Gulf World Marine Park

Negative experience: Close her down! Lol maybe should've been your first idea to do this when a dolphin literally died because it couldn't see where it was in the algae infested waters and smashed it's skull in the shallow end during a jump. If you are still attending this establishment you should be ashamed of yourself. Some of these 5 star reviews on here when you can clearly tell the tanks are green when they should be blue and that the dolphins are closing their eyes when they should be open are crazyyyy...... get educated y'all.

Negative experience: This place closed up and left the marine animals to die slowly in algae filled tanks causing blindness, starvation, and lung disease! They are the scum of the earth! They filed bankruptcy to make it more difficult to rescue these suffering animals. They own other parks! You’ve got to contact the Florida representatives to save the rest of the animals and do not pay money to go to any marine parks anywhere again!

Negative experience: ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING LIVING CONDITIONS FOR THESE DOLPHINS! The water is so gross, the dolphins have to keep their eyes closed under water. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS PLACE!

Negative experience: You should be ashamed. I’d give 0 stars if i could. Fix your filtration system the USDA gave you two different critical situations and you have lost the life of a dolphin already from the murky water. They have to close their eyes underneath and get infections. Don’t act so high and mighty for rescuing animals if you’re going to keep them in worse conditions than you found them.

Negative experience: Dolphin pools here are absolutely disgusting and full of algae. Dolphins are visibly sick with their eyes shut. It's so sad to see this, honestly this place needs to be shut down. Don't bring your friends or family here. They need to be shut down and to release the dolphins.

Negative experience: Absolutely heartbreaking. The conditions these dolphins are being kept in are unacceptable. Recent footage and reports have shown that dolphins are forced to perform in filthy, algae-infested water, with some even holding their eyes shut due to the poor quality. Even worse, they’re confined to tiny holding tanks between shows, clearly suffering both physically and emotionally. One dolphin, Jett, tragically died after being made to perform a high jump in water so murky that trainers didn’t even realize something was wrong until it was too late. According to a USDA report, the lack of visibility and poor water quality directly contributed to this delay and his death. This isn’t entertainment — it’s exploitation. No animal should suffer like this for profit. Gulf World should not be operating under these conditions and certainly shouldn’t be putting animals or guests at risk. These dolphins deserve to be relocated to safe, rehabilitative environments that prioritize their health and wellbeing — not continued abuse for the sake of a show. Please think twice before supporting places like this. These animals have no voice — it’s up to us to speak up.

Negative experience: As a veterinarian, knowing and seeing these beautiful sentient beings suffering at the hands of man with this place not taking any steps to save these marine mammals is just disgusting and heartwrenching. They would be better off being euthanized than to live their lives the way they are now. This is torture.

Negative experience: Before you bring your family here because of the high rankings I want you to do your research. The dolphins are severely abused. The dolphins suffer from eye infections which is NOT being treated! Even worse, they are forced to perform during all of this.

Negative experience: Updated today to 1 Star as I had a 3 last summer 2024, they get 0 stars in my book. They are terrible people. I love the dolphins stingrays penguins all the animals screw the employees/management. DO NOT DO THE ROYAL SWIM IF YOU WANT TO BE MISLEAD. I went today, Tuesday July 23rd 2024. I went SPECIFICALLY for the dolphin ROYAL SWIM because of the foot push. The only adventure you can buy, that has 2 dolphins and get pushed in the water. The main picture shows you in the air with the dolphins pushing you by your feet. Thats their big selling point. Well after paying $220.00 today I did the whole royal swim only to finish the swim with zero feet pushing. I then asked the trainer “what happened to the foot push” and was told “we don’t offer that anymore for our dolphins medical safety”. They want you to pay 220.00 to be lifted out the water by dolphins but they false advertise by NOT telling you they stopped that. They will tell you “it says online behavior/activities are subject to change without notice”. BUT THATS NOT THE CASE. THEY KNEW THEY STOPPED THE FOOT PUSH FOR A WHILE NOW AND THEY ARE STILL ADVERTISING IT!!! I coulda paid 30-40.00 less to do the regular dolphin adventure that did the same thing as I did with the royal. It’s just to get extra money out of us. Don’t do the royal swim if you want to be disappointed by the foot push. I loved my time in the water with em doing a dorsal tow, and belly ride for less than 10 seconds each. But other than that it was the same as a dolphin swim adventure tour. I loved seeing 2 dolphins but I woulda paid less if I knew the push wasn’t an option anymore. They are false advertising and I screenshot their website and others reviews that prove they did this to others as well. In a good note: I did the stingray snorkel which I was the only 1 in the group at noon that did it. I learned a lot from Sarah and I got all the stingrays to myself! It was amazing awesome and just a blast to be able to do that! (I recommend doing the stingray encounter!)

Negative experience: This place was closed after we purchased our tickets from Groupon to use while on vacation out of state. We can't use it and are still trying to get refund.or Groupon Bucks back for 5 tickets. Don't buy it.

