Theater of the Sea Reviews

With the many roadside attractions along the A1A, it can be hard to choose where to spend precious time. You won't be sorry if you choose to spend a few of those hours here. The staff is amazing. The trainers are truly awesome. Their love of their job and the mission of wildlife rehabilitation and protection is so evident. Each show was fun and interesting. Our family of six was non-stop smiling the entire day here. Definitely worth a stop!

Husband and I did the feeding the turtles experience is was amazing and being that close to sea turtles was an amazing experience. They have a bunch different shows with the different marine life they have there

Really fun time! We spent 3 hours here with two teens and a child. Everyone had a great time! Shark, ray, & reptile guided tour, sea lion show, dolphin show, parrot show .. all included in general admission! There is a small “beach” area where you can swim and snorkel, feed the fish. We wanted to add a shark swim, but they were booked out for the day by the time we arrived at 10:30 am. Still we loved it! Note - it’s all outdoors, with plenty of shade & fans, but it’s still very hot!

We went with 3 adults over 50 and one over 70. We had a wonderful time here. First of all, this was the best dolphin show we've ever seen, and we've seen a bunch. The dolphins clearly enjoyed what they were doing, and you could tell they loved working with their trainers. The dolphin trainers are also very very talented. The grounds are beautiful with a wide array of beautiful plants and trees. We also enjoyed the bird show and the sea lion show as well. The grounds are relatively small and the walking was doable for anyone with mobility issues. This family highly recommends!

My niece and I had a wonderful day at Theater of the Sea.
We enjoyed the shows; sea lions, turtles, gators, parrots, and of course dolphins!
We had lunch at the snack bar and then we had one of the greatest experiences when we went swimming with 2 dolphins.
Definitely a must do in the Keys!

We had a great experience. The show trainer Bianca for the dolphins were incredible. The sea Lion trainer was entertaining and really great. Sydney did a great job driving the boat and training the dolphins. Overall it was a nicely landscaped, relaxed environment.

This was an amazing experience! For the general admission we got to enjoy the shows. Our family enjoyed the sea lions and dolphins the most. Trainers were excellent. What a treasure of the Florida Keys- highly recommended for families! Sunscreen is your friend😂

Nice facility. Shows well executed. Timed perfectly. Staff were informative with a touch of humor. Animals seemed well cared for most at home in their natural environment.

This is still a quaint family owned business that’s sure to be your best day of vacation!! The employees are so excited to teach you about the animals; everyone from the gardener to the trainers to the people at checkout to the grill employees are all smiling and friendly. What a unique place to be able to swim & hold the nurse sharks, swim with a sea lion, feed an alligator, feed the sea turtle, play with parrots, and get many animals (sea lion, dolphin, alligator, parrot) to paint you a picture. They have only rescue animals that can’t be released and are happy to teach you about them as they promote animal conservation. Don’t miss this place while in the Keys!

If I could give 0 stars I would. This place is depressing, gross, dirty, overpriced and unethical. The enclosures are way too small. These animals swim dozens of miles in the wild and here they’re in tiny puddles. Even if they are so called “rescues” the pools are way too small. There was one huge sea turtle in a tiny puddle. The dolphin enclosures are way too small. The alligator and crocodile enclosures are just gross. Total exploitation of animals that gives legit rescue/rehab centers a bad name. The staff are not knowledgeable and the grounds are gross. The boat ride is a joke, it’s maybe 5 minutes. You can see where it turns around from where you get on it ( which happens to be longest lagoon there, which will give you a sense of how little room the dolphins have. The outboard engine is also running right into a dolphin exhibit ( anyone who has run an Outboard knows they leak oil/gas). The sea lion area is tiny and the cages are depressing. The water you can swim in smells gross.
The prices are ridiculous for the short experiences you can get. Total rip off. The food is junk and expensive.
Overall I would never step foot on this property again. I’ve been diving, fishing and spending time in the water off the keys my whole life, I’m not one who complains lightly. It doesn’t take much to see that the animals here are miserable, regardless of what the owners say. They of course will defend their park and I understand that. Take a look for yourself and be the judge. We will never be back or recommend to anyone. Even trip advisor has an animal welfare note on this place at the top of the page.

Wow! Everyone here is amazing and the shows are outstanding! My wife did the sea turtle meet and my nephew swam with the dolphins and both experiences were outstanding! If you are in the keys take time to do this!

We visited the Theatre of the seas over 20 years ago for the first time, so thought we should visit again as we were visiting the key's again. This is a great place to spend the day up close to Dolphins, turtles, crocodiles and some very funny parrots. The park is clean , animals very well looked after and trainers very informative, well worth stopping in and saying hi.

Overall we enjoyed our time at Theater of the Sea. The "Swim with Sharks" experience was probably the best part. The trainers were very knowledgeable and it was clear they really cared about the animals. My issue and reason for the low rating was my experience with the front desk staff. As I walked up to the counter with my two young kids, the employee who helped us was complaining loudly to her coworker about a customer. It would not have bothered me, but she was swearing and using derogatory language in front of my kids. As we checked in, I asked her about the 10% discount that is advertised on their website since we had booked multiple animal encounters. She sighed at told me that the only way to get the discount was to cancel the reservations we had and rebook them. I said that was fine, but she then told me that would be way too much work for her and it would take too much time. Who tells a customer they will not honor an advertised discount because it is "too much work"? I would have stayed and asked for a manager, but we had already wasted enough time at the counter. The kids were eager to get to the animals so I let it go. Luckily, the rest of our day was amazing and we truly enjoyed our time. A special shoutout to trainer Jack who did an amazing job helping my husband and kids with the shark swim. We would go back just for him.

We arrived at opening, 930. There wasn’t very many people at this time. They have a nice schedule, that you just kind of follow along to see the different shows. By time we figured out where to go we missed the turtle talk and crocodiles and the schedule for the morning said shark feeding, but they said they don’t actually do that until after 11. Each show was cute. The dolphin one was the best. Other than seeing the shows there’s really nothing else to do except go to the little beach to snorkel but the water looked really dirty. We felt it was a bit over priced for what you actually get to do and see. They have a bunch of different add-ons of things that you can do that cost even more money.
After the first round of shows, we had to leave to be somewhere else, but even if we didn’t have to leave, we probably would have.
This place is a one and done

Amazing show! Every handler was incredible and the dolphin show was a huge hit. We waded with the dolphins which was a bucket list item for me. 5/5 starts until we were greeted with incredibly rude employees at the photo checkout. Complaining about break while rudely asking what we were there for and telling us our photos hadn’t even arrived to their computer yet (we would’ve gladly waited 20 minutes, we never once complained or even eluded to having any issues with the wait) they clearly did not want to be there and they absolutely put a damper on our ending to an otherwise perfect day.

I loved the dolphin show, the trainers were so entertaining and it was amazing. I also loved the sea lion show and the trainer was super funny.

We visited Theater of the Sea for a few hours. It was a very hot summer day, but the location offers some shaded areas, cold drinks, and a small beach (where you can feed the giant fish). The attraction has a lot of animals including birds, sea turtles, sea lions, dolphins, and iguanas. We only experienced one show while there, but it was highly entertaining and the theater is covered with fans. Their grounds are beautiful with lots of unique botanicals. The best part though was having a private sea lion encounter including painting, tossing balls, and taking photos. It was truly remarkable! Our six-year-old had an absolute blast, as well as we did, meeting Wilbur. They also have a nice gift shop to purchase memories at a decent price. Everyone we came in contact with on staff was helpful and kind. We highly recommend and will be back, while visiting Key Largo!

The facility is clean and the staff is exceptional. They are polite, motivated and very knowledgeable.
The kindness and sincerely of the trainers toward their animals is easily observed.

Lifelong dream of mine to interact with dolphins. This was the perfect place! We chose to wade with dolphins, the whole experience was over 30 mins, not rushed, trainer Cristy was super, we got to pet, rub, kiss, play with and hold 2 dolphins. They let us take our own pics and videos with not charge or hassle unlike most places. The fee included the price of admission to the park with was fun. The habitat was much more natural with sand and beautiful greenery. Two in our party got to be observers for only $35 (which got them into the park as well). The shows were great, liked the short bottomless boat ride where dolphins come swim in the middle and do a few tricks. If you have ever wanted to interact with dolphins this is perfect, more natural, more relaxed, less commercialized than I have ever seen.

Great little place, well organized. You can do it in a few hours. Up close with animals, dolphins, sea lion's, turtles, sharks etc. You can swim in the little lake with a beach. Toilet facilities and cafe. We came with our 3 children 20, 19 and 14.

Spent a few days in the Keys decided to go here and couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised. The park is very small and older, but very well maintained and cared for.

The animals all look happy in their habitats and are clearly well cared for as well. The shows were all fun and informative.

I do want to mention the food stand which served *excellent* food for a small theme park like this. The service was terrific and everyone was very satisfied with their lunch, including two picky eating kids.

I did the gator meet & painting experience, which was fun, despite Piper not being a Picasso. But I get it, he's an alligator. Was very cool feeding him though.

All in all, a very nice experience that can be done in a couple of hours or an entire afternoon.

Visited here with my daughter for the first time and we were impressed! There was quite a crowd due to the holiday tourist season, but they were accommodating and super eager to please. We ended up seeing several shows and exploring the area for a few hours. We even got a dolphin kiss for a little extra money. It’s definitely worth a stop here. Take the kids! They’ll love it. They’re able to feed fish and a sting ray or you can even swim with dolphins etc for an addt’l fee. You even get to see the rehabilitating sea turtles in the facility. Go and have some fun for the afternoon! You’ll be happy you did.

We had my daughter's wedding at TOTS. Everyone there went out of their way to make it a wonderful event. It was unique and all the guests had a great time.

Great shows, well cared for animals and opportunities to get up close and personal with the animals are unique to the keys! We swam with the dolphins which includes holding, petting. Swimming with and being pulled by the dolphins. We even swam with a 6-month old baby!

The shows were great and the employees were very knowledgeable.we really enjoyed the Dolphin show. The parrot show was also entertaining.

We were a group of4 adults and 1 teen. We had booked a swim with dolphins experience on line. When we arrived we were treated from the time we walked in with kindness and humor. All the staff that worked with the animals were kind to the animals as informative to the visitors. The grounds were well kept and well groomed. The place seems small which gives it a nice homey feel. We also loved that we didn’t feel like we were being hounded to buy more at every turn. I would highly recommend this to groups of all ages.

Old Florida style attraction, built 1940's. Bottle Nose Dolphin show is the best I've seen. Price is reasonable at $40 per person. Best for young kids 2 - 15.

Very entertaining with a series of shows for the exhibits featuring parrots, dolphins, sea lions etc. The big plus is that viewing areas/ bleacher seating are right up close to the shows.

The staff and park is a wonderful day spent. I enjoyed more than Sea World, more intimate setting! Worth the price of admission. Only down side, gift shop personnel need to pay attention to guest instead of each other. Wanted to purchase a few gifts but could not get gift shop personnel to assist.

Great visit as they have really great shows with the dolphin show being the best! I brought 2 teenagers and they even loved the shows!

Fun day, the dolphin, sea lion and parrot shows were fun, especially the dolphin show. The boat ride is quick, but have your camera ready for an up close shot of a dolphin in the middle of the boat. Lovely grounds just walking around and seeing other wildlife. There is a lagoon we watched them feed nurse sharks and rays at. You can also go in it in a section with some pretty fish and hand feed them. Not appealing to us, but may be for some. Spent about 2 hours there.

Visited here a few days ago, and it was a very pretty place. I really appreciate that the parrots and sea turtles were mainly rescued. I also like that the shows involving them were geared towards conservation. By far they were my favorite two shows you could tell how the parrots there liked the guy trainer and the turtle team cared for the animals.

The acrobat/swimmers in the dolphin show were definitely the best I've ever seen. And holy cow when did you ever get to do the "dorsal fin ride" on TWO DOLPHINS? The show was memorable. The "Swim With" was memorable for a lifetime.

The morning activities were divided into different areas of the "park." The first activity was a boat ride, in a boat that had no bottom in the center part. A dolphin came up, inside that center part, and swam along with us. That was fun because the dolphin was so close (and maybe there was some splashing involved :-). The second activity involved nurse sharks and that was kind of fun as well--certainly I'd never seen nurse sharks so up-close-and-personal as well. But the next several activities were completely skippable (parrots that talk and an alligator that sleeps). But then came the dolphin show.

The dolphin show was incredible. There were two dolphins and two trainers. Of course the dolphins were trained to do jumps and tricks--much as we've seen many times in other venues. But the trainers set themselves up to be pushed and thrown--by the dolphins. The closest thing I can compare it to is a European acrobat performance--but instead of the acrobats swinging and throwing each other in the air, it was the dolphins who threw the acrobats in the air. Just amazing. You have to see it for yourself.

