Visiting the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys: A Guide
Thinking of heading to the Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys? You’re in the right place.
We visited the Dolphin Research Center with our two kids, 12 and 3 years old.
We saw many families but also adults-only visiting the center – it is a popular, educational and unique experience for all ages.
I’m going to give you an idea of what you can expect from visiting the Dolphin Research Center, and tell you about the dolphin encounter experience that we signed my older daughter up for.
So, let’s jump in – what you can expect from a visit to the Dolphin Research Center!
What You Need to Know About Visiting the Dolphin Research Center
✅ The Dolphin Research Center is located in Marathon, in what’s called “the heart of the Florida Keys.”)
✅ They have several dolphins, many of which are rescues from the marine entertainment industry, but many were born at the centre as well.
✅ There is no food sold on-site, but there are picnic tables where you can sit down for a bit to eat. The closest restaurant was Georgie’s Café, just down the street
✅ There is lots to do and enjoy at the centre, besides only see the dolphins. I would budget to spend several hours there.
✅ You can book tickets, or whatever additional experiences you want (ie: dolphin encounters) online or in person. We had no trouble walking in, but we were there in October, so this may be different during high-season
Is the Dolphin Research Center Ethical?
This is one thing that I really struggled with for visiting the Dolphin Research Center – deciding whether or not I was supporting something ethical.
I’m not supportive of dolphins kept in captivity, and I never bring my kids to see them living in tanks. I also don’t support ‘swim with dolphin’ experiences where the dolphins are kept in captivity and exploited for that purpose.
However, the Dolphin Research Center is different from other experiences in a few ways.
Here’s what you need to know about the ethics behind the Dolphin Research Center (there are both pros and cons as to how ethical they are.)
Ways that the Dolphin Research Center seems ethical (to us)
✅ The Dolphin Research Center supports sustainability. They have information on sustainable consumption of seafood in the main centre
✅ They have many rescued dolphins from captivity
✅ The dolphins are still ‘in the ocean’ at the centre
✅ Although we couldn’t see an opening, we were told by a staff member that the dolphins can easily get back out to the wild if they want to, but that they choose to stay
✅ We are not dolphin behavioural experts, but based on what we saw – the dolphins seemed very happy, and enjoyed a lot of freedom
✅ The staff at the centre seemed to not only know about dolphins, but they knew each of the dolphin’s names and personalities. You could tell they had bonded and spent time with them
✅ While there are shows and tricks performed by the dolphins, we did find that the main part of visiting here was learning and appreciating dolphins. It wasn’t like a show at Seaworld. It was more educational in nature – the dolphins did a few tricks, but they spent most of the time swimming around while we listened to the staff tell us about them.
Ways that the Dolphin Research Center may not be completely ethical
❌ They have the dolphins breed, to create more dolphins to have in the center
❌ They feed them, which isn’t unethical in itself, but feeding wildlife isn’t usually a sustainable thing to do in general because it causes animals to become dependent on humans for food
❌ They do have the dolphins perform some tricks, and do encounters with paying customers (whether this is done ethnically or not, its still somewhat exploitive)
In a nutshell – if you want to see dolphins up close and even swim with them, then I would argue that the Dolphin Research Center is probably a lot more ethical here than a lot of other places out there.
Things to Do at the Dolphin Research Center
As I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of things to do at the centre besides just watch the dolphins. Here’s what to come prepared for!
- The centre is a large complex, with many paths and pavilions. Take some time to walk beyond the main pavilion, towards the back at the ocean. You can get beautiful views of the ocean beyond from there.
- There are many species of wildlife besides dolphins living on the centre; some wild (such as many kinds of birds and lizards) and some permanent, like the large tortoise we saw. My 3-year-old and I loved seeing all the other different kinds of animals
- There is a splash pad for young kids. It was closed when we visited (October) but may be open during high season. Bring your swimsuit and towels!
- In the main centre building, there is a small museum with information about the centre, their mission, and about dolphins and sustainability. Take some time to walk through there and learn
- There is a schedule of events posted daily telling you the different events that are happening throughout the day. Check that out so you can plan how long you want to stay.
- There are beautifully landscaped gardens and a waterfall to walk through, it feels like a little oasis in Marathon. There are also benches and picnic tables where you can sit down and relax.
What to Bring to the Dolphin Research Center
✅ Swimsuit, and a towel. Whether or not you plan to get into the water, bring it anyway (especially for kids) in case you change your mind. There is a splash pad on site for kids to use
✅ Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. It gets HOT, at all times of the year. We were there in October and were glad we had these things
✅ Reusable water bottle. They have waterbottle filling stations on-site.
✅ Snacks, ideally waste-free is possible. I cannot remember if they had a vending machine, but they definitely didn’t sell food on-site. There are picnic tables where you can sit down and have a bite to eat. You also might be there for longer than you expect.
See our experience on our YouTube video here:
Final Thoughts on Dolphin Research Center
There are several places in the Florida Keys to encounter dolphins and I haven’t been to any of them other than this one.
The Dolphin Research Center seemed to us to be a place where the dolphins are happy, and semi-free. The center is focused on educating and appreciating dolphins, and I felt that we got a chance to do that.
If you’re in the Florida Keys with kids, I would definitely recommend bringing them here to see and appreciate (and maybe even meet) dolphins in a setting that is a lot more ethical and sustainable than other dolphin encounters are held.