Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Abby McNulty

2 months ago

We absolutely loved this place! The dolphins were amazing to see, the staff was so friendly and knowledgeable. The place was clean, and the dining place there was delicious. We also loved the facts about winter and the movie dolphin tale! Seeing her prosthetic journey and props from the movie was incredible. Happy as well to have been able to see hope healthy and thriving! I see they truly care about their animals here, and I have never been to a better aquarium!

Nahla Green

3 months ago

At first when we got there we were disappointed bc it was hard to see the animals in the first few aquariums. When we went downstairs and looked around more, we saw there were aquariums where you could easily see the beautiful animals! The shark was very difficult to see and there were no Manatees. It was awesome to see the dolphins, otters, stingrays, seals, and turtles! And more! We loved that they were taking care of hurt animals. It felt good to support their mission! The people were very nice, and it was a great family experience. It wasn't super fancy, but we enjoyed it. I recommend going if you are near!

John Stevenson

4 months ago

My siblings and visited the CMA last week on a trip to Tampa, and I seldom leave reviews of places I visit but I absolutely HAD to make an exception for the CMA, because WOW what an incredible experience! I’ve been to a number of marine rescue centers/animal rehabilitation facilities/aquariums/etc across the country over the years but this one absolutely takes the cake! From the wraparound tanks where the dolphins are held, to the new facility, to the old building where you can see where they still work to save animals on a daily basis. The whole thing just felt very *real*, and in a world where a so many things feel very superficial now, there’s something very special to be said about that. They show you everything about their operations, how it all works, all the nitty gritty details that goes to show just how much they absolutely care for the animals they rescue and rehabilitate, it’s an experience quite unlike any I’ve had before. One of the best parts definitely has to be the incredible staff too. They’re all so knowledgeable about the goings on and operations there, so eager to talk about it, and just overall super friendly! I had multiple interactions with a lot of the staff there where we just sat and talked for a while about the CMA, the ocean, etc. Some of the best staff interactions I’ve had anywhere, I’m super impressed! And on a more personal note, the Dolphin Tale movies have always had a special place in my heart since I was a kid, and getting to see it all in person was really a treat. Sadly of course Winter is no longer there, but even still, reading the information on the many beautifully made graphics they have on her rescue and life was really nice. And seeing Hope and Nicholas was really great as well! Like meeting some celebrities from my childhood! Wish I could give more than five stars because the CMA absolutely deserves it. Honestly I’d love to return to Clearwater/Tampa JUST to go again! I’ve gotta try out the Dolphin interaction experience they offer! Much love from Texas, and thank you guys for everything you do for our oceans! ❤️

Ary

4 months ago

It is a very nice place to come with family and friends. Great people, kind, courteous and, willing to help. I will mention that I wish they had information with some background on the animals in display, or QR codes. This way we could scan and they can update info digitally improving guests experience. Having Christmas trees in May was a little surprising but we saw it with humor. There is plenty of parking with easy access to entrance. There is an elevator for wheelchair and strollers. Bathrooms are clean. The eating area ( indoors) was very clean and the food was great. The team on the boat was knowledgeable with lots of safety in mind and professional. The boat was clean and in good shape but the prop used for safety demonstration was so old it was hilarious. I recommend a visit to Clearwater Marine aquarium if you are in the area and highly recommend the boat tour.

christine johnson

6 months ago

We hosted our wedding reception at the clearwater marine aquarium and were incredibly glad we did. We had a great time working with their team for planning - they were very gracious with their time in preparation for the big day and were very helpful with advice based on other events at the aquarium. The vendor recommendations from the planning team were all vendors we looked into and ended up very happy with - it was very meaningful to have the recommendations from someone with experience working with them. The location outdoors was beautiful and our guests were very impressed. As frequent visitors the aquarium we wanted to give our guests (mostly all visiting from out of town) a local experience as part of our reception and CMA did just that - from the views to the dolphins, even the history of CMA was a great experience for our guests. The trainer team was gracious enough to work in a dolphin presentation for our guests despite busy schedules of the team with their recent expansion of resident animals. If you are looking for a beautiful venue that provides experience to guests in addition to the reception, I would encourage considering CMA!