Negative experience: I’m heartbroken and disgusted by what I witnessed and have since learned about Gulf World. Four dolphins have died in just the past year — a devastating and unacceptable loss that reflects how poorly these incredible animals are treated. The tanks are small, unnatural, and severely lacking in enrichment or space. It’s heartbreaking to see animals that should be swimming vast oceans confined to such sterile, lifeless enclosures. This facility promotes itself as educational and family-friendly, but behind the scenes, the animals are suffering. Marine mammals like dolphins are highly intelligent, social beings who do not belong in captivity, especially under such poor conditions. No creature deserves to spend its life performing tricks in a concrete pool. Please do your research before supporting places like this. True conservation doesn’t come at the cost of animal welfare. Gulf World needs to be held accountable — and these animals deserve better.

Negative experience: I had 3 tickets for a dolphin experience today at 11 and the park is closed mind you I scheduled this a long time ago. Nobody has reached out to me to even let me know about the closing. I emailed and called and nothing. I just want my money back. I built my vacation around this experience and I'm just really upset and so is my family. I don't know why it's temporarily closed but someone should have let me know. I have paid over 800 just to do this. This cancelation is not on me so I just want a refund.

Negative experience: Look, as a dad, when I take my family somewhere, I expect a good time, maybe a bit of education, and definitely not to feel sick to my stomach. Gulf World? It was a massive disappointment, and honestly, it felt like a shock when we saw the animals. First off, the tanks. Seriously, they were dirty. We're talking murky, with algae all over the place. You bring your kids to see dolphins and sea lions, and you see them swimming in what looks like a neglected swimming pool. It broke my heart to see these amazing creatures in such small, sad-looking habitats. No shade, just baking in the sun. You don't need to be an animal expert to see that this isn't right. The animals themselves? They looked... tired. Not excited, not playful, just doing their tricks because, well, they had to. It makes you wonder what kind of life they're really living behind the scenes. And then you hear the news, right? About dolphins dying there, all the investigations, them losing their accreditation. It all just clicked. What we saw wasn't just a bad day; it was a pattern of neglect. Honestly, save your money, save your time, and definitely save your heart. If you care about animals, this isn't the place to bring your family. There are better ways to enjoy your vacation and show your kids marine life. Gulf World, for me, is a hard pass until they actually start caring for their animals properly.

Negative experience: Please dont go here. Don't pay this place any of your money! The animals are all crammed in small pools without proper care. The dolphins were keeping their eyes shut bc of the terrible water conditions. If you look around you'll see how run down the place is. Look at the water compared to other places. This place has recently had 4 dolphins pass away due to poor care. The animals dont deserve to be treated this way. Please help save and get the other animals away from here. They are under investigation. Please dont support this place!

Negative experience: This place abuses animals and 5 dolphins have died in their care. Join us as we protest the awful conditions at Gulf World, this Saturday June 21 at 10am. Another dolphin has died at Gulf World Marine Park, marking 5 dolphin deaths in just the last 8 months. This cannot go on any longer, as more animals continue to die. The USDA & FWC *must* confiscate the animals IMMEDIATELY! We will not stop making waves until the animals are relocated! Dolphins exposed to direct sunlight without protection possibly resulting in eye damage, penguins kept in storage closets, broken filtration systems, inches thick of algae growth in the dolphin pool, a dolphin dying in front of an audience by crashing head-first in the shallow end of it’s pool, then sinking to the bottom & more are all listed on various USDA APHIS reports from the past 6-9 months. When just driving by you can see the sides of the structures crumbling yet animals still remain there. We must come together & be the voice for the animals trapped in these unacceptable conditions. How many more animals must die before someone does the right thing?! RIP "Jane Doe", Died May 27, 2025 RIP Jett, Died March 1, 2025 RIP Nate, Died October 11, 2024 RIP Turk, Died October 7, 2024 RIP Gus, Died October 4, 2024

Negative experience: This place is filthy the tanks are literally falling apart. They are filled with toxic algie the dolphins keep dying 5 in 7 months . Don't go here Don't give them money Don't be apart of their demise. It's not safe for the dolphins or any of the other animals there. Who knows if its safe to be splashed by or put your hands in to feed the rays . Just don't go do a dolphin tour like the sea screamer and see them in their natural habitat not in tanks that are to small..

Negative experience: Please do not visit this business. It has been widely reported by local news outlets that several dolphins have died in their care during the past year and then another one died this week. The business is currently under investigation by state and federal agencies. If you want to see a dolphin, hire a sightseeing boat instead and enjoy them in their natural habitat. Please don’t support animal cruelty.

Negative experience: Have you seen the tiny dirty green holding tanks Gulf World keeps their dolphins in between shows? Did you know Jett the dolphin cracked his skull and died while performing a trick into dirty water with poor visibility? The USDA’s report said it was due to the unhealthy water.