After the dolphin show was over, then came the various activities in which members of the public were allowed to swim or interact with different types of animals, directly. For us, it was swim with the dolphins, and it was a lifetime memory. To be honest, it was VERY brief. Just one or two minutes in the lagoon with the dolphins, per person. Primarily focused on capturing a dorsal fin ride, carried by two of the well-trained dolphins. Afterwards, one of the dolphins swam up to you--in a shallow area--and you were able to hold the dolphin, pet it, and get your picture taken with the dolphin. Too short? Absolutely. Completely memorable? Absolutely.

HINT 1. Do NOT bring your own fins, mask or snorkel. You don't need the mask or the snorkel, and they want you to use *their* fins--carefully selected to have the exact matte-black finish that these dolphins are used to.

HINT 2. If you wear glasses AND can wear contacts ... wear your contacts that day.

HINT 3. Oops ... almost forgot this one. :-) If you want to participate "fully" in the dolphin show, be sure to sit in one of the first two rows nearest the water. And don't worry about rushing to get those prized seats. When you get there, you'll find that the first two rows are pretty much empty. And that anybody sitting in those rows ... probably has a towel already.

Bottom line: We loved it. Get the boat ride, maybe go to the nurse sharks, then set yourself up for the dolphin show. In row 4. And definitely. DEFINITELY. Swim with the dolphins.

Loved it!

We stopped at Theater of the Sea on our way back to the mainland from Key West. We saw lots of signs on our way to Key West and thought this would be a fun stop. The shows were great. I especially liked the dolphin show. The sea lions were fun as well. The parrots were noisy but a good show. I wish I would have planned better and made reservations to do an interactive animal encounter, but next time. It was very hot that day and my husband and I didn't do the bottomless boat because we didn't want to wait an hour. If you plan the trip correctly (we didn't) you start at the back of the park and work your way to the front as each show ends with just enough time for you to go to the next show. They have several sea turtles who cannot be in the wild because of injuries so it is nice that they have a good place to call home.

We had such a nice day, watching the cute shows and looking at the animals and fish. The dolphin show was fantastic. The trainers were amazing and you can see how much they enjoy what they are doing and how much they love their animals. Must see!

We make a trip every year.....intimate atmosphere, nice little snack shop and we never get tired of seeing the interactions of the staff and the animals...grand kids really like the parrots too. Follow the schedule and see all the shows in an organized manor.
:-)

we spent the day here mainly for the dolphin wading, but everything else was very cool! the sea lion show was awesome and the parrot show was cool. the food area was nice and reasonably priced, a good spot to sit in the shade and take a break. the dolphin wading was an amazing opportunity! our trainer was fantastic, excited to tell us anything about the animals, and gave us an incredible experience. it was great for all ages (i’m 25, my sister is 16, and there were two young girls under 10 with their parents in our group). you get to pet, kiss, splash, and play catch with the dolphin in shallow water. there’s a photographer who gets great shots of your group, so we bought a digital package to look through. it was so cool to see a dolphin up close and to see how smart and well trained they are. the staff here really cares about these animals, and you can tell that they take good care of them. highly recommend for any animal lovers.

Great experience! We honestly weren’t sure how it would be but gave it a try. My son and I loved it. Dolphin show was the best but other shows were good too. I suggest that you go early. We were there shortly after they opened and caught all of the shows.

Amazing place to visit with family. The apex of the trip was the dolphin encounters and swim. The parrot show, the sea lion shenanigans, the dolphin show etc.,everything was great. The best part is that there is the concept of "continuous show", broken down to time frames - works great if you plan to visit for the entire day. If you miss one of the shows you can go and see the same one later. Great entertainment for kids. The dolphins and their handlers are the stars.

The animals/birds/fish are impressive! We enjoyed the gardens too. I supposed $100 entrance is pricey, but when you see all the animals that need care, that they feed and house, I can imagine it is expensive. The staff needs to be paid well too!

This is our second visit to the park, first as a family. We swam with sea lions Bella and Malibu. They were so much fun. We also enjoyed swimming with and feeding the parrotfish. The boat tour with the dolphins was cool. Very unique place to visit and learn.

Absolutely loved it! Our favorite was the dolphin show. All the shows were very informative and interesting. Loved getting up
Close and personal with the colorful fish at the beach end.

My 12-year-old daughter and I visited and had a fantastic time! I called ahead to purchase tickets in order to take advantage of the discount to booking multiple animal interactions. We chose to do the Meet the Sea Lion and Meet the Alligator, mainly because neither of us wanted to mess with swimsuits or changes of clothes. Here are our experiences and some tips:
*It is not as crowded in September/early October. If you can come during the off season, do!
*The park is very small but VERY well run. Come at the beginning of the day and follow the schedule of shows. This will give you time to drop out and grab a drink or a bite to eat, then re-join the schedule when you're done.
*The show cycle repeats three times. The dolphin, sea lion, and bird shows are totally worth seeing repeatedly- each show is a little different!
* Catch the shark/ray/gator feeding once and use the other one as your lunch break - unless you just adore those animals, then use one of the other repeat shows as your break.
*There are no park maps but staff are very accommodating and helpful. If you get off track, just ask!
*Be ready with your camera on the boat ride! The dolphins will do two jumps on the left, then one will jump through the middle of the boat, then two will do a double jump on the right. The boat drivers never told us this - we just had to figure it out.
* The animals all live in natural seawater lagoons. This means the water is not the chlorinated aqua color you see at commercial places like Sea World. Theater of the Sea animals live in a much more natural environment (yay!). So if you book an interaction that involves meeting them in the water, know that you can't see the bottom...and there are fish and sometimes crabs in the water. Vince clearly told me this when I called to book, but there was a family complaining loudly about this at the park. If you aren't comfortable with this, book a "meet the" animal and not a "swim with the" animal encounter.
* It is HOT and HUMID from April through October. The only air conditioned building is the gift shop - and they do not sell personal fans or chill towels. They do have industrial fans in some areas and the dolphin, parrot, and Sea lion arenas are covered. But plan ahead if you don't so well in heat.
* Papa's snack shop has a nice array of hot food and cold drinks. They also have nice grab-and-go cold sandwich meals (egg salad, ham & cheese, pb&j + chips), which are really great on hot days! The egg salad was so good and very generously portioned.
* Be sure to stop and see the sea turtles in the lagoons leading to the beach/reptile area! You can get really close for photos and video (but do NOT put your hands in the water! We could not believe parents allowing their kids to plunk their hands in!).
* Also be sure to slow down and enjoy the gorgeous greenery and orchids in the small walkway toward the exit.
*Look at the schedule for animal interactions and try to plan your day around this, if you decide to pay extra to do this. We did our interactions at the end of the day, giving us time to enjoy the park and build up excitement.
* The interactions are so worth the extra money, if you can swing it. Meet the sea lion gave us ample opportunity to kiss, hug, high five, pet, and give commands to two different sea lions (Libby and Wilbur). The trainers were so patient and kind and they even stayed afterward to answer our questions and tell us more about the sea lions. They obviously adore those little (big) guys!
*Jack, back at the alligator encounter, was also just fantastic. He sat patiently and explained everything, allowing us to feed Piper the gator, brush his teeth, and have him make a painting for us. It was great fun!
*I also splurged on the photo package, giving us downloads of all of our photos. Kevin, the photographer, did a phenomenal job! We have SO MANY photos and I didn't have to fumble with my phone or a camera - I was able to enjoy my time with my daughter and our animal encounters. I highly recommend this if you book an encounter!

This can absolutely be an all day trip. Take your time, enjoy the shows, splurge on some encounters and photos, and get a lot of bang for your buck while helping a really great facility do marvelous things for many rescued animals.

Theater of the Sea is an extraordinary place. You can look at the different animals on your own. All of which are kept in their natural environment.

We definitely recommend attending the different screenings that build on each other.

The place is exceptional and is highly recommended.

This is a must see if you are anywhere near the KEYS... This will take you 3 hours or more but so worth the visit.. If it is a hot day bring water but it is worth it. You get a tour guide who walks you through every bit of the park, you go from one event to the other with the attractions getting better as you go. The garden area is marked with every name of the plants and so informative.

Great surroundings with lush ferns and beautiful orchids. The dolphin show as better than the one at Seaworld. The trainer and the dolphins truly excelled. My son and I had a great time! Money well spent.

Amazing time with experienced staff and the animals. Paula did my tour of deep water swim with the dolphins. You will need a swim suit, towel and they have goggles, fins. Paula was clear on directions and she made sure we had time individually with the dolphins. Such a great experience and you have to see all of the shows!

My husband and I have been several times before and always enjoy the park. It has beautiful gardens and animals. We always found the staff to be cheerful, talented and friendly. However this past trip left a bitter taste in our mouths. We witnessed how an older man reprimanded one of the employees in a very cruel way (I assume his boss). I worked for a lot of tough bosses as a kid. But it was really sad to see this and I was never reprimanded in front of clients like this. Park was great but needed to share this complaint.

We had such a wonderful experience! The guides were very knowledgeable and obviously passionate about their work and the animals. We would recommend this to anyone visiting the area!

Thoroughly enjoyable. A small scale attraction, but just right for a morning or afternoon. Certainly enough for young children or older adults (us). Very reasonably priced. The grounds are beautiful, clean, and well kept. The animal handlers talented and friendly. The Dolphin show was amazing, have not seen anything like it.

My wife and I had a wonderful time here. We did a couple of the swims and can’t speak highly enough of all the staff and trainers here who do a great job engaging with guests. Maybe something you do only once, but don’t think twice if you are considering visiting.

I've been to Theater of the Sea as a child with my grandmother and had the opportunity to take my granddaughter to see it as well. This time I went with a group of friends. Not much has changed but the dolphin show is the best anywhere. The things the trainers can do with these dolphins is amazing.

We didn’t expect much, it was located right next to our hotel and it was a cloudy day so we went. The shows were fantastic. Better than we’ve seen at some of the top aquariums! It’s a small attraction so only plan 3-4 hours. They also offer dolphin encounters which we did not do. I was very impressed.

We had a great time at Theater of The Sea. The animals are adorable. They are treated so good and you can tell the trainers and staff have a passion for each animal. We all loved our time there.

The dolphin show was very professional with skilled young women trainers, exceptional job well done. The Parrot show was a fun suprise as well as the many beautiful plants, fish and turtles.

The kids wadded with the dolphins and we watched every show. The dolphin experience was so nice my cheeks hurt from smiling so much. All the show’s offered a great up close and personal feel combined with high level entertainment. The grounds were beautiful, clean and well maintained.

Enter through a large gift shop into a fantastic tropical garden full of animals. We watched the fabulous dolphin show, bird trick show, seal show and shark show. All the staff was friendly and accommodating. Lots of walking on covered paths full of gorgeous tropical plants with descriptions. We ate a good sandwich lunch outdoors at their little cafe. Dolphin show is a must see, but don't sit on front row unless you want to get wet..! Grounds were beautifully decorated for Christmas.

This place is GREAT!! I would recommend selecting one of their many animal interactions to make the visit even better. My daughter chose "paint with a dolphin" and it was amazing. The trainer was so patient and had a great bond with the dolphin, Skipper. It was so enjoyable to watch her and the other kids in this activity!!

We had a great experience! The dolphin show has to be seen to be believed! The trainers are incredibly talented and you can tell they love the dolphins. The sea lion show was also really fun. They do a good job of telling you about all the animals and how they came to live there. With alligators, crocodiles, sea turtles, lots of fish and several different types of birds, it's a fun experience for anyone interested in animal life. The gardens are also very beautiful.

Amazing!! Worth every penny. Perfect for every age!! I never wanted to leave!! We also did a swimming with dolphins session and there was a baby dolphin with us! I just can’t say enough good things.

You all are horrible. I thought this place was more of a sanctuary and boy was I wrong. These animals are not here for our entertainment. They shouldn’t be manipulated into doing tricks and be released to a true sanctuary, where they can have some shred of dignity for the rest of their lives. Dolphins are HIGHLY INTELLIGENT creatures. They also swim in large pods. Everything about this is wrong.

This place is very outdated and unkept. The pens where the animals are kept are dirty and sad. It’s very expensive what you get- my son swam with the sharks- total of about 20 min at the most with a shark and my daughter did the dolphin swim. There were about 10 people in her group so they just took turns/ so not worth over $200 for about 20 as well. My husband and I paid @$60 for the 2 of us- not worth it either. I do have to say the parrot show and the dolphin show were good- but a lot of the animals looked sad. It’s a shame bc this place could be amazing if it was kept up and cleaned really good. Also $20 for 1 picture- take your own and save the money.

The surroundings are beautiful. The staff are always informative and engaging. Smiles start from the first human encounter to the the dolphins and sea lions. You walk through a trail of Orchards and tropic plants. My dog Rascal and I have been privilege to be able to visit frequently as a local, BUT THE OTHER DAY all Paradise changed. Being a new insulin dependent diabetic I was feeling particularly strange. I went to order lunch (best cheeseburgers ever) and realized I left my wallet in the car. My dog Rascal is well known there, I'm recognized as the human on the other end of the leash. I was greatful when Cheryl said "eat first and then get your wallet " I was greatful. I am a new INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETIC and the Florida heat had a new intensity to it. I took my smoothie and sat under the umbrellas table. Unknowingly falling deeper into trouble. The next thing I knew, the cook Arthur was giving me a cold wet cloth and a bowl of ice woter. If I had walked to my car or those two angels weren't paying attention, I would have falling into a diabetic coma in my car. The sweet slurpee and the icy clothes saved my life Cheryl and Arthur proved that Theater of the Sea is not just a once in a lifetime experience and friendly smile5,but caring aware angels.

