Marineland, Florida -
Marineland - Nothing Like the Original

In June 2005, I made my 100th visit to Marineland. Fox News televised it. Going to Marineland was like reliving my childhood memories of when my parents would take me up there once a year to get it out of my system. What a thrill it was to see the iconic, tell-tale arches on the horizon as we approached Marineland on A1A.

Not too long after my 100th visit, Marineland's faithful secretary called to say, "Greg, if you ever wanted a souvenir, now is the time to come up. The bulldozers arrived today." I was heartbroken. When the new owners demolished Marineland, they also destroyed a part of Florida'past. [Greg May, 08/10/2010]

If you visit Marineland today and expect to relive past visits, forget it! The motel, Dolphin Restaurant, ticket office, circular oceanarium, rectangular oceanarium, porpoise stadium and Whitney Park, have been demolished by the owner who assured northeast Florida residents that he would preserve the "world's original marine attraction."

Today all you get is a high-priced opportunity to experience a swim with a porpoise and outrageously priced pics of your visit.

My recommendation: enjoy what little of the ocean you'll see along AlA at Matanzas Inlet skipping Marineland altogether. [David Redman, 03/14/2009]

Marineland held a grand re-opening on the weekend of March 4-5, 2006 with free admission. The Dolphin Conservation Center Marineland opened with several programs for individual interaction with dolphins. The only general admission attraction is one large tank with several dolphins swimming, playing with balls. There are currently no dolphin shows. According a staff member, they are planning several more attractions, but many of the decades-old tanks and structures need repair due the harsh salt water environment. [B.Y., 03/09/2006]

[RA: Dec. 2008: Marineland opened in 1938 as Marine Studios, an attempt to corner Hollywood's underwater cinematography market. When that failed, it became a tourist attraction known for its hi-octane dolphin shows. The shows are now gone, but general admission allows you to watch through glass-walled tanks as others (who pay for the privilege) swim and train with the dolphins. March 2006: Joan Whittemore from Marineland reports: "Our new Dolphin Conservation Center is open to the public 7 days a week from 8:30 - 4:30. The new facility was specifically designed for interactive programs with the dolphins such as swim programs, paint programs, etc. The old structures have been removed to make room for future development of the attraction as a whole."]

Hailed as the world's first oceanarium, Marineland is again open for business. Make sure to say hi to Nellie, the world's oldest dolphin, who celebrated her 50th birthday in 2003.

One can easily see the former glory of this park, which has been decimated by the Orlando tourist monster. The pathways are cracked, the tanks are rusted, and there are more weeds than flowers, but the penguin, sea lion/walrus, and two dolphin shows are worth the admission price. To try to keep up with the times, Marineland now even offers programs to feed or swim with the dolphins, or SCUBA or snorkel in the Oceanarium. The water is not the crystalline blue of SeaWorld, but instead is pumped in directly from the Atlantic ocean to give it that greenish, realistic hue. [MierGen, 09/18/2003]