Negative experience: Just sad.. dirty... Lonely animals... Legal notices posted on the front gate. This place is in desperate need of a makeover and update. Doesn't feel like most of the staff really cares. It's rough. I wouldn't take my kids back.

Fantastic experience: Wow I highly recommend checking out the dolphin show it was pretty amazing, my husband and daughter did the dolphin experience and it was the best thing they did. The trainers were wonderful and the photographer also. Just to add when we first arrived I had lower expectation’s as the front reception didn’t seem the nicest and the outside section looked a little run down but don’t let the deter you the dolphin area was splendid and worth the visit

Negative experience: The captive industry hides in plain site. They brainwash with facts of rescue and rehabilitation but they are who we need to rescue these animals from. Don’t be blinded by shiny reviews from the uneducated. There’s a reason they only reply to positive reviews.

Negative experience: Look at the color of this water! You can see it in people’s recent reviews as well. They have killed 6 dolphins in the last year due to unlivable conditions and forcing these animals to perform. The dolphins don’t even open their eyes in this water. I used to go to here as a kid when they weren’t bankrupt and abusive. Times have changed. Give it up. Send these dolphins to a sanctuary where they can be cared for and regain their health in a clean tank.

Negative experience: I have not gone but never plan to and neither should you. Please do a goggle search to find out the deplorable conditions these dolphins are living in. Or dying. Four dolphins have died recently because of the deplorable conditions. Murky algae infested waters. One dolphin has gone blind. They are under investigation by the state I would give it zero stars if possible. Please pass along to anyone who is thinking of visiting.

Negative experience: Absolutely disgusting. Water clarity is horrendous and treatment of the animals is despicable. Do not support this business. They abuse their animals. All animals should be saved from this cruelty. Also if you enjoy marine shows- you’re part of the problem.

Negative experience: While it has been reported that this park has officially shut down and filed for bankruptcy, it is absolutely appalling that people are still able to enter the premises—and even more disturbing that dolphins and sea turtles remain trapped in tiny enclosures filled with filthy, unfiltered water. These animals have been completely abandoned, with no effort made to relocate them to proper sanctuaries. Tragically, four dolphins have already died. It is shameful and inexcusable that such cruelty is allowed to continue. Anyone choosing to visit this park should be deeply ashamed of supporting such conditions. While the closure of this park is a step in the right direction, similar facilities continue to operate, profiting off the suffering of innocent animals. What’s even more horrifying is that when these types of parks shut down, the animals are too often left behind to suffer and die in neglect. This is not just a failure of oversight—it is a disgrace. It reflects the darkest side of humanity and a complete disregard for the lives of sentient beings. This cannot be allowed to continue. We must demand accountability and advocate for stronger protections and rescue efforts for these animals. Their lives matter.

Negative experience: It is beyond my comprehension that a roadside zoo with this many investigations and dolphins dying is allowed to remain open. I am not some whackjob peta activist - I am a compassionate human with sympathy for these marine mammals being sujected to horrific conditions and dying because this place is incapable of adequate care. Shut it down and seize these animals. Set them free.

Fantastic experience: We really enjoyed our time at Gulf World. Many really cool animals and neat experiences. Only negatives I would say is, it’s a little confusing finding your way to each spot and making it to each show/presentation of the animal exhibits. We enjoyed the birds, Petting stingrays, the penguin and sea turtle experience, but the dolphin show was definitely the best!

Negative experience: PLEASE PLEASE take a moment to search Gulf World Marine Park on FB! 4 Dolphins have died since October..their living conditions are AWFUL and the company is under investigation! PLEASE do not give them money-they have filed bankruptcy-the staff there are doing the best they can to care for the animals...it's NOT their fault! But PLEASE do not visit this place!! People are trying so hard to get it shut down and these animals relocated IMMEDIATELY!

Positive experience: This was a fun place, the animals are rescued although they said some of the dolphins were born there which is disturbing as that is not rescuing, but they seem to have the animals life in the best of hands. I mean if you seek animal entertainment they can't all be rescued... all in all a good place I hope.

Negative experience: Grounds and buildings need maintenance, very rough looking property. We were done in less than an hour. Shows seemed to be the largest attraction, but they were spread out over the day and there was little to do after the initial 30 minute walkthrough. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone that's been to a proper aquarium or sea life experience.

Negative experience: Dolphins need to be rehomed. Their tanks are awful. Not cleaned the water is filthy and way too small. I’ve seen pools way bigger. It’s abuse.

Negative experience: Depressing. Many dolphins have died here in the past couple months no joke. The pool at the resort I stayed at was seriously 3 times the size of what these dolphins were living in. Absolutely depressing and ruined my day. I pray that these dolphins can somehow find a different place to be held :( shame on this place

Negative experience: Would not even give it a star! Lost out on an encounter all because staff cannot answer phones or reply to messages. We were not willing to travel 2 hours out of our way when no-one seemed to know if they were even operating due to being investigated, and then gulf world filing for bankruptcy the day before we were due to visit. Glad we didn't go based on the reports of the appalling treatment of animals and deaths of dolphins. I hope the animals are able to be rehomed and the business close!