This was our second time here and we just love it! The gardens and vegetation are stunning. We love the history of it being a family owned business. Every person from maintenance to animal trainers, concessions etc was always super helpful and friendly. My kids did the seal encounter and it was great!! We love learning about all the animals and it's clear they are se well cared for. We highly recommend and can't wait to come back!!

We brought our daughter for her 18th birthday with her friends. Amanda and Christina helped us plan our deep water dolphin swim and made sure the girls were treated like royalty the entire day by all of the staff. The deep water dolphin swim was amazing and the pictures turned out wonderful! The trainers had the dolphins ‘sing’ happy birthday to our daughter at the end of the experience. Then during the regular dolphin show, two of the dolphins brought her a Happy Birthday buoy and we got to pose for pictures with the dolphins after the show.

We’ve lived in the keys for years and never been to the park until that day. All of the animal shows were educational and fun for all ages. The show schedule flowed easily around the park without any confusion on where to go.

Would highly recommend this place for all ages. And want to give a huge thank you to Amanda and Christina for being wonderful dolphin trainers and making us feel very special!

This is a must do while in Islamorada. Great for families. Animals are well cared for. Just a joy to visit.

Great entertainment. You have to move quickly between the shows, Parrot, Dolphin, Sea Lion, Boat, as the whole crowd moves together. It was a very enjoyable 3 hours. I found myself conflicted with the Dolphin show, as I’ve been to many countries where this is now banned. It was well presented and the audience, including many infants enjoyed it. The are many other things to see as you walk around.

We watched the shows which were planned so that you went from one to another - dolphin show, sea lion, etc. The young staff were all very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the animals. It was a rainy day. Then we did the dolphin swim and the rain stopped. A French couple even got engaged right at the end of our swim. The whole swim experience was well organized with the dolphin pulling you across the water, then we went to a different place to do other activities. We interacted in pairs and it seemed that the dolphin welfare was paramount. They have a photographer and photos are available for sale after. Seems like a well run place.

we had a BLAST! the kids were so happy to see the dolphins. The staff at the counter answered all our silly questions. we cannot wait to be back.

We just got back from our first family vacation to the Florida Keys with our 4 kids ages 6, 8, 10, and 12. Theater of the Sea well exceeded our expectations! We did a deep water swim with the dolphins. We have kids and adults at different levels of comfort with deep water and animals, so we must have changed our minds about 20 times before deciding that we all wanted to do the deep water swim. The staff were incredible at accommodating the different comfort levels and giving us a never to forget experience. We also fed Henry the sea turtle during our visit, as our 6 year old is obsessed with turtles, and everyone loved it. But the main programming itself is fantastic. We saw part of 2 dolphin shows before our animal interaction and stayed late into the afternoon so we could see a full show - they were so good. We loved the parrot shows and the sea lion show, and all of the other animal shows. What a beautiful park with staff that clearly care about the animals they work with. Can't recommend highly enough!

This was easy for me with my walker. Some gorgeous orchids. Saw almost all the shows. Decent amount of shade. The dolphin show is nice small theater so all can see well. Enjoyed it a lot.

We had a very nice time at Theater of the Sea. At first I was hesitant with the admission price- we didn't do any of the "extras" as we have done some of those things before but did enjoy the various shows, particularly the dolphin and parrot show. We thought the staff were nice and had a great day to enjoy the experience.

Was a great time. Nice thing to do when weather wasn’t good for boating. Wish we would have went here years ago when visiting the keys. Very entertaining shows and very educational.

The natural history setting is quite beautiful. The shows and teaching/learning demonstrations were professional and fun to watch. The landscaping is particularly gorgeously orchid-infused.

We absolutely loved the animals! We watched the parrots and dolphins. The staff that works with them are incredible. You can see the respect they have for these animals and vs. Upon arriving at the business, and paying we began to get mosquito bites. This continued for the time we were there, and sadly was the reason we left. We agreed the $50 each would’ve made more sense if we were able to stay and see more but the mosquitoes were just too bad. Two staff made comments as well saying that this is the worst year they’ve seen them. My recommendation would be SPRAY yourself with bug spray before you go in. Thank me later lol
#mylivelyreviews

Nice intimate shows with beautiful exotic birds, dolphins, and sea lions. The bird show was educational and interesting. The dolphin show featured behaviors I had not previously seen. The sea lions were adorable. This is a small park.

Once swimming with dolphins, high on our wish list was what we want to do once in our lives. Here we were able to fulfill our wish. For us as well as the children (10, 13 years) it was an unforgettable experience.

We had deliberately chosen Theater of Sea because we believe that the animals here are doing well and being looked after.

We went to the Theater of the Sea and wandered around until time for our Meet the Sea Lion tour at 3 pm. Adorable sea lions kissed, hugged, and talked to us. We were in a group of 6 (us 2 and 4 kids from another family). We loved interacting with the Sea Lions and (earlier) watching the feeding of sting rays and sharks. It was worth every penny, but of course this is just for 2...I don't know about a family of 4. Pretty pricey. But so are all the zoos with their animal interaction programs. All in all, the staff, trainers, and the facility were wonderful (as were all its inhabitants). The sea zoo is VERY nice. One suggestion: Theater of the Sea needs more signage throughout the area, as well as informing entrance staff to assure that all guests have print out maps and schedules. We didn't, unfortunately. Forgot that there was a boat ride available which would have been nice in the Keys heat. But highlight of our day was the Meet the Sea Lions. Loved it!

This place is great for families because it follows a show schedule. It’s very small and you just move from one presentation/show to another. I worked at a rather large, well known aquarium, but the presentations/shows here topped those by far.

The dolphin show was amazing. You can tell the trainers thoroughly enjoy their job and really care for the animals as well. They smiled through the entire show and praised the dolphins so enthusiastically. I don’t know who they were, but they both had long dark hair. Every time the dolphins did a difficult behavior, she would cheer for them like it was the first time they had performed the behavior. It made me happier just watching them so happy.

My son’s favorite was the parrot show. We went to it twice and it was different and entertaining both times. The presenter, Virginia, was excellent.

I highly recommend this place to everyone. And don’t skip a performance because it could end up your favorite (like my son’s being the parrots)!

We have been going to the keys for 20 years but never went here. We decided to go and we were not disappointed at all. The shows were amazing The staff was always helpful and quick to tell you what show was next and where to go. I can’t wait to take my friends there next year. Money well spent

This was a fun afternoon for us! You get a schedule of when the shows are when you enter. They keep this schedule pretty tight, you go from 1 show to the next. All of the shows are very entertaining and informative. The animals appear to be very well taken care of. The grounds are very clean and just taking a walk on the trails is worth it! Go check it out, especially if you have kids!

Facility is a little dated but a great place to visit. Shows are fun and informative. You can tell the animals are well cared for and have a good rapport with the trainers. Enjoyable for kids and adults!

We came today and everyone in our party had a blast. We swam with the dolphins and the sharks and the experiences were amazing. The trainers, especially Sam, was so kind, patient, and loved to educate. The shows were very well done, and just the right amount of time the kids didn't get bored. Will definitely be coming back next year!

Compact, but with outstanding animal shows that are so close-up as to be memorable. The quality of these shows are at the level of Sea World, but at a fraction of the cost and with smaller crowds. This is the place to view these animals up close. Large numbers of exotic parrots and macaws, large pools and rivers of large local species of fish and sea turtles. Outstanding tropical plant collections and foliage. Dolphin and sea lion shows were memorable. Alligator and shark feeding was interesting in that these animals are all highly trained to respond.

We loved this place! Shows were so fun! Staff clearly cared a lot for the animals and loved their jobs. We did the swim with a dolphin and we’re so glad we splurged on this experience. My husband was an observer and took photos and video, but we ended up purchasing the professional photos as well to remember this great day. Thank you to Christina and Reid for making the day special for my daughters.

The animals are so well cared for and loved. The shows were so awesome and we enjoyed all of them. Our 12 year old grandson did the Dolphin Express swim with the dolphins and it was excellent. Wonderfully landscaped and lots of shade options. We fed the fish and had lots of laughs. We stayed the whole day!

Was very insightful and interesting with plenty of aquatic life easily visible. The Dolphin show was outstanding especially because of the performers (to include the Dolphins). The Parrot fish at the beach were fun to interact with. But, it can be expensive for entry before paying for any extras. Easy way to spend several hours walking around in some shade.

We came in October which we were told is off season so there weren't many people in the park which we loved. It was just a relaxing time. My husband absolutely loved swimming with the sharks and the lagoon. It isn't a big place but we felt it was well worth the money.

My wife and I did a private swim and wade with the dolphins, also a meet the sea lion program. The trainers, dolphins and sea lion were awesome. The parrot program was great and the walk around the park to see all the wildlife was very interesting. We highly recommend Theater of the Sea for a good time.

We did a half day here visiting all the shows and both of our children had a blast. The park is very walkable, I do not recommend bringing a stroller it creates more hassle than help. We did not do any of the in-water excursion activities but both of our kids ended up getting pretty wet so I definitely recommend having a towel ready for after your visit. It will make it more fun to just go all in.

I chose the package to "swim" with the dolfphins. I was worried at first, but it was absolutely the best experience I have ever had.

Great park, quality shows, best employees I have ever met. Our dolphin swim was the most memorable event our family of 9 has ever done. All trainers were better than 10 rated- I would give then a 15 and that is not high enough. Dolphins were so gently and friendly. Will never forget this experience!!!!

Great experience. Dolphin show was spectacular. Love this small intimate park over the larger commercial parks. Highly recommend for fun family experience. My 17 and 20 year old kids equally loved it.

Up close experience with animals and people who really seem to care about them. We loved everything about this place. Very well organized so visitors got to see everything without continually referring to a program or a map ❤️❤️❤️

I cannot say enough great things about this experience! Do not miss this when you’re in Islamorada. The staff were awesome, from the front check in, to the gift shop and especially the trainers who work with the wildlife. It is clear they love their jobs and their mission. The shows were entertaining, informative and spectacular!

We had an amazing day here. I was worried that this would be a sad “rescue” place but it was anything but! All the animals seemed to be genuine rescues and the interactions with the dolphins were awesome!! We split in two. Half did the meet a dolphin and the other did the wade and meet. Both groups felt we had plenty of time and learned a lot. It was a highlight of our trip.

We went in early may and it wasn’t crowded at all and got to see all the shower & learned a ton. It was awesome!

Beautiful facility, fantastic staff, truly worth the visit! Its a great way to get a close view, learn about the animals and the conservation efforts. The dolphin show was incredible! Tip for parents: its hot in the afternoon and the toddlers visiting were cranky and hostile.

We stayed at the Postcard Inn which is right next to the Theater of the Seas. We walked over to check it out and the staff was very friendly and helpful. It was very crowded, but they took the time to help us book an experience.

I have always wanted to swim with dolphins, and they had various options for that. I did the wade with the dolphins, which was a little over a half an hour. We had 2 other couples with us, but our trainer was so great to make sure everyone got enough time with the dolphin. They had a photographer too that took amazing pictures and the package price was very reasonable.

We saw all of the shows there and every trainer was so great with the animals. They all seemed to truly enjoy what they were doing and the animals seemed happy and well cared for.

The place is somewhat small and gets crowded. We walked to the beach area and were so surprised at it. It is down a hidden path and opens up to a small beach area with changing rooms and a bar. It was completely empty when we went and a nice place to hang out.

We just got back from our trip to Islamorada and Theater of the Sea was one of the highlights of our trip. We only went because our snorkel trip was cancelled due to wind. What a great decision it was! I was a little worried because I wasn't sure we would get a good value for the high price. Let me just say it was worth every penny! We just did a general admission, no extras. There are 5 different shows/activities included in the cost. The bottomless boat ride (although very short in time) was such a cool experience. The dolphin show was INCREDIBLE! Both my 12 year old daughter and I got choked up watching it. It is choreographed to music and the trainor is extremely talented. It literally brought tears to my eyes. The animals they have there are all rescues that are not able to survive in the wild. Yiu can tell they are well loved and very well taken care of. They do not have "Sea Worlds" income and so some people may think things aren't up to date enough but that didn't bother me at all. I left feeling great paying for a small business to help take such good care of the animals. Our favorite part of the park was at "the beach." This is where you can get in the water and feed the parrot fish. It was amazing. We were able to pet the fish. It was like petting a dog. I have not seen a bigger smile on my daughters face maybe ever. It made me so happybto see her happy. Don't miss it! Thank you for an amazing afternoon in Islamorada❤🐬

Our family of six did the dolphin swim - awesome experience. From connecting with the dolphins to dorsal fin ride to foot push, it was well structured with more time with the dolphins than expected. Have done Discovery Cove in the past and appreciated this experience much more. The park itself is small but well maintained with wonderful shows, friendly staff and a small lagoon to hangout with fish. If you want to snorkel bring your own gear. Highly recommend the dolphins swim!

