We took our second spring break day-trip to the Miami Seaquarium. I had heard the complex had recently completed a $5-million renovation, but as it turns out, that was only in their Dolphin Harbor area. Overall, our day at the Seaquarium was very disappointing.
First of all, the costs:
Daily Rates
General Admission
$35.95
Children (3 to 9)
$26.95
*Plus 7% Florida sales tax
Parking
$8.00
Okay, who gets to decide the age of an adult? It seems that amusement parks get to do it however they want! Really? My 10 year old daughter is now an adult? I don’t see her paying any bills or making any major life decisions but she (i.e. “I”) has to pay as if she is an adult. I thought 13 years old was pushing it (for an “adult”) at the Museum of Discovery and Science in Ft. Lauderdale, but 10 is ridiculous! Enough said.
When we arrived we made a quick trip to the restrooms before setting out on a day of exploring. Here’s one word to sum it up: Gross. You’re not at SeaWorld anymore, Toto. I did see an employee sweeping up pieces of toilet paper in one restroom while a line extended out the door (since there were only about 5 stalls) but the whole restroom reeked.
We did enjoy the Killer Whale / Dolphin show. It was fun to see the large mammals splash the front rows of bleachers and watch those people appear surprised once they were soaked! I was glad to see the killer whale’s fin was not drooping but I thought the tank was too small for him. I hope he has a bigger tank somewhere behind the scenes. I even heard a man behind me saying he felt bad for the killer whale because the tank seemed too small. I noticed that everything looked like it had been there for 20 years or so with very little maintenance. Everything in the park could use a good coat of paint and some refinishing.
Even in this picture, you can see the tank needs some paint…or something. 
It’s looking rather rusty.
Later, we attended the Top Deck Dolphin Show. It’s in a small, round tank and there are 3 rows outside of the tank where park guests stand and watch. I was surprised there weren’t any benches – as was the 2 -year-old next to us who cried for half of the show as he sat on the hard concrete floor. It was difficult for the kids to see the show since many adults stood in front of them. The dolphins were cute, of course, but the show lacked a lot.
The kids enjoyed feeding the sea lions a snack of fish. You can purchase 5 fish for $4 at the stand nearby. (Tip: If you want until the end of the feeding, you may be lucky like we were to get 12 fish for the same price!)
Since everyone was hungry, we went to the Manatee Bay Cafe. The lines were long for hot foods (chicken tenders and fries). As we made our way through the crowd to the registers, we waited in line there too. One register went down so the huge crowd was moved into one line at one register. Things happen but we were just lucky to be at the front of that line. The food was fine for the typical amusement park dining but I was just a little frustrated with water dripping from the ceiling tiles above my head. The frames around the tile were rusted so it appeared this dripping had been a problem for a while. Again, it looks like things have been ignored all over the park in terms of repairs and maintenance.
The kids wanted to play at the Pirate Ship. Unfortunately, the only water at the ship came from the huge water guns on the upper level. My friend told me that last year there were buckets of water around the perimeter of the play area that would dump water from above. Apparently, these have been removed. I just kept thinking, “What is this park doing with the money from the entrance fees?” It better be going to take care of the animals since I couldn’t see any physical improvements anywhere.
By the way, when did deer become a marine animal?
I understand the sea turtle in the back, but deer? Apparently this little guy found his way into the Seaquarium without a ticket…and never got out.
There were other shows to see but we were done by 3:15.
Hours: 9:30 am – 6 pm daily.
The FAQ page of the Seaquarium website indicates it will take about 4 hours to tour the entire park and you should consider arriving at 9:00 or 12:00 in order to see the cycle of shows. We arrived at noon but due to wanting to avoid rush hour traffic on I-95 at 4 – 6pm, we left at 3:30. As a result, we missed a couple of the later shows which would have begun at 4:00 (Sea lions) and 5:00 (the same killer whale/dolphin show we saw at 12:40).
Overall impressions:
The park is grungy. It needs some TLC such as fresh paint everywhere, repairs to dripping ceiling tiles, and air fresheners in the restrooms (or perhaps a good old-fashioned scrub down).
The entrance fee is WAY too expensive. You can get a $2 discount ticket on the website or you can use the coupon book you got at the Fort Lauderdale Museum of Science and Discovery for $3 off each ticket. Still, the tickets are overpriced. It was better than sitting at home on spring break, but so is the beach… and it’s free.
It looks like the animal trainers care about the marine animals so this is the positive point about the park. Also, the shows are fun. If you don’t attend the shows, you could make it through the park in less than 2 hours.
UPDATE: May 25, 2009
I have received several comments about this post. I have been informed the whale we saw at the Seaquarium is actually named Lolita and there is a website dedicated to “saving her.” If you are interested, go to www.savelolita.com
Of course, there are two sides to every story. I do not know the facts. I am just sharing this information in hopes of doing something good in the name of animal welfare. I’d much rather see animals such as whales and dolphins in the wild, but I also appreciate what animals in well-cared-for captive locations can bring to humans of all ages in terms of appreciation, respect, and awe. I am an animal lover and have always admired the beauty of whales, as well as other marine animals. Please determine the facts for yourself.
Wild Music: Sounds and Songs of Life exhibit