Positive experience: Great experience for young children. Sea lion show was not available during our trip, which is the reason for 4 stars. However, the dolphin show was nice and could have been better if there were no microphone issues.

Negative experience: No Sealion show to speak of and Dolphin pool is filthy. No wonder admission price hasn't gone up lately. Even then it's overpriced for what you experience.

Negative experience: Another awful facility making $$$ off of holding marine life in captivity away from their natural habitat, using and abusing these animals for their own greed. Anyone supporting or working for such a horrendous greedy company has no moral compass.....humans can do better than this!!!

Fantastic experience: Our experience at Gulf World’s Dolphin Swim Adventure was absolutely incredible! From start to finish, the staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and made us feel completely safe and welcome. The trainers gave clear instructions and took the time to answer all our questions, which helped ease any nerves we had. The highlight, of course, was swimming with the dolphins. We got to touch, play, and even ride on a dolphin — it was truly magical. The dolphins were gentle, well-cared for, and seemed to love interacting with us. It was obvious that the trainers have a deep bond with them and take excellent care of the animals. Everything was well-organized and ran smoothly, and the professional photos taken during the experience were beautiful keepsakes. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I’d highly recommend to anyone visiting Panama City Beach!

Fantastic experience: Wife and I both swam with Capri the dolphin, and Megan was her trainer. So much fun! Very well organized, too. What a treat to hug and kiss our dolphin! What a beautiful creature of God she is! We have about 100 digital photos to take home with us of the encounter - included with the cost of the event. Definitely worth it!

Negative experience: I think it is disgusting to use dolphins for our pleasure and make them take us for rides and hug us, etc. They have such small enclosures. It's not right. Drive the hr from Destin go to Panama and swim with wild dolphins in their habitat. Wayyyy better experience. Look up water Planet.

Negative experience: I booked my experience April 8th at 2:00. Received an email stating it was confirmed. Arrived on time and the park was closed. Called the next day and they would NOT let me come. They refused to give me a FULL refund!! The girl I talked to was RUDE and not understanding at all!! I am a terminal cancer patient was was so excited to scratch off an item on my bucket list. DO NOT GO HERE!!

Negative experience: Terrible dolphin enclosure, not enough space whatsoever. And the animal hygiene is awful. I am a certified animal care specialist, and seeing the state of the pools/kennels, etc. Made me very sick. This is a company from Mexico running an franchise in Panama City to make money off of tourists and locals, using endangered animals as bait. Awful.

Positive experience: Some recent reviewers say the animals aren't being treated well. I'm not an activist but it seems to me that the animals are being well cared for and loved. That said, this place could use some maintenance, which is why I gave it a 4. However, we still enjoyed our time and thought the admission price was reasonable. We especially liked the dolphin show and sea lion talk.

Negative experience: The response from Ocean World states the park is being renovated…If indeed it is, I could see no sighs of work being done except the Seal Show was roped off. Notifications should be posted, admission fees should be reduced. Vacationers beware Went here February 28,2025. Landscaping is in terrible condition, lots of dead plants & shrubs, a little trash. Very few birds & other animals on display, no seal show. The only saving grace for the $27.00 ticket was the dolphin show, it was not top notch but enjoyable. Very disappointing with the whole visit. Also had a free admission from club windham, the ticket staff would not honor.

Fantastic experience: We enjoyed getting to see all the animals inside the park. We saw a couple little shows with the animals, but since you just crowd around the area, it was harder to see some of the animals during the show. The dolphin show was very informative and interactive, with plenty of seating in the stadium. There isn't much A/C, so prepare to be hot almost the entire time.

Fantastic experience: Those Ladies, the amount of time spent with each animal, can't leave them time for lives of their own! Such intricate maneuvers! It must take hours & hours every single day, over & over & over! The patience of saints! You really have to dedicate your life to work like this! AMAZING For the Humans as well as all the different species of Animals!

Negative experience: Ok so everyone says that this place is amazing and all but there is literally nothing amazing about it. I wanted to go see dolphins and all that but this place is soooo small i mean it . We saw a show and it lasted 12 minutes and we saw everything they had in less than 20 mins. The tickets are 30 something dollars each so its not really worth it .

Negative experience: Gulf World has really gone down hill in the last few years! Really disappointed to see the dolphin stadium this dirty! It’s always been crystal clear but today there algae everywhere and the water is dirty and green. Extremely disappointed!

Positive experience: We attended the Frosty Friday event. Happens in January and February. Those over 55 get a discount as well as coffee and donuts. This was our first time. The facility is a little tired, but there are renovations on going. The Dolphins show was out standing. Well worth the visit if you can get a discount.