My family and I had an absolute BLAST! Each show was incredible (I loved the sea lions the best!) The staff is extremely knowledgeable and friendly, but the marine life wins the spotlight.

As a person who hasn't always been the biggest fan of zoos, aquariums, etc., I only visited Theater of the Sea with family so that my young niece and cousin could have something fun to do/see. That said, despite the fact that the place is somewhat old, it's clean, pretty, and well-kept, and the staff is excellent and incredibly good at what they do. From the parrot/bird show to watching the dolphins interact with their trainers, everything was executed very well. Most importantly, my niece and cousin were absolutely in awe and thoroughly fascinated by every animal they saw, and I know it was definitely their favorite part of our week in Islamorada.

This is a real local gem in the Florida Keys. I highly recommend visiting if you have 2-4 hours, enjoy nature and support conservation. Every staff member I interacted with had a great attitude and was very helpful and personable. You could tell they truly enjoyed working there and cared about the animals who call the park home. The grounds are beautiful and there is plenty of shade. They have the park designed to walk through and hear a talk about all of the different animals that live there as you go. Each talk is well prepared, informative and interesting. We participated in the dolphin swim and the trainer who performed in the earlier show led the swim in a very friendly and engaging manner. It was a very unique and impressionable experience that we will cherish forever. Even if not participating in one of the encounters, the park has a lot to offer and doesn't require a lot of walking to see everything. We are very happy with the visit and hope to visit again next time we are in the Keys.

We had read some mixed reviews and were very pleasantly surprised during our visit with our two school aged children. They absolutely loved it! While some of the facilities are a little worn down, Theater of the Seas has a local, old Florida vibe in a good way with very up close interactions with all of the animals and no crowds. We spent close to four hours watching the shows, wandering around ourselves, and “petting” the parrot fish in the lagoon. The dolphin shows were particularly impressive and professionally done. Our visit was a highlight of our trip to the Keys and well worth the cost.

We were here on the occasion of a booked dolphin encounter.
The park is laid out with love, but it is getting old.
We had the dolphin encounter in the late afternoon and thought we could spend the whole day there well, but you saw most of it within three hours. The dolphin and sea lion show were made with a lot of commitment from the trainers.
But the beach was different than expected and the water playground did not exist at all. The restaurant was a simple snack bar and had very unfriendly staff
Our dolphin encounter in turn was fantastic and we had two very dear trainers who responded to our ideas and wishes but also always put animal welfare first!

We read about this marine park before venturing in. I had some reservations based on dolphin & other marine captivity but decided to take my 15 yr.old daughters. The cost of the ticket is expensive. For the 3 of us it was over $130, but post Covid prices have risen. The staff working there were professional & knowledgeable - it is very clear that they care about the animals they care for. I will never agree to swim with dolphins, sea lions, sharks, etc. in a captive, contained setting which is unnatural & somewhat unethical. The price of swimming with a dolphin was $225 - ridiculous, but there are people that will pay it. The trainers were great and they truly care about the wellbeing of their charges. Overall, we enjoyed the shows. There were too many people at some of the events and it made watching the shows a bit uncomfortable - wish there was a way to stagger the amount of people into each viewing area. The history of the facility is interesting and it is worth going there at least once while visiting the Keys.

Very cool place to stop along the Keys, with some interesting and fun shows. The dolphin show is clear highlight, while others could do with a refresh (shark and feeding, crocs). The staff clearly love the animals, but for us, the fact the shows are 3 times a day and the staff repeating the same script day in day out did show, and a few of them seemed repetitive.
The site does look tired, and could use a groundsman to tidy up and a lick of paint here and there, the shop/entry was very poorly maintained.
Despite all that, we did enjoy the shows, it could be excellent with some small changes!

Patty was amazing as she played with the dolphins giving us in the stands a real show. The dolphins were lovable and so much fun to watch. The Sea Lion show was also just a delight.

Basically very nicely landscaped area!
Unfortunately many enclosures are too small for the animals and unfortunately it is advertised more as a "reception station" than it actually is.
So of course, wonderful to get so close to these animals, but a very 2-edged sword, because wild animals should not be kept in such or such a confined space.

Nice little place to walk thru and see some shows. The dolphin show was really good. A little expensive i think for what you get but would recommed it.

We almost did not visit this local classic, due to a few very negative on-line reviews. But we decided to trust the overwhelming majority of positive reviews and visit. We are delighted we did.
We had a wonderful time and our 10- and 12-year-old grandchildren loved everything about it. Its size is manageable and the flow from one event to the next super easy. The entire facility is well maintained and accessible. This is not a Disneyesque fantasy land. Perhaps the folks who gave the negative reviews were having a bad day or expected a mega-theme park experience. This is real people interacting with real wildlife in real settings - up close and personal.
Our favorites were the shark and ray feeding (super interesting), dolphin show (fantastic), sea-lion show (fun), and bird presentations. Our grandchildren opted for the add-on bird encounter, which Virginia, Kelly, and Bridget made a real treat for them and us.
Every show included a learning component along with the entertainment part, and questions were welcomed and answered enthusiastically by the very dedicated staff.
We feel we received every penny's worth of the cost, and then some.

What a unique little gem. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Dolphins and sea lions were well cared for and had adequate enclosures. We loved the shows better than SeaWorld! My daughter got to meet and interact with a dolphin, an extra charge. My husband and I got to go with her and watch and take pictures. Such a wonderful experience and we’ll be back!

Meet and greet animal interactions - We had photos taken with a Sea Lion. Family fun, stay all day, great memories.

We had a great time with our three young kids (5-9 years) watching dolphins, sea lions and parrots all day. Excellent shows that leave the kids enthralled. I would highly recommend you visit this venue. The staff are amazing!

We really enjoyed our 1/2 day visit to The theatre of the see with our girls (pre teen to teen). All of us were captivated by the animals, very entertaining shows/programs and each of us learned something new and interesting. The girls all wanted to sign up to work there, lol!

I honestly don’t understand the amount of positive reviews for this place. I’m sure if you’re going there for all of the additional experiences it’s great but if you’re paying just for general admissions, don’t waste your time. It was $96 for 2 adults and not worth the price at all. Everything is incredibly old and run down, the exhibits are sad. The animals seem healthy so at least it’s good to know the staff is doing a great job with husbandry but management should really invest money into the infrastructure of this facility. For the amount they’re making in general admission alone they could afford to improve at least a couple of the exhibits. The alligator exhibits especially needed work. Concrete pools that had chipping paint and no real natural landscaping is just unacceptable in 2021. There was also a sea turtle that had a vest on which I assume is to help it float due to some kind of internal damage but the vest was disgusting. I mean mat least clean the vest so it looks nicer if replacing it is stressful for the animal or just replace it all together. I work at an animal park and understand the full scope of what goes in to operating it on a day to day basis but I can’t understand where they are putting their revenue other than building a new admissions area.

This was an awesome place to visit! I went with my husband and 3 children ages 16, 12, 5 and everyone enjoyed it. The staff are super friendly and you can tell that they love their job and the animals. Animals are very well cared for. They are rescues that can not be released back into the wild. I will definitely be coming back. Unlike sea world this place truly rescues and cares for injured wildlife. The dolphins have so much room to exercise and swim again unlike sea world. Very clean park. We went at the end of June. All show seating is very shaded and they have fans so they try to keep it nice and cool. The paths look like a jungle with all this tropical foliage. The shows are very well timed so you don’t miss anything.

It's a great place to go with kids. The shows are fun and very educational! Everything is about 30 minutes and perfect for young kids and pre-teens. The park is not too big but big enough to have a couple of hours of fun without getting exhausted.

We visited with our two teens to see the animals. The shows were very good and we learned a lot about the animals. They have the shows all timed very well so you can go from one show to the next and see all the animals. There was plenty of shade on a hot day. The nice thing is the park is fairly small so we saw everything in 2.5hrs. However, they are charging a lot for such a small park and for the time you get in a personal interaction. But I just chalk it up to helping the animals.

The dolphin show was the best I have ever seen. I had chills the entire show it was so good. Very professional and you can see how much the staff loves and cares for the dolphins. Amazing experience! My daughter will be 16 in August. It’s her dream to become a Marine Biologist. It’s all she talks about. Now more so than ever. Words can’t explain her emotions during the show. I loved watching her expressions. Can’t wait to go back next year.

We had booked the package dolphin swimming and it was mega - very individual execution, obviously very animal welfare oriented. On site we were able to bring forward the appointment because we were a little earlier. For us it was worth every dollar and an unforgettable experience

We went to TOS when the weather was too chilly to do anything else. To our surprise it was an incredible experience. There was only a few minutes between the different shows so no boring down time. Best of all the animals seemed happy and well treated. We had visited the Turtle Hospital in the Keys and see that the rescued turtles at TOS are treated with the same care and the size of the enclosures are similar. The sea lions and dolphins seem very happy. No zoo , even the world class ones , can offer the same space, as animals have in the wild. In many cases however animals in these facilities live much longer and are free of disease and predation.
I was concerned about the Trip Advisor animal welfare warning but suspect it is a blanket commentary on animal shows.
The staff were extremely knowledgeable and approachable. It was a fun time.

It was good to learn about dolphins and get to experience being with them. They teach about dolphins before you go in the enclosure with them.
You’re an enclosed area with them and get to spend time in the water with them. Your not always touching them but you in the water with them for a good 15-20 minutes.

I was happy to see the dolphins seem like they are well treated.

The knowledge of the trainers and how they really seem to care about the safety and treatment of the animals/marine life was nice to see. The dolphin show was fantastic as well as the sea lion show. The “beach” was not your typical beach and was within the park and wasn’t very appealing to get in the water as it was dark waters, very small, and not a real beach, so we passed on that. Overall, for the price perhaps could be less as it didn’t really offer as much. Little kids may enjoy this more than teens and adults. Could be a nice nice activity to stop and do on the way to Key West though.

We arrived around opening and were able to proceed from first guided tour to each show right on schedule from 9:30 to noon. The shows and experiences are very well organized and absolutely incredible. The staff is fantastic, and shows are amazing as they interact with the stars of the show. Three hours is probably the shortest amount of time you'd want to spend here, but you can see it all with the shows in that amount of time.

This is such a lovely animal park! General admission gets you access to a variety of presentations/feeding observations for sea turtles, sea lions, dolphins, parrots, sharks, and crocodiles, as well as a very brief bottomless boat ride. This alone is a lovely family outing.

We also purchased two experiences for my 8 year old son; we were allowed to observe and take pictures of both: A shallow water swim with dolphins and a swim/feed with nurse sharks. The dolphins were incredibly popular, and it was a magical experience. My son received a kiss, had a short water fight with a dolphin, threw a ball that the dolphin retrieved, etc.

Our favorite was actually feeding/swimming with the nurse sharks. It was much less popular, but very safe. They provide water shoes and swim gear to be safe. My son was able to sit down in the water and hold a nurse shark for an extended period of time, feed him some squid with some metal tongs, and then swim with the sharks. It was a much smaller group and a very intimate experience.

Both trainers for the sharks and dolphins were fantastic! If the same person does multiple animal experiences in a single day, you get a discount. 20% off for the second experience and 50% off for the third. We are wishing that we did the sea lions, too!

This is a real gem in Islamorada. Grounds are so well kept and the shows are intimate & very well done. Truly a one of a kind experience. Not to be missed, especially if you have kids.

Our family visited the Theater of the Sea this March. We had an amazing time with all of the shows and encounters. We saw the dolphins and it was one of the best shows that we had ever seen. The parrot show gave us many laughs. We also did Swim with the Sea Lions. It was so fun. The bottomless boat is also a unique way to get up close with the dolphins. If have any time while you are in Islamorada, we would definitely recommend it. The facilities are a little older but this won’t impact your experience there—it’s a great 2-3 hours regardless!

I can't say enough about this place!! We had our teenage daughter with us and we had reserved ahead some of the interactive things with the animals. The "Meet the Sea Lion" was probably the best. She also "Waded with a dolphin", that was nice too. She also did the "Meet the Sea Turtle", that was not as interactive, you could feed them and touch them, but not really get in close to them like the sea lion and dolphin, so I would not spend the money on that one.
All the animal shows were amazing and we went to the dolphin show twice!!! The park is very nicely done with brick walk paths, beautiful flowers and trees and a grill in the park. The staff are awesome! All the trainers have a true love and passion for the animals. We all had an amazing day there! We would go here again for sure. Fun for all ages!

The shows and park are very well done. You can get up close to the animals and the park itself is nice to walk around and explore. It even has a little lagoon/beachy area to swim and hang out if you want to make a day out of your visit. But, you can do this park in 2-2.5 hours. I thought it was bit pricey, but once you figure out that these are rescued animals and this park provides a home for them, you will feel better about paying the admission price. At least I did.

