Gulf World Marine Park Lets Visitors Swim with the Dolphins

Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach, Florida, is a marine mammal public display facility that was founded in 1969. An accredited member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums, this attraction includes live animal shows, various marine-related exhibits, and programs that provide visitors with the opportunity to interact with some of the park's residents.

Gulf World's most popular program is their Swim with the Dolphins interactive experience. Participants, who must be at least age 5 and 48 inches tall, enter a pool that's waist- to chest-high to play with the park's friendly bottlenose dolphins. This experience is divided into two segments. The first is an informational and educational session that explains the importance of dolphin conservation and familiarizes participants with facts about dolphin behavior. The second portion of the program puts participants in the water with the creatures where they can enjoy a dolphin kiss or handshake and a dorsal fin pull around the pool. The entire encounter lasts about 90 minutes and is photographed by a professional photographer.

Unlike other swim with the dolphin destinations, Gulf World Marine Park offers guests an opportunity to also view a variety of entertaining shows featuring the park's staff and marine residents. The Dolphin Show is a testament to the skills of the park's trainers and their work with the animals. Audience members will observe fun-to-watch dolphin behaviors like flips and twists and some lucky observers may even get to participate in the show. Similarly, the Sea Lion Show features the antics of the park's California Sea Lions who interact with trainers through mimicry and other funny tricks.

Other animal shows include a Parrot Show, featuring a number of tropical birds performing amazing stunts, and for those who prefer slimy, scaly creatures, the Reptile Show offers an opportunity to view snakes, alligators, lizards, toads, and tarantulas, and attempts to correct common misconceptions about the animals while entertaining audiences.

Non-animal shows include presentations by the X-treme High Dive Team, a collection of divers with amazing acrobatic skills; an afternoon magic show that involves members of the audience; and an evening variety-type show that includes singing, dancing, and comedy.

Other interactive programs include Trainer for a Day, which lets animal lovers shadow a Gulf World animal trainer for an entire day, giving them access to some behind-the-scenes experiences not included in a regular visit to the park. The park also sponsors summer day camp programs for kids age 8 to 12, including reptile camp, avian camp, and vet camp, where children learn what it takes to be a veterinarian. In addition, Snooze with the Sea Life programs includes sleepovers at the facility, suitable for organization, club, or large family groups. Birthday parties can also be held at Gulf World Marine Park.

General admission tickets include access to all the shows but not the dolphin swim, which is available by reservation for an additional charge. Spaces fill quickly, especially on weekdays during the summer months.