Fantastic experience: Cool birds to see and touch sting rays. Nice little snack shop. Dolphin show was cool to see. My kids did the 2nd option for swim with dolphins n enjoyed it so much. u can take pics n videos from where ur watching from but they capture upclose ones for u in which after u can pay to print them, or u can download them n do what u want with them. If the discounted price wasn't offered my kids wouldn't of got to do the swim. And option is worth it. Paid 216$ for 2 kids to do it.

Fantastic experience: Gulf World was super fun! Everything here was a wonder and I especially loved the dolphin performance! All the animals are super cute (the sea lion) and the staff are knowledgeable and kind.

Negative experience: They got one start because I can’t give 0. They had it available for me to schedule and purchase tickets to swim with the dolphins online for a Thursday. We show up and they are closed. We had received an email that they would be close the day prior to our swim but I missed it. When the lady finally approached the gate to speak with us ten minutes after we thought the park would be open all she had to say was “did you see me email”. Mind you no where in the email did it offer a refund. I understood no refunds unless the park canceled and them being closed is canceling. She never once apologized for the site allowing me to book and taking almost $500 from me on a day they were closed. She didn’t want to give a refund at all until I was basically demanding. Said she would but when I asked for a receipt she couldn’t do that for me. Told me she would email a receipt by the end of that day. Asked for corporates number and she said she would add the corporate number to the email. I asked if she could just go into the office that was 20 ft away and get the number. As the general manager, she “didn’t have access to that office”. Haven’t seen anything from them. Gulf world stole $500 from me.

Fantastic experience: Older park but fun to spend at least couple of hours.. preferably around 10am - 1pm, to cover the good shows and chats. You can stick around the whole day for spending enough time with animals!

Fantastic experience: My family and I came to do the dolphin encounter and it was amazing! All of the staff were so great and very helpful. After our encounter we spent several hours walking around the park. The exhibits were really neat. We also watched the dolphin show which was very entertaining.

Positive experience: The park is pretty small. We did the dolphin swim which made it worth it. I don’t know if I’d go without doing that. The rest of the park you could probably walk through in 30 mins.

Fantastic experience: Went for the Ghostly event and saw a great dolphin show! The auditorium stage haunted house story was well done. The bird show was also good but some of the birds didn't want to participate! We didn't really have enough time to see all the vendors and enjoy some food.

Fantastic experience: The kids and I had a blast here at Gulf World my youngest loves the dolphins , and on this visit she really enjoyed Cosmo the blue macaw he would wave at her he was adorable and salsa the seal is so sweet

Fantastic experience: PCB FALL BREAK 2024 Had an amazing time spent about 3hrs here checking everything out with beautiful birds and funny curious Penguins to an awesome seal show to a giant turtle then go inside and you get to pet/feed the stingrays after that it was too the awesome dolphins show it lasted about 30mins or so one of the best things we did here will definitely be back. If you go you won’t regret. I give the food about a 2 It was high and not all that great other than that it was amazing. P.S purchase tickets in advance it’s cheaper.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I really enjoyed the dolphin show. It was short but what we did see we loved it. We purchased our tickets online and received $6 off for 2 tickets so I definitely recommend purchasing online.

Positive experience: We were very excited to go here! My son was granted this for his make a wish wish. So they made the arrangements and all we had to do was show up. The lady working at the register was super helpful and helped us sign up an additional kid that camp on our trip. The park itself however is a little trashed and crowded. The seal exhibit was down so we didn’t get to see that. All the staff was super helpful though. The dolphin encounter was what we looked forward to for months. When we went to the waiting area, the staff very rudely told me I had to take out my hair clip and nose ring. So I put my hair in a ponytail and attempted to take my nose ring out. After 10 minutes of no success, I told the lady checking people in I couldn’t get it out. She told me that I probably couldn’t go because the dolphins would be distracted. And also reminded me several times that there were no refunds. I was able to get a pocket tool and cut my nose ring out (it’s the kind where you have to have two pairs of pliers), so I was able to go. Directions to where we were going/doing was not very clear. They also make you leave your purse and stuff on bleachers while you’re in the water (I would suggest them having lockers or something). After that, the dolphin encounter was amazing. The trainers, photographers, dolphins, they have it down! It was a blast! And digital pictures are included in the package. Anyone with body jewelry, they really mean ALL jewelry. Make sure to prepare to have to take it out or cut it out.

Fantastic experience: All of the staff were super friendly and answered all of our questions. We learned a lot while also enjoying ourselves immensely.

Positive experience: Great experience with the dolphin in the pool, trainer was friendly and taught a lot about the dolphins and the facility, glad we swam with the dolphin.