Theater of the Sea is a great half-day visit. The dolphin, parrot and sea lion shows were fantastic with lots of information and a really close up view of the animals. We also did the meet the sea lion encounter which we loved! This was the highlight of our trip to the Florida keys for our teenage daughter. Great staff and nice facility.

The dolphin show was superb. Trainers and animals were very attuned to each other. Seats are very close to the show. We loved this part of the park the most and went to see it twice. The other "attractions" were not as good, but still worthy of our time. I wish the family that owns this park would invest in some overdue maintenance of the facility, but top marks to the trainers and the animals. Go and show support for what they do there.

The Theater of Sea was a nice little place that was low key and we didn’t feel rushed to see everything. It is geared towards children and I think my daughter would have loved it if she was a bit older. I got to hang out with sea lions and dolphins which was cool. I felt like the time with the sea lions was the best. I didn’t feel rushed and Allison, the trainer, answered all the questions. The dolphin swim (30 minutes) felt rushed and they lady didn’t really answer the questions. I’m not sure if it was because it was the last swim session of the day (4:25pm) or she just wasn’t feeling it that day. If you have kids that are young, I think it’s great. If I would have had a better experience with the swim with the dolphins, I would have given it 5 stars.

Very pretty grounds with well tended tropical foliage and brick walking paths through the area. It was nice to learn that many of the animals, such as the parrots, turtles, and alligators were rescued and are being cared for here. I want to give a specific shout out to Virginia who conducted the parrot show. She did an excellent job and had good humor. The sea lion show was overrun and hard to see anything for all the people there. I had a really hard time - emotionally - watching the dolphin show. They are such intelligent mammals and to see them doing all those flips and tricks was heartbreaking to me. I should have known - but was hoping for something different, although not sure what that would have been. We were here a total of 1 1/2 hours. We skipped the glass bottom boat thing based on previous reviews.

This was hands down one of the best places I have ever been! I have driven by several times, and this time I finally had the opportunity to visit. I’m so glad that I did! Not only do they have a lot to do, but they have some of the best/most unique animal interactions. I did both the Sea Lion swim and Paint with a Sea Lion. Both experiences were incredible! The trainer was fantastic, and you could tell how much she loved what she does (and the sea lions of course). I was fortunate to have a painting by Wilbur, and a swim with both Malibu and Bella. I can’t explain how incredible and exciting both experiences were! Everyone at Theater of the Sea was so kind and helpful. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit, and I highly recommend making this a top priority on your next trip. You won’t regret it. I can’t wait to come back!

Our experience at the Theater of the Sea was among the best we've had at any sea life excursion. The layout allows visitors to move seamlessly from one presentation to another, minimizing wait times and ensuring we can enjoy everything the Theater of the Sea offers. We thoroughly enjoyed this outing and highly recommend it based on our experience.

Everything about Theater of the Sea exceeded my expectations! The shows was fabulous! The creatures were all well cared for and you could tell they are happy. The grounds are very clean and well laid out. So worth every penny!

Bravo to all trainers who made our experience great today - from fish and reptiles to parrots, from dolphins to sea lions.

The most amazing, by far was the dolphins’, in which not only the 2 girls exhibited great training skills, but they created the right experience with music and everything they have done.

Better than Sea World, IMO

We only paid for General Admission & did not do any of the "special activities". After reading many of the other reviews, my observation is that your enjoyment of this experience probably depends a lot on how many people are there that day.

The place is relatively small (as compared to Sea World or a place like that). There were probably about two dozen people total the day we were there.

Facilities seemed to be clean and well kept. Shows were pretty much like you would see anywhere else. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful.

A few people complained about the price, but just about everything is more expensive in the Keys.

We had a great time without doing the extra animal encounters. Might be the best value in the Keys! You definitely get $45 worth of experience. The dolphin show is great, the sea lion show is funny, the parrot can subtract! Glad we went.

My husband and I were on our way to the Florida Keys when we saw the billboard for “Theater of the Sea.” After the 3rd sign advertising their business we decided to take a detour and see the show. We were both extremely impressed with the Dolphin show and the trainer, all 3 where beyond amazing. We were both so into the show we forgot to take pictures. The bird show was fun along with the sea lion. Would recommend going to anyone who hasn’t.

4 adults and we loved this. It’s educational and fast paced. Definitely not to be missed on a trip to the Florida Keys. Lots of fun for all ages.

I really wish there were 1/2 starts, because our experience was more than average, but not quite very good. The staff are welcoming and engaged and clearly passionate about their work.
The facility is a little on the small side but their schedule is designed to move you seamlessly through the 5 attractions and allow time for you to explore on your own.
The animals appear to be well cared for and many are unable to live "in the wild" due to their illnesses or injuries that brought them to the facility.
There are a number of "ass-on" experiences that are available, for a significant cost, but this small facility survives on their revenues so if it's your thing probably worth it.
We didn't avail ourselves of the snack bar or beach, but overall a very pleasant way to spend a 1/2 day on Islamorada.

The dolphins are the stars imo but the rest is great also. Very scenic with alot of plants and water

Very interesting place. Make sure you get there in time to start the tours. If you go after 2pm you won’t have much time to enjoy the beach area. The dolphin show was first rate. The parrot show was entertaining. The sea lion show was well done. The bottomless boat ride was a dolphin show. The prices are a bit steep, but if your staying in the area you could save big$$$ by buying an annual pass. The kiddies loved the place (7&12)

This was fun, swimming with the dolphins. We had a special needs young man in our group and Reed did an amazing job helping him and making sure he had a good time as well as everyone else. This is pricey to do, just like everywhere swimming with dolphins is. Nice facility, nice staff.

Our family recently visited Theater of the Sea on our trip to the Keys. We arrived, were directed to the meeting place for the start of the first tour/show...and from there you go from show to show with ruthless efficiency. They really have this thing timed and running like a well oiled machine. Before you know it, you've spent 4-5 hours there, and enjoyed it. Shows are roughly 30 minutes each. A great place to visit, and a bonus knowing the animals you are encountering are rescues.

We decided to stop here so we could swim with the dolphins. This was such a neat place. Wonderful staff and the programs were great. The swim with the dolphins was priceless. Great time. A nice jewel in the Keys.

I cannot put into words how incredible the experience was at theater of the seas. I did not know it was possible to have that level of relationship between a human and a multitude of animals. The dolphin show literally left me breathless. The relationship between the trainers and the dolphins is nothing less than amazing. This is an absolute must see. Hard stop.

Do not miss this absolutely amazing show!

Lastly, for those that are apprehensive about animals, being involved in the performance: the love that the trainers show for the animals is unparalleled. This is some of the worlds best.

Beautiful place to visit for the day! Fun & friendly staff! We enjoyed all the shows! Put big smiles on our faces! We took lots of pictures too! Would recommend this to any animal/nature lover!

We came specifically for the Swimming with the Sharks experience, and that part was worth every penny! 5/5 FOR SURE, especially with Bry as the instructor. She was engaging, patient, caring, and very good with adults and kids alike. Sharks were sharks, but Bry was a gem.

My kid was old enough to go in without an adult and got to hold a shark. I thought that was it, but then he also got to feed a shark. And again, I thought that was it, but after that they offered him goggles and fins and he went swimming with the sharks. He was so happy! Our session was scheduled for 3 pm, and it was 4 pm by the time we left the swimming area.

The park itself was okay. Quite small, really. The atmosphere was odd, too, because we barely saw anyone else and it almost felt like we weren't supposed to be there (this was around 2:30 pm). We eventually found "everyone" gathered around the Crocodilian Training. We did hear joyful voices and laughing coming from corners of the park, and those were from trainers. I must say, they all seemed extremely passionate about their work and happy to be there.

We also saw the Sea Lion show which was very memorable. Unfortunately, it was so. hot. that day and we were all fading/dying fast. The crowd was like, "..... yay......" when it would normally have been "YAY! Woohoo! Oh, wow!" I felt bad for the trainer because she and the animals were terrific. After that, we were very grateful that we got splashed on the bottomless boat tour (which was very short). That helps us cool off a bit :D

Don’t miss the shows. They are totally amazing.
So great we watched the Dolphin show a second time.
Had a great lunch there.

We spent a few hours at the Theater of the Sea while on vacation. It's not a huge place, but it's very well organized. You're directed from activity to activity in an organized manner. Our favorite things were the dolphin show (we went twice) and the sea lion show. We saw people swimming with the dolphins (but we didn't do that). Staff was friendly - and we were glad we decided to go.

Not what we thought!!! We thought this was an aquarium with some outsides shows included. We arrive and passed through the “gift” shop, showed our online purchase papers, were given a map and buzzed through the door. THAT is where the magic ended!!! The first thing we saw were sea lions in a VERY small enclosure. One was out of the water and the one in the water was going from end to end over and over. I felt immediately sick that I had purchased tickets to support this, seeing this small enclosure. It was WAY TOO SMALL and I kept thinking these poor animals!!! We walked around a little more and none of us had a good feeling about being there. We went to the parrot show and the dolphin show and once again just thought these poor animals! The botanical gardens is also a stretch. There were some pretty flowers along the walk way but I would not consider this a botanical garden. Before entering I felt like the price was very good for what they seemed to offer but once we were ready to leave I felt like I had been robbed. For such a grand entrance to this place it left us wishing we had given it a pass!! Can’t believe it has the reviews it does🤦‍♀️

We enjoyed the dolphin, sea lion, and parrot show. The bottomless boat ride was also fun. The staff was knowledgeable and seemed to really love their jobs.

Neat place but a little pricy! 10% off when booking online tho!

We enjoyed all of the shows. The dolphin show is awesome! You can come and go as you please throughout the day of booking.

This park is located in Islamorada, within 30 minutes of Key Largo. It's a relatively small place, where we keep following the shows with animals that happen. The format is interesting, as they repeat the shows daily for 3x, so the visitor stays in the attraction for about 3 hours and sees everything. At the end of each presentation, they refer everyone to the next place where there will be show!
We paid $103.10 for two entries.

We watched the following shows:
Parrot show - quite interesting.
Dolphin show - one of the best with dolphins we've ever seen.
Sealion show - very good too.
Bottomless Boat ride - unfortunately did not take place on the boat, which takes around 7 minutes to make the whole tour, where they tell the history of the park and some dolphins follow the boat. The next boat would arrive in 5 minutes, but we'd miss the next feeding attraction. In the end we did not see this attraction, because the next one would be only late in the afternoon (organization point of failure).
Fish, Shark and Ray Feeding - interessante, mas um pouco sem graça. It took a long time to get started.
Crocodilian Training - the poor crocodiles were a little sleepy (there was a sun for each). There was no interaction between the animals and the guide spoke too fast, the sound did not help, so it was difficult to understand.
Sea Turtle Talk - explained about the 3 turtles, under a strong sun. Same guide that was friendly, but hard to understand, for speaking too fast.

In the end we passed by the shop which was very weak of souvenirs. We only bought a Sea lion wig and had almost no magnets.

I recommend the visit! In our case was in planning, but we were mainly because the dives were cancelled.

We've made 8 trips to the Keys, prefer Largo's laid back atmosphere but travel dring the stays.First time to Theater of the Seas last year. It was perfect weather in early December. No mosquitoes! ( We grew up in Louisiana and expect them anywhere there is water, so we spray our clothes with permethrin in advance. Works 100%). Dogs on leashes are permitted at TotS!!! It's hard to find venues that are so welcoming to dogs. BTW You can also take your dog to the fascinating Museum of Diving on Largo. We will return to TotS this year. And seeing the flowers are fabulous. Orchids and bougainvillea, beautiful detail to the plant arrangements. Immaculately clean. Staff friendly, polite, knowledgeable. We stayed for four hours. Worth every penny IMO.

This park was amazing! The shows are up-close making it a wonderful experience. We were able to bring our dog in and he had a close-encounter of the dolphin kind! The grounds are beautiful and everything was well organized. I would highly recommend spending an afternoon here.

So happy we made it here on the last day of our vacation. The dolphin show was awesome! Totally worth the ticket cost and perfect activity for families. Our 5 year old loved it.

We had a wonderful visit. No matter what time you get there you jump in the show rotation and move directly from one show to another. It's like a well oiled machine and you don't have to worry about checking your watch and figuring out where to be. The staff tells you where to go next. The performances were wonderful and the grounds are gorgeous.

We almost spent six hours on our way to Florida Keys. It was worth it! The general admission gives you access to all the animal shows(Shark feeding, Parrot, Dolphin and Sea Lion shows, and also the glass bottom tour).

-If time permits, I highly recommend doing some your favorite animal encounter events. There are many of them you can choose from. They all are very well done.
-My daughter did 'Swim with the Sea Lion' and my son did the 'Meet the Sea Lion' encounter. Both were about 30mnts. long and they just loved it!
-Book online in advance as there are limited spots and they will get sold out.
-The park is very walkable and they have a snack shop inside. The staff we interacted with were friendly and helpful. Facilities seemed to be clean and well kept.

