Fort Walton Beach-Okaloosa Island, Florida
Featured Activities Near Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Visitors Guide
Since its inception, the Gulfarium has been an Emerald Coast staple, and a favorite among both locals and visitors to the area. The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park opened in 1955, making it one of the country’s first marine animal parks! Even further, in 1956, the park implemented a “Living Sea Exhibit,” with daily dive demonstrations for visitors to view through glass windows. These windows stretch from floor to ceiling, making the Gulfarium the first aquarium of its time to have such a spectacular feature.
Over the years, the Gulfarium continued to grow and expand into the aquarium you know and love today. The Gulfarium features a wide variety of animals including dolphins, turtles, seals, otters, penguins, alligators, and more! Not only that, the park also features daily shows, and hands-on animal encounters with your favorite aquatic acquaintances. Popular animal encounters include the following:
- Dolphin Splash Encounter
- Discover Dolphins
- Discover Harbor Seals
- Kids Reptile Safari
- VIP Trainer
- And MORE!
The Gulfarium is dedicated to creating unforgettable experiences for their guests, but is also dedicated to marine animal conservation, research, rehabilitation, and education, as well. Hundreds of sea turtles, and other magnificent creatures, have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild by the Gulfarium. This awe-inspiring aquarium is both a Fort Walton Beach family vacation staple, and a significant player in conserving and protecting the magnificent marine life that calls the Emerald Coast home.
In addition, the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park celebrated its 65th anniversary in 2020. While 65 years in business alone is plenty to celebrate, this awesome aquarium celebrated plenty of groundbreaking milestones, as well, including the following:
- The Gulfarium was the first marine park to perform underwater shows with SCUBA gear.
- They were the first to record a dolphin jumping to a height of 21 feet!
- The Gulfarium was the first to successfully raise a stranded baby bottlenose dolphin. They were also the first to develop a synthetic milk formula for bottlenose dolphins, and this formula is still being used today!
Things to do Near Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park
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Keeping You Informed
Frequently Asked Questions
While this will vary from person to person, most visitors will spend anywhere from a couple of hours, to a half of a day at Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park! However, with daily shows and animal chats taking place all day long, it’s easy to spend the whole day here, as well.
Absolutely, a trip to the Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is the perfect rainy day activity for all ages, as it is open rain or shine! While some of the park is indoors, most of it is open-air, and covered by awnings. With that being said, if you head to the Gulfarium on a rainy day, it is recommended to bring an umbrella or rain jacket with you. There is a chance you may get wet walking to and from the shows and exhibits.
The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is handicap accessible, with accessible parking available near the front entrance. Even though pets are not allowed at the park, service animals are welcome.
Admission to the Gulfarium is not included when purchasing an animal encounter ticket. If you purchase an animal encounter ticket, you will need to purchase a general admission ticket, as well.