Positive experience: First off: Excellent customer service, and a fun place to go that isn't the beach, especially if you have never seen sea animals. Secondly: for the price you pay per admission, it's not necessarily worth it. I can see almost all of the sea life here, at my local zoo for less. Overall, it's fun and great for families and groups. The Dolphin show and the sea lion is cool

Positive experience: My family and I visited Gulf World a few days ago. It is reasonably priced and they have great shows. It took us about 1.5-2 hours to tour the whole facility. It was a Monday and it was not crowded at all. Our main complaint is the outside of the facility. It was super trashy and smelly. It also seems like they are working on giving the outside an upgrade maybe? (The main entrance was closed.) We also didn't realize, until we parked, there is closer handicap parking near the current entrance.

Positive experience: Had a great time at Gulf World!! It was a little small but it was fun! The Dolphin show was the highlight of the afternoon!! Super cool.

Positive experience: Dolphin show was awesome and the highlight of the park, the other shows were not well ran, people stood squished together. It was a hot summer day and the park felt like it, not too much relief. The worker at the outdoor refreshments stand was visibly annoyed by who knows what. Overall it’s a worthwhile one and done experience for all ages.

Fantastic experience: I took my kids here for summer vacation. It only 5 minutes walking from the hotel. There are plenty parking spaces around the park n free $. The staffs were friendly, attentive, and helpful with my kids. The park is very educational. Dolphins show was awesome and every educational. My kids learned a lot. Swimming with dolphins were a unique experience for my kiddos. They loved it. Definitely come back to swimming dolphins again.

Fantastic experience: Took my Grandkids for a staycation day! We always love coming here to experience the sea creatures up close and personal. I love that with each show they help educate the visitors on how to keep the area well taken care of for the wildlife here!

Fantastic experience: Really enjoyed our time here - was perfect on our departure day for about 3 hours. Shows and talks are informative but do loop (about every 2 hours). Highly recommend the stingray feeding!

Fantastic experience: The dolphins show was great. Bird shows also very entertaining. It would be nice to have some sort of printed guide to suggest an order to the different shows available. Or just something that streamlines how to go from one place to the next based on the time scheduled for each. Maybe there is one, but I missed it.

Negative experience: This place offers many encounters with different creatures at a price separate from the entry ticket. Each encounter is sold separately. They have short briefings with different animals every 15 minutes throughout the day. The dolphin show was the best part of this visit. This visit was not very enjoyable because the layout of the place seemed very unorganized. There were no maps to guide you other than the arrows they provide, which do their job if you know what you're looking for. It was quite small for the ticket price and not a lot of animal variety. If visiting in the summer, make sure you take things to keep you cool (fans, cooling towels, etc.). There are no cooling areas available to the public unless you stay in the hallway that leads to the dolphins. The parking situation is pretty bad. There is not a lot of parking in the front area, but there is extra parking around the back next to a pond, not the one behind the dinner it's further down. Seems to be another tourist trap in Panama City. We left quite disappointed.

Positive experience: Our family did the Dolphin Encounter while we were in PCB! The dolphin experience was great! Our guide was attentive, the dolphin was fun and happy, and we loved all of the pictures. Each person in the group was able to get at least 5-6 individual pictures with the dolphin. The one-on-one time with each person was so fun! The rest of the aquarium was being renovated so there wasn't a lot to do while we waited.

Fantastic experience: It was an absolutely amazing experience to see the dolphins perform. I was blown away at the bond the trainers and the animals have, I can't imagine the amount of training and work that went into this amazing performance. If you're in the area it is a must see!! If you can, definitely go for the royal swim and swim with the dolphins. A truly once in a lifetime experience

Negative experience: I am writing to express my disappointment with the recent experience my family and I had at Gulf World Marine Park on June 29th. On June 28th, I called to inquire specifically about the Royal Swim and whether it still included the foot push. The representative assured me that it did, but mentioned that there was no availability for that day, so I scheduled our visit for the 29th. However, after completing the swim with dolphins, the session ended without the foot push. When I inquired, I was told that the foot push was not being conducted due to health reasons. I then asked to speak with a manager, who informed me that they have not been able to offer the foot push for some time and would not be able to in the near future. He also refused to issue a refund for the difference in price, citing the website's note that "behaviors are subject to change." While I understand that certain behaviors may need to be altered due to the dolphins' well-being, I am extremely dissatisfied with the fact that I was misled during my initial inquiry. It is unacceptable to provide false information to customers to secure a sale. Had I been informed of the change, I would not have spent $1,000 for an experience we have done many times before. The foot push was the primary reason for our visit, especially since my two younger children had never experienced it. The photos from the experience were not good- the photographer stood behind my kids so you see the back of their head more than the front. This lack of transparency and poor customer service has significantly tarnished my perception of Gulf World Marine Park. I have always recommended your park to friends and family, but after this experience, I can no longer do so in good faith. I hope that Gulf World will take this feedback seriously and consider better communication practices to ensure future guests do not face similar disappointments.

Fantastic experience: We took a group of 8 to swim with the dolphins and it was an experience we will never forget! It’s rather expensive for the amount of time you get to spend with them but definitely a good one. We loved the sea lions and watching her do tricks and the birds throughout the park were beautiful. All the pictures were downloaded on our phone with the help of the staff afterwards and there was tons of them!