What to carry?
-Water bottles in your cooler bags( to avoid paying $3 per small bottle inside).
-Towels(especially for swimming events with the animals).
-Camera(you will be standing very close ~15ft. or so from where the show will take place and it makes it convenient to take photos).There is also a photographer onsite to take photos(you can buy if you want later).
-Sun glasses.
-Pack a small snack as well.

Nice place for a visit and children had a blast!

The tickets were pricy but well worth it. We saw five shows each lasting about ½ hour. The trainers who did the shows were completely professional and entertaining. The dolphins, sea lions, parrots, etc were charming and full of life. It was clear both trainer and animal were having a good time as were the audience members! Highly recommended.

Very nice place. It is small but they take really great care of the animals. Most are rescues. I did a sealion interaction and sweet Bella was the best. I got a wet kiss and hug and many more tricks were done with the trainer giving her lots of treats. We had a great day there.

This is a very nice family outing. I think children enjoy most of the elements especially the dolphins and sea lions. There are alligators, crocodiles, parrots, sea turtles,nurse sharks, barracuda, etc.
The dolphins show exceeded my expectations. You sit very close to the action and you might even get splashed. The young women who star in this central part of the Theater are amazing. They are propelled at fast speed through the water by the dolphins and even soar into the air from below the water as the dolphins push them upward.
It was worthwhile and I recommend it.

Beautiful, lush grounds and sea animals that are clearly loved and cared for. Entertaining seal and dolphin shows in a small, family friendly venue. A great spot to spend a couple hours on a drive through the keys. Very clean and well maintained.

Wife and kids love aquatic animals, and Theater of the Seas provided a great opportunity to swim with them. A bit pricy, but worth it! If you love Dolphins you will love this place!

This is a must do if you are in the area!! The animal shows were all very informative and fun (my favs were the dolphins and sea lion shows). Staff were wonderful, friendly and helpful. If we are ever in this area again, will def be back!

Awesome first visit to Theater of the Sea. First class outing for our family. We loved all of the animal shows. Grounds are beautifully landscaped; lots of shade on a warm day. Highly recommend for families with young children; even this senior citizen was impressed by the quality of the shows, educational talks on the animals, the concessions and helpfulness of the staff. We arrived at opening and it was not crowded. Buy tickets online.

We swam with the dolphins and was so worth the money, I’d do it over and over again. Even my husband who has a hard time swimming was able to participate. The staff and grounds were phenomenal. The dolphin show beats Seaworld’s any day.

The highlight of my whole trip to Islamorada was going to Theater of the Sea (it's like a miniature Sea World).

DO NOT MISS Theater of the Sea, especially their dolphin swims and DOLPHIN SHOW. Each dolphin show (3 per day) varies with different trainers and dolphins. The dolphin show you HAVE to see is trainer Bianca's show with dolphins Kimbit and Sherman!!! I was absolutely blown away - it was 100 times better than Sea World dolphin shows.

This trainer goddess named Bianca gets catapulted 50 feet in the air by her dolphins and she does double flips into the water. Two dolphins raise her up out of the water like a cheerleader pyramid and she just stands there balancing on 2 dolphins like it's nothing. She mounts a dolphin underwater and emerges from the water riding a dolphin like a horse but facing their belly. Mind-blowing! She also surfs on top of a dolphin's back! It's insane! Absolutely stunning and mesmerizing show - I was speechless! Biana and her dolphins are a GIFT FROM GOD!

This place was great! Very family friendly, and you could get quite close to all the animals. The employees were super friendly, you could tell they really care about the animals. The facility and landscape was beautiful. Loved the dolphin show! My kids did the sea turtle encounter and the paint with the sea lion encounter and both were AMAZING! Something they will definitely remember.

What a great place to learn about animals! We did many of the animal interactions. My grandson swam with the dolphins and the sharks and got to interact with the sea lions. I am not a swimmer so had the dolphin swim to me. The interactions are very scripted for the protection of the animals. My regret is that we didn't get to see all the shows or ride the boat. Great experience We were busy doing the animal interactions. They had surprisingly good food there. I got a chicken Ceasar salad. My grandson had shrimp and fries. There were no lids or straws for our drinks. The plants there were beautiful. Many different types of orchids and ferns. They even had a little beach. If you do any of the animal interactions make sure to take a towel and some kind of shoe to wear in the water. They provide fins when needed. I think it says you can rent a storage locker but that was not available when we were there. Be prepared to carry what you need. They do stamp your hand, so you are able to go back to your car if needed. For all the animal interactions you meet in the same place each time. They have showers to wash off the salt water. If you wish to tip the trainers I realized later that I could have send them a Venmo. They have a photographer to take the pressure off of trying to capture that moment. We thoroughly enjoyed our day.

As a South Florida native, I have never been to this place until today. My family and I were absolutely amazed at how beautiful and professional this place was. They deeply care for their animals and the conservation and awareness of them all. Highly recommended for anyone! Thank you so much to everyone who works here

This place offers a relatively inexpensive and very enjoyable experience with wildlife. They have trained wildlife that put on entertaining shows led by their trainers. There are also some more static displays in which you can see the animals. These include sea lions, dolphins, sharks, alligators, birds, turtles and many varieties of fish. It really is fun… for kids of all ages.

When we got here, we weren’t to sure because the alligator and shark shows weren’t very impressive. I guess the animals were cold so they weren’t moving around. But then we went to the parrot and dolphin shows which were amazing. My mom said the dolphin show was the best she has ever seen. We then swam with the sea lions which was super fun. We got to do a lot of tricks and there were only two other people with my daughters and I. The water temperature was freezing but it was worth it! I recommend spending about two hours here.

Superb family day with my 9 year old daughter.
Very welcoming staff.
To be frank, I had some apprehensions due to the comments on the size of the park, the quality of the shows...
In fact it was perfect, the shows are entertaining and informative.
It is possible to ask questions to the keepers, the answers are honest and detailed... a real pleasure.
Swimming with dolphins represents a significant amount of money, I don't regret a single cent of it, the staff supported us well, good explanations, patience, because in addition to having to translate the instructions, I had to reassure my 9 year old daughter, I recommend rental Wetsuits ($10) for kids, it helps with flotation....
My daughter was over the moon, her parents too.
It's not a huge park with transparent, sanitized swimming pools, so much the better!
Rather a channel, of natural water, with fish, small crabs, all the biodiversity necessary for the well-being of the dolphins. Fins are provided to swim with.
Dolphin show very very good.
Sea lions, parrots, the park takes time to discover everything.
Magnificent orchids.

Wonderful day with our family. From our 16 month old , to the 4 year old, parents, aunties and grandparents- interesting and a calm place to visit. Swam with a dolphin! Highly recommend- not too commercialized .

Our family of four had so much fun and learned a lot. The Swim with the Sea Lion was a highlight for our kids to do together! (ages 15 and 20) Paid extra for the photo package too because all we great. Loved the shows! Animals seem loved and well cared for here. Plenty of shade which is good because it’s still hot. So glad we had this experience on our family vacation!

I was very disappointed, mostly of the staff, nobody says hello , good morning when you walk in, i was asking every single question, regarding the tickets, the entrance, , they don't let family in even to take the pictures when you are with the dolphins, i asked, they said they have to pay the ticket entrance just to get in the park in order to take the pictures, so later , i could read small sign regarding the picture package, when i bought the tickets nobody explained this, about family to get in and belongings when you take your bag, lockers rooms, about if you would like some pictures with the dolphins , to offer something or upsell on their end, nothing nothing i had to find out all by myself and walk the office and read every sign to find out how the experience was going to be , then i asked something they asked me if i paid to give me that information, then they asked me the last name to see if i purchased the tickets only to give some information. The dolphins were beautiful , smart and innocent , well trained and the trainer was fine . Also when i paid the picture package the pictures were horribly taken, very far, bad angles, nobody even tells you here here this side , this way, look over there or something, or the camera guy is over there, nothing nothing , staff and photos very bad, dolphins very beautiful, overall experience poor, id rather go to to another dolphin place or sea world for a better experience and pictures , sealions beautiful, I wouldn't waste my time and money . I don't recommend

Kevin, the photographer is exceptional, great photos, good quality. One of the best out there with his experience! Would 10/10 recommend him to take photos and get the full experience, if you want a memorable experience!

I booked the meet a sea lion experience for myself and it did not disappoint! I was hugged, kissed, and shook hands/fins with Malibu the sea lion! It was such an unforgettable Thanksgiving day! I love the way all the staff help you get from show to show. Excellent place! Totally recommend if you are in the area. All you need is about 4 hours, but you could spend all day there if you want. It’s Beautiful!

Stopped in while in the area due to hearing so much about the place and seeing all the advertisements. Some of the animal enclosures were a bit to small especially the sea turtles. There are tons of different animal encounters you can choose from. The staff were nice and friendly. There are also animal shows to see. Nice place for a visit especially for kids. I had the sea turtle encounter and it was nice, I got to feed them. There is also a photographer on site who takes pics that you can buy if you want. It would just be nice to see some of the enclosures bigger. Stop in, enjoy!

If you’re looking for an up close experience with rescued wildlife this is the place to go! There are many different attractions where you can learn about dolphins, sharks, exotic birds, sea turtles, sea lions, stingrays just to name a few! You can also swim with many mentioned above for additional fees. The area is beautiful with a tropical Jungle feel to it. I highly recommend this adventure!

Beautiful exotic animals, turtles, parrots, glorious flora like the rich variety orchids, fun shows with the dolphins and rays and seals and parrots. A bit pricey but had a good time.

We had the absolute best time at Theater of the Sea! There was so much to see and do and the staff was so knowledgeable. They were also very accommodating and wanting to ensure that everyone is having a great time. We did several of the encounters and the trainers were all amazing. Natalie especially, went above and beyond in educating us, ensuring we were having fun and getting the most out of our experiences. She was such a pleasure to interact with and we appreciated her time so much! What an outstanding employee. Thanks again to everyone there!

The dolphin show was the highlight of our visit. It was a very nice show. We also saw the parrot show and it was ok, nothing spectacular. We were surprised at the size of the park, it is quite small. The food at the cafe was good. We went to the lagooon, but it was small as well with murky water so we did not end up swimming. For what it was, the park was quite pricey.

We have been to Islmorada many times but this was our first visit to this recommended spot. The cost is ok (may be a little high for some). The tickets are slightly discounted if you pre-purchase online. The park itself is well tended and very pretty. There were numerous orchids and other plants throughout that were stunning. The park has optional add on experiences (for additional $) but we chose to just do General Admission which gets you in and out privileges for the entire day. Honestly, you only need ½ day to pretty much see and do everything aside from the optional items. There are 6 rotating shows that are 10-20 minutes each so you can start with whatever show is next and make your away around until you see them all. In the meantime, there are plenty of fish and sea turtles to see in the ponds along the walkway. The highlights are the dolphin show, the parrot show and the sea lion show. The staff seems to be very engaged in what they are doing and show their love of the animals they are working with. I think some visitors might find the park quaint and small but honestly, that was part of the charm of it for me. My only issue is a personal one---I have a hard time with wild animals in captivity in general. I know some of these animals could not be released into the wild but I couldn't help but feel very saddened by the small lagoons that the dolphins were confined to. The two that performed had the largest area but were also doing multiple shows per day and also performing during the "bottomless boat tour." I didn't ask where the dolphins were from (partly because I didn't want to know) but the circusy feel of the dolphin performance left me feeling not great.
That said, this is a nice place for kids to get up close with marine life they may never get an opportunity to see in real life and again, the staff were great! I know there are way worse places for a dolphin to be in captivity than this one, I just wish they didn't have to be in captivity at all.

Very nice, small animal park that houses rescued animals. Staff was very friendly and helpful. The animal shows were great, especially the dolphin show. They have a sea turtle that has to wear a life jacket. Quite a few are there because of damage from boats. We learned a lot about these animals. Enjoyed it tremendously.

we went there to swim with the dolphins. We were not disappointed. It's not cheap, but it's a worthwhile splurge. The dolphins (and the staff) do not disappoint. We found it worthwhile to pay for the digital photos. So many great memories to bring back with us.

Beautiful animals and grounds cared for by friendly staff. Watched the dolphins, sea lions, turtles and others. Highlight of the visit, was my wife's painting with a sea lion experience. Wilbur was adorable and the trainer was very informative. Wife has been talking about it non stop since we left!

This is one of them best things we did on vacation. The employees were great and how they train and interact with the animals is amazing. We enjoyed the shows, then sat at the small beach for some time. A very enjoyable day

Dolphin show was great. Saw two different each time. Fantastic. Rest of shows were very informative. Bird show was very good also. Week worth the visit

My husband and I really enjoyed our visit here. The flow of the shows and the ease of getting around was something we both appreciated as opposed to other Marine parks we have visited. The smaller group setting also made it feel like more of a personal show.

