Miami Seaquarium

dont support this decaying,rusted,rotting and leaking,outdated sorry excuse for a theme park the whale cannot even swim Pros: highest admission rates around, plus 8 bucks per car Cons: freedom for the whale more

I've been to SeaWorld and the high tech killer whale shows are nice but Lolita's Killer Whale show at the Miami Seaquarium is awesome in terms of trainer's skills with Lolita, the willingness to share educational information and pose for pictures with guests. In fact, this is the best killer whale show I've seen since the smaller size of the staduim gives visitors a feeling of being involved combined with the trainers performance skills with Lolita. Waiting for the show to begin, I noticed Lolita getting ready to perform watching the visitors fill the stadium, she is watching us! Lolita clearly enjoys performing shows for visitors. Pros: Best shows Cons: update visitors restroom facilities more

Many people think that visiting a place like this is ok. They really dont see what wrong with going to see the happy dolphins and whales and sea lions do tricks for food, right? ""There's nothing wrong with that"" they think... But in reality there is something extremely wrong with it. These places (ex: Miami Seaquarium) exploit the sea's smartest creatures, forcing them to perform unnatural ""tricks"" for food, just so a corporation can make money. They tell you that its an educational experience, but if they really taught you anything about this beautiful animals you would quickly learn how critically important it is for them to be in their natural habitats with their families. Whales and dolphins are some of the most social creatures on this earth, second only to humans. Did you know that Lolita's entire family pod is still in the waters off puget sound (where she was caught). Did you know that whales and dolphins mainly use echolocation (a form of sonar) as their primary sense, and that being in a concrete box will drive them crazy. Did you know that orcas swim close to 100 miles a day and dolphins over 40 miles a day. How many miles do you think the dolphins in the Seaquarium get in on a daily basis? Keeping whales and dolphins in a tank all their lives is not the same as keeping a lion or tiger in the zoo. The best comparison I can give for the living conditions of these animals is: Imagine you are sent to jail for no reason, put in a small cell (if your lucky your sharing it), when you first get there they teach you to do tricks for food, and live the rest of your life there... never to see your loved ones again. Exploiting these animals for our entertainment is not the way to experience the wonders of the ocean. If you wanna see dolphins and whales there are boat tours that take you out in the ocean to see them in their natural habitat. Please, I beg you people not to support these establishments... it teaches our children that its ok to take creatures away from their family and friends and jail them for profit. Cons: All of it! more

Miami Seaquarium is about $40 pp plus $10 for parking to get into. Once in it only takes about two hours to see everything in the park. The tanks are small and dirty, it made me feel bad for the animals especially the killer whale, her tank was the smallest I've ever seen. Don't go here expecting Sea World because you're not going to find it. The animal shows are boring sometimes going minutes without the trainers or animals doing anything. My kids were bored and I was disgusted. We all felt horrible as we were leaving. Don't waste your money. Pros: overly expensive Cons: outdated exhibits and small cages/tanks more

im very disappointed from my visit at the miami seaquarium. first of all it was too expensive but u think when u see lots of animals and even dolphins and an orca u gotta pay that amount. but after we entered it was all dirty and the trash cans were full and all the garbage was laying on the ground. but thats not all; the staff is rude and unfriendly and the food doesnt taste good either. so i guess if u wanna waste a lot of money for a disappointment then go there; otherwise THINK TWICE before going! it was very disappointing for me and my family Pros: not really any Cons: too expensive,dirty etc more

Miami Sea aquarium is not a very great place to visit on vacation or otherwise and I will tell you why! Not only is this place Dirty, and too exspensive, very small and DANGEROUS! but they also have bad habitats for the animals!!! and their main attraction a Orca they call Lolita I found has been there for over 35 years in that small tank. When i seen this tank I was shocked and after I did research and Underneath the stadium is falling apart, they have said they did repairs but they just keep adding temporary braces, Its so dangerous for ur kids to sit in that stadium! I also found lolita was in that same tank with another orca named Hugo who killed himself by ramming his rostrum into the side of the tank. I believe it was because it was too small and he was also kept in a tank they use for manatees now! Basically the Staff is rude! and its dirty, pricey and Its bad on all the animals. Even the deer and Iguanas were all dirty and the deer had wounds! and Lolitas tank is way too small she has to do circles and circles all day to get the exercise she needs and it also has no shade because the tanks to small for shade. Its sad. Its not worth your money! Cons: Pricey!! Small,Dirty, Rude Staff, more

My family visited Seaquarium recently and we were shocked. First of all, it's extremely expensive - $40 a person, $8 for parking, expensive food, etc. (the food by the way was absolute garbage, fast food, greasy!) There was nowhere shady to sit down in the park and there were only a couple (maybe 8?) exhibits with sad-looking animals crammed into tiny, outdated, concrete cages and pools. It looked like a prison for them. The dolphins and orca were in such small tanks. My youngest child asked why the whale was as big as the tank! :( There was garbage in the animal cages, trash overflowing in cans, blaring music played throughout the park, messy bathrooms... as bad as it gets. Don't waste your time or money. This place is an absolute dump! Not worth it. We enjoyed the Children's Museum and Historical Museum 100 times more than Seaquarium. Pros: none that we could see! Cons: Expensive, rusty, poor animal care, few exhibits, filthy more