Positive experience: We arrived a little after lunchtime, and parking was full so we had to drive around until we finally got a spot. We had to hustle to the dolphin show. It was fun but didn't seem as lively as I remembered. The park itself is under renovations and seemed smaller. Some of the shows, such as the sea lion, were now more of a short informational standing only encounter with no real guidance on where to go or stand until I asked someone. They also only offer photos ops at certain times so we missed out on this. It was overall still fun but we finished everything including the dolphin, sting ray feeding, bird show and sea lion encounter in under 2 hours so for the cost I will probably look at something else in the future.

Fantastic experience: Cute little marine park. They focus more on birds than marine wildlife but have a cute bird show, and an excellent dolphin show. Great place to spend a morning.

Fantastic experience: I cannot express just how amazing the Dolphin encounter was! All of the staff was extremely nice and helpful and our instructor, Presley, was incredible! Presley was so kind, knowledgeable, and so patient with our little one. You can tell she truly loves these animals and her career! We got to spend time with Nate, the dolphin, and he has forever changed our hearts! I am so grateful for his and Presley’s time! The building may seem a little outdated in some areas, but don’t let that discourage you. You will not regret having a dolphin encounter, I promise! The entire time we were there, the staff was constantly active in tending to the animals and keeping all of their habitats clean and making sure they were happy!

Positive experience: The different exhibit setups were well placed and super entertaining! Lots of cool photo ops .The dolphin show was a lot of fun and we even got to take pictures with them ( for a small well worth it $10 fee ) ! The only difficulty we had was the lack of wheelchair access and availability. My father was unable to participate in all of our activities.His chair was unable to navigate the smaller areas (he missed the dolphin show ) and there were no backups to replace it with. It would be nice to provide a few for your guests as many of them are tourists and are at the mercy of the items they choose to bring. We had a good time though and thought the price was worth it.

Positive experience: This aquarium is an awesome place for a dolphin experience. The staff is very knowledgeable and nice. Our daughter has done the "meet and greet" twice now and has loved it both times!

Fantastic experience: Took the whole Girl Scout Troop and it was great. The exhibits were well maintained and plentiful for those not doing the encounter. Snacks were reasonably priced and the restrooms were clean considering the amount of foot traffic they were receiving. Staff was friendly and accommodating. Parking is a little thin, but they’re on the strip so be aware of that upon arrival.

Fantastic experience: The Royal Swim was amazing to say the least! The dolphins can easily lift you out of the water. We felt safe the whole time. The pictures came out great and easy to download. The park admission was included. Parking free. And the food at the grill was surprisingly delicious. I highly recommend this experience!

Negative experience: Do NOT recommend. We were completely floored by the conditions of these poor animals habitats. The sharks’ and huge turtle’s “habitat” was literally just a swimming pool with nothing added to make it look more like their natural environment. I’ve been in backyard pools that were bigger than their home. The sea lions’ habitat was honestly nauseating because it was so small. Again, nothing in their habitat to make it feel an ounce like the ocean or whatnot. The one sea lion looked so depressed. The alligators were just chillin on concrete. Don’t waste your money or time.

Fantastic experience: A lot better than we thought it would be! Get there early - best shows start around 10-11. Food is decently priced . We loved the dolphin show

Positive experience: For an aquarium, I expected to see more fish, especially ones that are local to the area. We did see dolphins, parrots, sting rays and sea lions. There were also penguins and other random enclosures. I would not say this was your typical aquarium. The highlight of our day was definitely the dolphins. It was worth it to see the dolphin show alone.

Positive experience: This place is great if you want to book an animal encounter otherwise not worth the price for just general admission. The website wasn't clear that general admission was INCLUDED in the dolphin encounter so l ended up buying general admission also, that was non refundable. They need to make a change to the wording online. Also the email I received stated that there would be photos "for purchase" after the dolphin encounter yet they were actually included. The dolphin encounter was amazing and such a once in a lifetime experience. The photos didn't turn out that great though. A lot of the photos I received were very over exposed the camera settings need to be changed to correct this issue. There weren’t any areas to change after the dolphin encounter, so I had to change my clothes in a dirty bathroom stall. The rest of gulf world outside of the dolphins was pretty small. The enclosures were also super small for the animals.

Fantastic experience: This place is a hidden gem. We thought we were only gonna spend an hour or 2 ther and my girls had so much fun we were there for 4.5 hours. They had fun little shows with the animals and awesome dolphin show and my kiddos loved feeding the stingrays. I would recommend!!

Positive experience: We visited on vacation with our kids. Mixed reviews on this one. The dolphin show was incredible. The remaining part of the facility didn’t seem the best from the animals perspective.

