys!

Its a must stop for anyone who loves dolphins, sea lions or chances at seeing iguanas as well. Loaded with happy dolphins that love to play, communicate and bring a personal interaction most never get with marine wildlife. Best stop of the trip for my family.

Always a good time. Great staff and and very educational! We go every time we go to the keys! They need and deserve everyones support!

so worth it!!! The dolphins are so beautiful. Staff is great and there is a little water park for the kids which is awesome to cool down.

A wonderful way to spend a few hours and learn about what DRC is doing to sustain the dolphins. I really enjoyed seeing Pax and Talon play -- the trainers and staff are extremely knowledgeable. They truly enjoy their work and are dedicated to the preservation of sea life. A visit not to be missed!

Just had the best experience. The staff are incredibly kind and the animals love them so much. Its intimate, educational, and I smiled the whole time. What a great way to see these beautiful dolphins up close. I will always come back! Thanks to the staff for a great time and seeing all of their hard work in action.

Well worth the visit. The dolphins are incredible, and Victoria did a wonderful job educating us on the Research Center's objectives.

We visited with our family this past weekend and had a wonderful time doing the Family Dolphin Splash. It was the perfect choice for our family: mom, dad, 6 year old, 13 month old and grandma. Courtney, the woman who did our encounter, was so friendly with our kids, and made the experience super engaging and fun. We stood on a platform in the water and got to interact with two beautiful dolphins... it was amazing! Afterward we played in the splash pad and relaxed. Absolutely recommend.

What a great experience. Did the family experience and the trainer spent a lot of time answering questions after our time in the water. You definitely feel the staff care about the dolphins deeply. Will be returning in the future to support their mission.

It was an awesome place to visit. Staff was very nice and knowledgeable.

I visited sometime in the mid 1990 s. I glad they are still going strong. I had a wonderful encounter with the dolphins and it left a wonderful impression on my memory. I learned much about these amazing creatures and it has stayed with me for all these years. I strongly recommend this place for a visit. Thank you, DRC!

We really enjoyed our time and making memories! The dolphins and trainers were so much fun, we will definitely be back! Thank you to all staff for everything!

My husband bought this tour for our wedding anniversary and it was absolutely wonderful! We got to swim with the dolphins and this is smth that we will keep never forget Thank you so much, we really enjoyed it

I have been visiting DRC for over 30 years and never get tired of going. The people a friendly, the dolphins might be friendlier. Peaceful, beautiful, entertaining, and educational all at the same time.

This place is inspiring! All the wonderful work done by the Dolphin Research Center is amazing! Today we participated in a wounded warriors project program to help our veterans. It was spectacular! It is a clean facili with dedicated staff who love their job so much! You can tell they truly care about their work and each animal they work with!