I’m so glad we stopped here while in Islamorada. I did the wade with a dolphin experience, and it was so much fun! It lasted about an hour, and I got to hug the dolphin, do a few tricks with it, rub his belly.. It’s an experience I will not forget! There were also different shows throughout the day. We saw the sea turtles and crocodiles and listened to the staff tell us all about them. It seemed like most of the animals here are rescues, and were brought here from situations where they wouldn’t be able to survive in the wild. It was a smaller place than I thought, but overall a good experience!

Watching the results of the training is amazing, love the dolphins and sea lions. The sea turtles that need special help were great as well.

Incredible experience to swim along side these beautiful creatures! Melody the trainer was so nice and explained everything to safely participate with the dolphin and get the most from the interaction. We stayed longer and checked out the other exhibits with turtles, sea lions, birds, etc.

Our visit (3 adults, 3 children) was a mixed bag, but overall it was a good experience, but what really stood out was our Meet the Sea Lion encounter. Originally, we had 2 for the Meet the Sea Lion and 4 for the Swim with the Sea Lion, and the day before I was contacted and told that for reasons related to issues with the water quality they were canceling all in-water activities with the animals. That was a bummer, but we all did the Meet the Sea Lion and it was fantastic. Everyone - adults and kids - loved it. We meet Malibu the Sea Lion, and the intern who was leading the encounter (wish I could remember her name) was so personable and engaging and made it a great experience for us. We had multiple opportunities to interact with Malibu and came away with some great photos.
The rest of the park is ok, not great, but the staff couldn't be nicer.

Lovely place, informative and entertaining.

Surprising variety of animals here.

If you can get over the animals in captivity, it’s a brilliant day out.

Such a fun place to spend about 4 hours with the family. Every show was educational. Most were quite entertaining too. The dolphin show was AMAZING 🐬! Definitely recommend and would do it again. Our 9-yr old daughter did the shallow water dolphin experience and that was so fun. Those of us watching were a bit jealous once we saw their interaction. General admission is definitely worth the cost.

Went by on spec without any expectations. When we came in we didn't know what to expect and we only saw the prices for the activities you can do with the animals and that gave the impression that you could only do those things. You can't see from the outside what it means. Still, I looked at the website and read that there were a number of shows, so they went in anyway. Normal entrance fee 48 adults and around 30 for children. It was really worth it, we saw a whole series of shows in a row. It started at the back of the park and continued until you were back at the front of the park. It is not a zoo as we know it, but a shelter where continuous shows are given with the animals. You may be unlucky if the animals don't have them because they are not forced to appear. A really beautiful and fun location with high entertainment value.
We saw that the animals were treated with respect and love.

So impressed with this marine park. It is obviously an institution in the Keys and has been around for a long time. However, what was totally surprising was how well it is maintained. I love the quaint feel of the show and were able to sit close to what was going on unlike your Sea Worlds and such. The way they have the shows staggered and direct you from one to the other is so efficient and helpful. I can't say enough good things about the employees and their obvious love for the animals they are caring for and working with. At first I was hesitant at the price tag, but after seeing how well the animals and facility are cared for, I felt like I got a steal.

This is a great place for people of all ages. So much to see and do. You learn a lot and have so much fun. All if the trainers are amazing and so are the animals

We LOVED our visit to Theater of the Sea. The staff (both those who worked with marine and aviary life and the hosts) were so welcoming. We were very impressed with the care the staff took of the marine and aviary life- we could tell they had fantastic relationships. It is a beautiful setting with a great history. A real treasure!

Nice shows the birds an dolphin’s were my favorite! All the talks are very informative. The Flowers an landscaping is awesome as well. I would plan for at least 3 hrs to do it right an longer if you plan to do any extras

We met, fed and swam with the nurse sharks . Brilliant activity . Jack (trainer) was really helpful and clearly extremely passionate about his job and the marine wildlife on the keys . Loved the activity

We also saw the sea lions show and got to see amazing sea turtles and crocs

When the skies got a little gray and a few raindrops fell we paid a visit to this charming wildlife “theatre” and enjoyed our time walking through the property and taking in the parrot, dolphin and sea lion shows. We learned things about the animals, their behaviors and habitat that we hadn’t known. And, though it was late in the day and the last round of shows, the hosts and performers couldn’t have been more enthusiastic. As one of the oldest wildlife exhibitors of this kind, and still family owned, Theatre of the Sea deserves our support and a visit! Have fun!

Don't miss this wonderful, informative, delight-filled adventure. So many things to see and learn. Entertaining and uplifting. Especially wonderful where the dolphins, sea lions, and birds. The people that worked with these animals were wonderful, well-informed, and so respectful of the animals.

So fun...a little pricy, but you get a lot for your buck. We were a little pressed for time; saw the dolphins, seals and did the bottomless boat. They were fun shows and the captain of the bottomless boat drives with her foot. Super cool! Lots more to see. Great Great if you have kids!!! Worth the stop if you are looking for more than concrete down to Key West.

This is one of those places that if you don't stop and check out, you will regret it later. The staff have a passion and care for these animals that is 2nd to none. The interaction with the dolphins and sea lions, and parrots you can see the respect, bond and trust that these trainers have with them. This place is run like a well oiled machine and once one show is over, you are directed to the next one and it is set up so that no one misses anything. Stopping here was one of the highlights of our day Thank you!

What a great experience and beautiful place to visit! The grounds are beautiful and very well-maintained. They way they run the shows - you get a chance to see them all. I highly recommend the swim with the dolphin and with the sea lion. It was so much fun to have a dolphin kiss you on the cheek and a sea lion give you a hug! We also did the Turtle Encounter and got to meet and feed a few sea turtles. All these animals are non-releasable - especially the turtles due to injuries. The way they are taken care of and cared for is amazing. Staff was friendly and passionate. Loved it here!

The staff at Theater of the Sea is both knowledgeable and accommodating. They kept the flow from one exhibit to the next steady so there was no wandering around wondering what one was supposed to be taking in.

We had a great time visiting, my son and I did the sea lion encounter and it was amazing. The trainer was great with my 7 year old - he wasn’t tall enough to stand in the deeper part of the pool for some of the interactions but she was able to accommodate him in the more shallow area so he was still able to get the experience.
The facility is great, I loved the lagoon where you can feed the fish! They obviously care about the animals and take great care of them. Their dolphin show was awesome. Highly recommend stopping here!

Excellent experience with the Dolphins and the trainers! Everything was well coordinated and they had the Dolphins pull you across the lagoon and they let you hold them, pet them and kiss them and swim around the lagoon and they followed you. Worth every penny.

Spent the morning here with my family . It was fun to watch the dolphins and the sea lion. All the shows were very good. I loved that the place is shady and the venues for the shows are very accessible, just a short distant walks. It was really helpful for my senior relatives. Staff are all friendly and professional.

My 23 yo daughter and I were driving down to Key West and stopped here on the way. Wow! We are both animal lovers and just thought this would be a small zoo. It far exceeded our expectations!! These are all beautiful tropical animals who were rescued or donated and are treated very well. They are all trained and so much fun to watch. From gorgeous parrots (who can add and subtract like a 4th grader!) to old fashioned sea lion and dolphin shows, this place is a gem. You can interact with the animals for a few but we really didn’t feel the need to do this as these animals were all up close and personal. The staff were all 100% into caring for these animals. Honestly loved it better than sea world.

This was a highlight of our Keys trip! The grounds & landscaping is beautiful. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, & helpful. The shows were a ton of fun! We added the dolphin encounter where you stay dry. They also had wading & swimming with dolphins as well as sea lions. We stopped at the grill for lunch & a drink & this was good as well. Highly recommend for adults & kids.

We paid for a meet the dolphin experience. Staff were very kind and could answer any questions we had. We were allowed to take photos, touch, kiss and even play games with our new friend Skipper. After that we went to see all of the shows and displays, they offered. It was really nice because it is structured so you can just move from one show to the next and see most everything in about two hours. We really enjoyed everything we saw and learned. We will be back.

We liked that the attractions were easy to follow and one at a time. I do wish signage had been better and fans or something to cool down between each location. We were very unhappy that seating for the sea lion event was blocked off which greatly limited visibility there. Dolphin show was great, staff really did seem to care about the animals

A fun time. Dolphin show is the best part and the parrot show was cool but the others were very short and not worth your time.

A good way to spend 2-3 hours.

The dolphin show is the most amazing thing! You don’t want to miss it. The girls swim with the dolphins like a dance, instead of a trainer , which as beautiful.

The dolphin show is absolutely amazing, we seen shows with dolphins before but never anything like this. the lady / trainer and the dolphins seem to be best friends and give you a great show. we would highly recommend this park. the rest was very nice and interesting as well, we are just overly impressed by the Dolphin show.

After many years of going to the Keys, we were finally able to visit Theater of the Sea. It wasn’t quite what I expected but it was fun! The dolphin show was pretty neat as well as the 10 minute boat ride. The history is really cool and there’s some pretty cool stuff in the gift shop. Worth the visit for the price.

We were there yesterday and something very disturbing happened. After we finished in the park, we were in the gift shop. A song came on over the speakers that was VERY offensive. The lyrics included the words “mean mother f***er”. I was shocked that they’d be playing that in a public place where children might be. Not cool!

This is an outstanding place to learn about different species who are rescued and trained by a wonderful staff. Enjoyed shows with dolphins, sea lions, turtles, parrots, alligators, sharks and stingrays and a short boat ride on an open boat that the dolphins can be seen. It is so well organized that after one show you are directed to the next location for the next show. There are a couple of places to get a snack or lunch and a very nice gift shop. This is all on beautifully landscaped grounds. A very worthwhile experience.

We drove by the Theater of the Sea on the way to our condo for the week...and decided we would do this on one of the days we were in the Keys. Best decision EVER! The staff were very warm and welcoming and you could tell they truly loved their jobs and that they had established great relationships with the dolphins, seals, parrots, etc.

The shows were scheduled such...that you could easily go from one to another. And the shows....they were INCREDIBLE!!! We are in our 70’s and have seen a LOT of dolphin, seal and parrot shows and these were (hands down) the best we have ever seen. The dolphin show was a full half hour and the performance excellent.

If you are in the Keys...this attraction is a MUST!

Be aware, this is a small place. Do not go expecting the Atlanta Aquarium. However, the animals are so well cared for, the grounds are beautiful and the guides are very knowledgeable. Not many animals, most if not all, are rescues. But what they do have are easily accessible and the shows are fantastic. The dolphin show is hands down the best I've ever seen and the dolphins are in their natural habit. It was truly breathtaking. One of our favorite things we did on this trip.

My wife and I visited Theater of the Sea in the Keys this week. We enjoyed seeing all of the animals. They have alligators, crocodiles, parrots, turtles, dolphins, sea lions, and more. Many of the animals have been rescued and they take pains to make sure the animals are cared for well. We learned a great deal about the animals and we enjoyed the shows. They demonstrated in the shows how they reinforced the behaviors they wanted the animals to do. They use a reward system to train the animals and they never force the animals to do anything; the animals are motivated by the rewards. They have a parrot show, a dolphin show, and a sea lion show. It was all very interesting and in the beautiful setting of Islamorada.

This place is really cool.they have activities for all ages.children can really enjoy being here watching dolphins and sea lion shows.you can eat lunch here and not break the bank.

Honestly absolutely fantastic. Did the shallow water swim with dolphins with four kids. It was outstanding. The diversity of shows were great and the dolphin show may be the best we’ve seen with no two shows the same there! This is worth the trip.

Terrible service, especially the manager. We reserved tickets and could not make the show due to traffic from a huge accident on duck key. The manager scoffed at us when we called, and refused to give a refund. She then hung up on me.

Enjoyed the sea turtle rescues. All the shows were great and the staff friendly. The atmosphere is educational, cozy, and family.

Such a great place and is a must stop every time we visit the keys. Great staff and a cool/unique way of seeing the various sea life compared to your traditional sea parks.

I was there about 40 minutes and left very upset. I'm sure they are kind to their residents and physically care for them but the habitats are tiny and it doesn't seem that much effort or thought has gone into providing a natural environment for the sea lions in particular. I guess I was expecting more of a rescue/educational facility from the descriptions I've read but honestly, it broke my heart and I was ashamed to be a party to it. If they read this I hope they will take it as intended, I mean no harm but there need to be some upgrades.

We loved it here! Small enough so you can do it for a half a day. My gals (9 and 7yo) swam with Bella the sea lion and absolutely loved it! It was the highlight of our trip! They may have liked it more than the dolphins. Bella’s trainer was awesome and very attentive to our gals. Great experience!

Absolutely awful. Let me start by sharing a honest review of my experience and then share a bit about the most awful and insulting customer service I have ever received.

The park itself is okay. The dolphin show and sea lion show are fun. That is about the extent of our enjoyment.

The dolphin experience was awful. Beware that there are crabs, fish and other water creatures in with the dolphin. My oldest child has fear of those type of water creatures and was uncomfortable getting in. We repeatedly asked if we could walk her in and were told no. I ended up taking her place so that my youngest child would not be alone.

The extent of the experience is less than impressive. A dolphin ‘pet, kiss, hug and cradle’. That’s it. For over $225.

