Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, FL

Disclaimer: This is not your average aquarium. I feel that this statement is important and should be clearly annotated for those seeking the "aquarium experience." With that being said, Clearwater Marine Aquarium champions a great cause while backing it up with a clear mission and purpose. While we had our share of challenges here (namely not having our discount honored as annual pass holders with another local venue), Clearwater Marine Aquarium deserves the recognition that should come with the rehabilitation of our marine wildlife and stewardship thereof. The aquarium entrance is located on the third level of the parking deck. The parking deck itself is run by a third-party and there is no waiving of the parking fee by the aquarium itself. Altogether, the aquarium is split between the third, fourth, and first floors. During our visit, there was a good amount of construction and renovation. While the aquarium occupies a good amount of real estate, the size does not necessarily correlate with the number of exhibits/tanks and specimens that can be found within. There were a handful of tanks that housed some coral dwelling fish, sharks, and other local species - very few and far between when compared to your average aquariums. Along with a couple of touch-tanks, there were also turtles and otters. The main showcase here is with the dolphins. Each dolphin had their unique story which Clearwater Marine Aquarium does a great job of showcasing. There are plentiful info-stations that shared interesting facts about dolphins and relative marine mammals. Even though my daughters didn't get to see as many fish as they would like, it was a delight to see them so awe-struck by the dolphins. The massive tanks and their viewing windows made the experience even more grandiose. Where it lacks in exhibition, the venue makes up for with paid activities, boating excursions, and interaction with the marine animals on the premise. The aquarium also boasts a pretty robust food court, and a gift shop. We did not spend much time at the aquarium, but glad that we visited and checked Clearwater Marine Aquarium off our list.

One of the coolest rescue aquariums we've ever been too. It was so lovely to see how well taken care of every single animal was. I'm happy they have a safe space while healing. Loved how much of every animal you could see. Cute interactions for children too.

We visited the marine aquarium as a family. It was rather pricey to get in, but we found a Groupon deal to save a few dollars. Parking is also very expensive ($15 to park no matter how long you're there). There is food and snacks available. Tons of souvenirs that cost lots of money. They upsell like crazy in the gift shop. But I can appreciate their conservation and marine life rehab efforts. It was a decent place to spend a couple of hours on an afternoon in Clearwater.

Up close look at many different types of sea life. Rehabilitation and care for injured sea turtles as well as dolphins. We saw dolphins, sharks, stingrays, sea turtles, sea horses, and many types of fish.

It’s been a dream of mine to come here since I was 10… CMA did NOT disappoint! I had the best experience of my life! Staff and volunteers were so helpful, kind and knowledgeable, you could see the passion and love they had for the mission. LOVED it and would 100% come back again!