Fantastic experience: We did the dolphin adventure with my 2 girls one 7 one 3 and it was a pricey but worth it experience. Girls had a blast and the pictures were great and included. As a spectator the seating area is in the sun and the experience area is a shaded area. We are on the beach 30 minutes in the sun won't kill anybody and I have no complaints. Would definitely do it again. Staff was very friendly and answered any questions we had. My only complaint if you want to call it that was we bought tickets for event beforehand and internet says to arrive at 9:15. We did and weren't let in until 9:40 or so. Again little time in the sun won't hurt anybody.

Negative experience: Positives: The animals are undeniably beautiful, despite the less-than-ideal conditions of their habitats. Negatives: Unfortunately, the habitats are too cramped for the animals they house, and some of the animals appeared unhealthy. Even TripAdvisor doesn't recommend this place due to animal welfare concerns. Food Court: I tried the chicken nachos, which were standard park fare. Nothing exceptional, but they did the job. The hygiene in the food court was subpar. A flickering menu on a TV with an exposed cord didn’t inspire confidence. And those paper fans for sale? Well, one had a squished fly underneath. Not exactly appetizing, especially considering it was inside the kitchen. Bathrooms: The bathrooms were downright scary. No stalls—just a large room with a toilet. Trash bins propped open the doors, and there were dangling electrical wires. Not the best experience. Shows: On the bright side, admission includes a few shows. The bird show stood out—well-trained birds that younger kids will enjoy. Odd Room: There’s this peculiar room with nothing but a small disco ball awkwardly tucked into a corner. Oh, and a projector sharing outdated info about a missing lizard. Odd, indeed. Overall Verdict: Regrettably, I cannot recommend this place. The treatment of the animals alone is concerning, and when you factor in safety, hygiene, and overall care, it’s best to steer clear.

Fantastic experience: Our family really enjoyed Gulf World Marine Park. Kinda low key compared to similar parks, lots of opportunities to learn about marine animals and a few others, and see them up close.

Fantastic experience: We had so much fun! We got to see a parakeets, turtles, sea turtle, seal, gators, string rays, and the dolphin show! We got to touch the sting rays! Definitively worth the visit whether you're young or older!

Fantastic experience: Fun little park!! Perfect size for young kids and pretty reasonable priced. Has small exhibits of penguins, alliagtors, and birds. Also has a large pool with a few animals like a nurse shark and large sea turtle. There was only one sea lion but it was a fun little show with it hopping in and out of its pool and staff sharing other information about sea lions. We loved the sting ray exhibit, that was the best part!! That was the coolest thing to feed and touch them! Also enjoyed the dolphin show!! I was impressed with the training as I used to visit sea world when I was young and the dolphin exhibit was comparable to that. Overall we enjoyed it. Only thing I could add was maybe to update the little playground area.

Fantastic experience: I was not expecting it to be as good as it was! The dolphin show alone was worth the price of admission. I loved the sting rays, the sea turtle, the sea lions. Everything was so interactive and entertaining. Fantastic experience all around!

Positive experience: Overall a decent experience. Myself and youngest daughter purchased the dolphin encounter. I called before purchasing the tickets and was told as long as she’s 40+ inches tall she’d be able to participate. I had to hold her the entire time, which was fine for me but unpleasant for her. The water was definitely not clear and seemed dirty. I had anticipated the water to be clear/cleaned beforehand because of the photos they’ve posted on their website are clear water. The photos we received were decent. The times to the establishment weren’t clearly stated. Online it stated one time and on their phone line it stated a different time. It’s a decent place to take your children.

Positive experience: We had a great time even though it was a cold day. I'm sure it's a lot more fun in the summer when everything is open. I definitely want to return.

Positive experience: The park itself is not great. Everything is pretty run down. There's a small play area with lots of broken stuff. The dolphin show redeemed the whole visit. It was excellent! Otherwise, definitely not worth the money. Especially in the winter.

Fantastic experience: Love this place so nice great experience over all but the prices are wayyy to high and it’s hard to be able to get a full experience of the place without spending a ton! The place is clean the staff is nice and the animals were incredible. I will be back here for sure and hopefully pricing changes to make it more affordable for families to really experience the animals in a more up close way .. my kids had a great time and loved it here as well.

Fantastic experience: My family and I had a nice time!! We wished we would have gotten there when they opened as we didn't get to see the encounter with the sea lion. But we did get to see a lot of neat animals. We also got to pet and feed stingrays and see a really neat dolphin show. So overall we had a good time and the kids really enjoyed it

Fantastic experience: We purchased the dolphin encounter. Well worth every penny spent. We were lucky to get Comet and trainer Haley. The trainer was so informative about the dolphins. It was not only a great experience but very educational. Every moment was photographed and was part of the packaged.

Fantastic experience: We took a band trip here, and it was amazing. It was so affordable that I thought it would be a dud. But it was absolutely wonderful. The whole group of 150 people of all ages had a great time. They have interactive shows that are cool. The animals, of course, are cool, and you can have your picture made with the animals, too. I thought that was great. The dolphin show was out of this world. They really did a great job here. I would go back in a heartbeat.