This place is actually a very nice attraction. I have read many negative reviews about it however, if you really look at some of the pictures, there isn't anything wrong with it! Many of the people who protest it are young and stupid teenagers who think that they are trying to make a statement but they are really just trying to get attention for themselves. This park is clean and the staff are all very friendly. Don't compare it to SeaWorld since thats a huge corporation (its like comparing apples to oranges). No, the Miami Seaquarium isn't as big but still, it is a very cool place to go. My personal favorite was the Flipper show and the Top Deck Dolphin show. If you see all of the shows, exhibits and keeper talks, it should last you about 5-6 hours max. Give this place a shot, it is a lot of fun! You might even ""fall in love"" with some of their animals! Pros: Shows and exhibits Cons: Could be bigger but still a lot of fun! more

Good to visit with childer, rare manatees and well-trained dolphins. We were wishing to see more flamingoes though. Pros: Lots to see Cons: Expensive more

For all ages the Miami seaquarium is full of entertainment and full of tropical fish! The dolphin shows are amazing! Don't miss the killer whale show at night with the fireworks! its awesome! more

This is a great place for families to visit. Almost every family who vacations in the South Florida area takes a day to visit the Seaquarium. It is comparable to Sea World in Orlando, with great entertainment for kids and adults. Shamu is there, along with Frosty the Seal Lion. If you call in advance, you can have your birthday boy or girl part of the entertainment. Water misters throughout the park are great on really hot days. more

First of all it is the dirtiest park that I have ever been to, and I've been all over the United States. Pros: Lots of parking Cons: everything else more

It had been years since I had been to the Miami Seaquarium. I recently had company from out of the country visit and I decided to take them. What a great experience. Both adults and children had a wonderful time. It is amazing the changes they made after Hurricane Andrew. The section for Africa was my favorite. Overall it is very well kept. I recommend anyone that has not been here in a while to go. Pros: Great family day Cons: Very hot more

My three children and I were looking for something fun to do on vacation. This attraction seemed good for a 2 year old, 8 year old and 10 year old. At first glance, the attractions seem out of date. All three children did very much enjoy the killer whale/dolphin show. They wanted to see it again. After that, there was another dolphin show, and yes a third dolphin attraction. We did try to see the shark encounter, which mainly consists of a staff member standing over a murky canal explaining shark information while they drop chum in the water. The water is so dark you cannot see the shark, and there is no underground viewing of the sharks. The rest of the shows were kind of lame. We were in and out in 3 1/2 hours. The price seems kind of hefty for less than a half a days adventure. Oh and of course they charge you $7.00 to park. I guess if you have seen Monkey Jungle, Butterfly World, etc. you might as well give it a whirl, but I would not go out of my way to go to this attraction. more

My children have had the opportunity to participate in another dolphin swim program (Bahamas) and the Seaquarium program was a costly ($800) disappointment. The staff that was to initially greet us was late (no fun to wait in the heat and humidity of a Miami summer), and while we all kept asking when the program was going to get started, only the gentleman at the front gate seemed to show the slightest bit of interest. When the staff finally arrived, we were given a quick tour of some of the Seaquarium venues. It was noisy and the guide spoke softly and so fast that she was hard to understand. Most of the group didn't hear the presentation because they were lagging behind as they fought their way through the crowds. The actual orientation seemed more focused on getting waivers signed and ""pitching"" the photo packages then in providing any education on dolphins and their habitat. By the time we finally got in the water, everything was rushed since the trainers wanted to get the program in before it started to rain, so the experience really consisted of riding a boogie board while being pushed by a dophin to one end of the ""pool"" and then being dragged back by a dolphin to the other end of the pool. There was very little interaction with the dolphins. In the other swim programs, you don't stand on a dock in waist deep water, but are actually giving life vests so you're in the water with the dophins. In the other program, you're interacting with the dolphins throughout the entire time you are in the water. If this experience at the Seaquarium wasn't so expensive, it would have been laughable. The only people who could possible say that this was a great experience are people who have never had the opportunity to experience a ""real"" swim program! Pass on the Seqaurium and check out one of the other swim programs available! Pros: Most convenient Swim Program to Ft. Lauderdale Cons: Expensive, disappointing, the facility is run down, the staff is apathetic more

The Seaquarim is a fun way to spend the afternoon. It's not very big and they don't have a lot of shows. The killer whale and dolphin show was good. They have a sea lion feeding area which is pretty neat. There are lots of interesting animals to see. I feel their admission prices are very high for the amount of things there to do. more

This aquarium is a must sea in Miami,it has mermaid shows and many types of dolphins and fishes,the shows are surprising expectacular and creative.The oragnization of the establishment is great ,the prices are reasonable,the employees are polite and fair.Loved the overall atmosphere and the location is very convenient also.Recommend to anyone. more

Took a trip to Miami and this was the highlight of the trip. The place is enormous with lots of different sea creature exhibits. Although my son was a little young, he still enjoyed it very much, especially the dolphin show. The admission prices were reasonable for a big city like Miami. The sea aquarium was a little hard to find so its best to get specific directions before you set out. more

I'm not sure what Miami Seaquarium is charging for admission, but if it's any more than $20, then I would say skip it. Seeing all the animals and exhibits is interesting and the ones where you can actually interact with them are the best. They used to have a tank of dolphins you could feed and pet. Depending on the price, this may or not be worth it for some. If you're a fan of ocean animals then this might be exciting, but other than that, you may not find it so. Also, prices within the park are fairly expensive from what I recall. One also has to question how humanely the animals are treated there. more

My friends and I made reservations to swim with the dolphins at this marine park. We had an awesome experience, swimming with dolphins and learning about other marine mammals. The park strives in educating visitors on dolphins, whale, sea lions and manatees through their shows and presentations. The gate admission may seem pricey but worth it once you realize your gate admission is contributing to the park's marine life conservation programs such as manatee and sea turtle rehab. more