Ready, Set, Get Wet

By Jill Martin
Published: November 19, 2008
Last Updated On: March 09, 2011

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Miami

Everglades National Park

Get up close and personal with a few of the playful Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at Miami Seaquarium.

Miami is filled with many fantastic family adventures, and I should know – I was born and raised in this magic city. Now, I take my own kids to many of the same places that I was lucky enough to enjoy such as Jungle Island, Matheson Hammock Park, Venetian Pool, Coral Castle, airboat rides in the Everglades and my all-time favorite, the Miami Seaquarium.

Meet the dolphins at Miami Seaquarium for a soaking good time.

Dolphin Harbor

In addition to their marine mammal shows with dolphins, sea lions and Lolita the Killer Whale, the Miami Seaquarium has raised the bar on family entertainment with the addition of Dolphin Harbor. Open since June 2007, Dolphin Harbor at Miami Seaquarium provides guests the opportunity to enjoy a soaking-wet, up-close-and-personal experience with a few of the playful Atlantic bottlenose dolphins who call this facility home.

Swimming with the dolphins has been at the top of my to-do list since, well, forever, so I jumped at the chance to take my family to Dolphin Harbor. Miami Seaquarium offers two different dolphin interaction programs: Dolphin Odyssey, a deep-water interaction for those taller than 52 inches and Dolphin Encounter, a shallow water program that's great for families. As long as your kids are at least five years old, they can participate in one of these adventures.

Behind the Scenes

We were all giddy with excitement when we arrived at the Seaquarium to check in for our reservations. The friendly staff gave each of us wrist bands, a map of the park and a show schedule since the dolphin experience includes park admission for the entire day.

From the front gate, it was just a short walk to the Dolphin Harbor lobby where, after signing a release form, we were escorted outside to the 700,000-gallon play area. (We tried not to scream at the sight of the dolphins frolicking and flipping in the water right in front of us!)

We put on wetsuits and booties (provided) and headed to the educational classroom for our briefing on these intelligent creatures from an actual dolphin trainer.

Meet Rio and Luna

Armed with knowledge and filled with anticipation, it was time to step into the lagoon. There we were introduced to Rio and Luna, two five-year-old female Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, who would be our best friends for the next 30 minutes.

The water was a little chilly, so we were grateful for the wetsuits. Though in a moment, we forgot all about the water temperature as Rio swam right up to us, and we were able to reach out and touch her rubbery body. Rachael, our trainer, showed us how to make Rio wave, splash, spin in circles, swim super fast and give wet kisses – all while a professional photographer captured our every grin.

Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, we got to take a dolphin ride across the lagoon. The smile on my niece's face was priceless. When it was my turn, I stepped off the shallow ledge, bobbed in the water and waited for Rio to swim up right next to me. Then, it was just reach, hold and go! The power of her tail propelling us through the water was amazing. I can't imagine a greater thrill.

On the other side of the lagoon, we met Gerald the trainer, and got to play with Luna, the other featured dolphin. Here's a hint: When your trainer asks if you'd like to see the dolphin do a "breach," get ready to be soaked! Luna followed our commands, leaped out of the water and landed with a huge splash, right in front of us. Wow!

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye to our new best friends. With a wave of their tails out of the water, Luna and Rio bid us farewell, and we headed to the showers – wet, happy and already planning our next visit. Did I mention how much I love living in Miami?

Check out the video.

To register for your own Dolphin Experience, call 305-365-2501 or email reservations@msq.cc. Programs are offered daily, but spaces fill up fast. Call ahead for availability.