But. It gets worse. I emailed the company to share my disappointment that it was not advertised that there would be other creatures in the water and that because of this my child was not comfortable participating. They replied with an email outright lying stating that the trainer offered numerous options to allow her to do the experience on a float or have us in water with her. Downright lies. I have never been so insulted.

I would absolutely NOT recommend giving this company your business. There are many dolphin experiences available - this experience, customer experience, and company is a money grab. Highly suggest taking your business elsewhere.

The facility is well organized for shows. They move you from one show to the next. The parrot trainer was a bit much constantly telling the audience to have their mask over their face. It took away from the enjoyment of watching the parrots doing their tricks. The dolphin & seal lion shows were really fun. It was fun watching all the animals personalities.

It was extremely hot at the facility and difficult to wear a mask while being outside. The staff was extremely disrespectful when taking a mask break. Not a place I recommend for people who can’t wear a face covering.

We stopped just to see what it was all about. We are glad we did. Nice place to walk around and learn about the animals they have. Dolphin show was our favorite

It is a great place to watch animals in their theater environment. Dolphins, sea lions, turtles, cocodriles, parrots, very exiting. You need at least 2 1/2 hours to enjoy it.

Amazing place!! Should be 3 times the price. The value is amazing. You get to see and interact with a variety of species. The ladies at every show were amazing and respectful of the animals. I would rank this above the park in Orlando that has water stuff (you know which one I mean)
The grounds are amazing, plenty of shade, needed in florida. Can’t wait to come back.

After visiting Islamorada for 6 years, we went to the theater of the sea upon a friend's recommendation. This was by far the most enjoyable 3 hours on our week-long trip. The grounds were beautiful with pathways filled with tropical flowers, including all types of orchids. There were shows that ran back to back so you were able to go from one show to the next. If you missed a show and they repeated afterward so you can just see whatever you missed. There was a bird show, with parrots, and absolutely fantastic dolphin show, a sea lion show and a show about lizards and fish. The dolphin show was so wonderful that we saw it for the second time, with the same dolphin but a different trainer. If interested, you could do different activities that you would pay a fee for such as swimming with the dolphin. We did not do any of these activities but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. There is a wonderful gift shop with beautiful, quality items for sale and a cafe to purchase lunch or drinks. We would highly recommend this to anyone who is in Islamorada or the nearby keys.

This experience was so much better than Sea World. This is a family owned business and they really care about educating the public while making sure that everyone can attend all of the shows in an orderly manner. It was also affordable, educational and fun. This is a rescue and rehab facility but the stars of the shows are trained by dedicated and loving handlers. Did you know that alligators and crocodiles are part of the crocodilian family and that they only eat about 2000 calories per month? Fascinating! Stop by and find out why so many sea turtles have bubble butt! The dolphins, sea lions (not seals), parrots and more were very entertaining as well as educational. We absolutely loved it!

Great place to check out.
We were very happy with the park, and access to all the sea animals.
We did the general admission and was pleasantly surprised at how close we were and entertained. Great park.. well worth it for us!
Will be back - someday.

Our family of five (including three teenagers) had such a fun day here. We all loved the shows and were completely blown away by the dolphin show. We purchased an opportunity to all swim with the sea lions and we are so glad we did. What a fun, educational and enjoyable experience. Bella stole our hearts!

Sometimes you need to get off the beach and do something else. Well, we did just that and we were so glad we picked Theater of the Sea. What a fun, little place. Perfect for families. The dolphin show was amazing. I'm sure if you've seen the BIG shows, you'll be unimpressed, but we loved it! It was a perfect afternoon out. The staff were friendly and informative. The animals are all well cared for. It was clean and offered everything we needed.

My wife wanted to do it all so we swam with the dolphins, swam with the sea lions, and she even had a session of painting with the sea lion!
Wonderful shows including trained parrots, shark feeding , and of course the dolphin and sea lion shows.
We kissed a sea lion! ( And we liked it!).
Do not miss this place especially if you have kids.

We made an unplanned stop at Theatre of the Sea on our way to Key West, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! Even though we arrived during the heat of the day and didn’t get to see everything, we still had a fantastic time.

The park is beautifully maintained, and we loved getting to see all the animals up close — from dolphins and sea lions to birds and reptiles. The beach area was a lovely surprise and added to the relaxing, tropical feel of the experience.

It’s a great family-friendly attraction with a lot of charm. We’re so glad we decided to check it out, and we would definitely recommend it to anyone passing through the area!

Wow! This has been on our list of things to do for the last decade that we've been coming to Key West. Can't believe we waited so long. One of the best experiences ever. The grounds are absolutely lovely. The shows are fun and pretty spectacular. Our son did 2 experiences. The first was feed the turtles. Emma was our guide and she was knowledgeable and very kind. He then swam with the sharks. Emma again was our guide and she was calming, very much enjoyed what she did and made our son feel at ease. He loved every bit. While he couldn't actually swim with them, he held them, pet their bellies and fed. The entire place is not that large which is quite nice as it was very warm so we didn't feel like we missed anything. Overall worth the price and time to take a visit.

We visited last week on our last day of our Spring Break trip. It was probably my favorite thing we did.
The place is fantastic, shows are fantastic, very impressed!!
My 18 yr old and my 10 yr old did the Express Dolphin swim. It was small and more intimate than my past swim elsewhere, with only 4 participates here. My boys smiled the entire time, it was awesome. :) The photographer got a ton of pics for us. Plus I took video.
When we return to the Keys, we will definitely be visiting here again.

Highly recommend a visit here. The shows are perfectly timed for you to go from one to the next. Very well done and informative. My husband and daughter did the Express Dolphin Swim. I don't feel like they missed out on anything by not doing the full experience for a more reasonable cost. The staff here are excellent and very knowledgeable.

First, we chose this place because of good reviews. We were terribly disappointed. We had about 2-3 hours to tour this place. The shows are well timed, well planned for people visiting this place either in the morning, noon or early evening. The shows themselves were entertaining. The parrot show was amazing, parrots can do math!! But that is all they have. Compared to the price and shows of Sea world or any other aquariums this was mediocre. Apart from shows, there is nothing else to see. The boat ride was a joke. $44+ for 2-3 hours is ridiculously expensive compared to what you can do in Sea World or other aquariums ( Miami, Atlanta). If you're in the area, and want to see shows and animals, I'd suggest go someplace else.

Before you go here, make sure you do your research and you will have an amazing time. The lagoon is a small natural area, but the parrot fish that are more than friendly and you can purchase a hand full of dog food like substance for a quarter. If they are hungry, it’s totally worth it. The bird interaction is so amazing and worth the money as the trainer is so awesome. I didn’t realize you could tip the team member offering the experience until we had left. I tried to go back and find her (as she deserved it). If you book a private experience (grab tip money) as I bet you will feel they deserve it! The guy at the ticket counter and the lady front with the photographs was so amazing and her customer interaction was on point. They ensured that we had a great time and left happy customers as always.

A great way to spend an afternoon. Allow 3-4 hours for your visit. We were able to see many different animals up close. They seemed to be well cared for by a very caring and professional staff. There are many different shows as well as viewing areas for up close viewing.

We really enjoyed the shows, especially the dolphin, sea lion and birds. The grounds are gorgeous and there is even a mall area where you can swim.

My daughter and I went for the whole day. We did the Meet and Greet with the Parrots, Shallow Swim with the Dolphins and Meet and Greet with the Sea Lions. The woman at the food stand was so nice. The manager was so friendly and helpful when I made a mistake with my reservation. The man at the service counter was so helpful as well. Additionally, the Sea Lion trainers were so wonderful to my daughter and I. Totally recommend visiting!

5 star day! This place is wonderful. We did a sea lion swim that was both informative and fun. ( Thank you Amy!!) The sea lions look so happy here and truly enjoy the human interaction. Bird show was great and the dolphin show was the best I have ever seen! Well worth a trip here if you love animals.

Was really looked my forward to this visit as its one of the few things we haven't done during our many visits to The Keys...Was absolutely horrible. Sea Lions theater closed,Cafe Closed, staff at front desk seemed as if they could care less. Plexiglas in front of many exhibits had so much algae and build up was hard to see crocodiles. $103 for 2 people and zero interaction with any animals. We literally were there 30-45 minutes and left. I almost asked for our money back it was that bad. You can go 10-15 minutes down the road to Marathon and go to Aquarium pay less and have a much better experience. I realize its the off season but until upgrades and maintenance is complete I would steer clear. Really disappointed of our experience today. Just looked really rundown inside compared to the outside and entrance. The nicest thing there was the giftshop.

The dolphin show made it worth the price of admission. I don’t think it is too different from other venues, but it is always entertaining to see, especially for the kids. The sea lion and bird shows were also fun for the kids. My grandson swam with the dolphins and it will be a lasting memory for him.

The staff were very knowledgeable about the animals and super friendly. The talks and shows were great. We also fed turtles which my girls loved.

I honestly can not say enough about my experience at Theatre of the Sea! It was the highlight of my trip to the Keys for so many reasons. I am so impressed with the facility and the love that is given to all of their occupants. We swam with four dolphins Stormy, Nikki, Crystal and Trooper and I am still feeling the happiness in my heart days later. My mom has some physical challenges and they were all so patient.

The tours run on a loop that start three times a day, starting at 9:30, 11:45, and 2:15. We got there just in time for the 11:45, so we were standing in the back and could not see the first attraction. We were going to wait until the next show started but they close the gates after the tour and it was a couple hours until the next one started. It is a walking tour so you will be able to see things depending on the group size. We skipped the parrot show to stand in line for the dolphins do we could get a good seat. The dolphin show was worth the price of admission for us. It was truly amazing! It was a hot day and the tour group was too big so we left without watching the sea lions or doing the boat. Great place for small children, not so much for adults.

I thought the facility was nice. The grounds were well kept. The employee we dealt with to get in wasn’t the friendliest. The Dolphin show was great, the highlight of the visit. The sea lion show was good as well. The glass bottom boat was too crowded.
Overall I think it might be over priced for $45. But glad we went and saw it once. Doubt we would return.

Not like your typical aquarium. Great interactive shows that you attend in sequence. Very clean. Great staff. Worth the price of admission.

A fun place to visit. We did the express dolphin experience and it was great. My kids (9&11) loved being able to touch the dolphin and get a kiss and ride. I was surprised by how good the show was too.

What an amazing experience. We were concerned that the description said it was not modern, but it did not matter. The trainers were extremely skilled and informative. You can tell they really care about their dolphins, turtles, and all other living creatures being rehabbed there. Very organized and structured. We were able to enjoy the entire park using walking paths lined beautifully with labeled plants, flowers, and trees. Dolphin show was extraordinary. We got to be so close to everything. Highly recommend stopping here and making a donation after seeing everything.

This was more than we expected. We were pleasantly surprised that you had more options than just swimming with the dolphins. We were super excited to swim with the sea lions. I can’t believe what a great time we had. They allowed us a lot of different choices of things to do with the sea lions and our guide was super. The shows were informative and kept your attention. They were just the right amount of length of time.
Would highly recommend this!

So much to do and the park is laid out and planned out so that one show flows into the next. Parrots, Sea Lions, Sea Turtles and the best dolphin show I’ve ever seen (and I feel like I’ve seen a few)! I felt like it was worth the price of admission

Took my son for the shark swim/encounter. Was a lovely
Experience and worth every penny! We also enjoyed the cafe. Food was fresh. We didn’t have time to take in any shows but did enjoy the lagoon/beach as well as the sharks. Employees all sweet.

Trainers were knowledgeable and interactive. Fun experience for those with or without children. Love the sea lions and the dolphins best.

Amazing place. Well kept, great to their animals, fun experiences. Definitely worth it to pay for the dolphin experiences. It's pricey, yes. However it was totally worth it. 5/5 here for me!!

From a local residents recommendation we bought the general admission tickets for 3 adults and two children. Mom , Grandma, Grandpa and two grandkids age almost 4 and almost 2. We all loved everything. Not a large park but very well organized and fun facts or shows with different groups of animals. Great for kids. The dolphin show was one of the best we had ever seen. We did not purchase the extra experiences but they looked great

We loved learning about all the animals they have there and their rescue stories. We thought it was great entertainment and enjoyed the variety of shows available. The lagoon beach is more of a wade pool you can swim in if you choose. Food pricing was good for what they offer especially considering it’s a “theme park” of sorts. We just did general admission but still had a lot of fun! The dolphin show was my fav and my husband’s favorite was the parrot show!

More intimate than Sea World. Also, very efficiently structured as you move from one area to the next in succession so you have no waiting time in between. You can see the whole place in 2 hour.

Don’t waste your money !!! High cost admission for a trailer park experience - $400 for my family I will never get back- go to Sea World . Food on the cafe was awefil and expensive as well - dolphin show wa star only positive experience- trainers tried really hard to put on a good show- boat ride was 5 mins - took you down a ditch- miserable - I feel as if I was robbed- could’ve gone to the Miami zoo for a fraction of the price

We took our 5 and 10 year old grandsons to this attraction. It was well worth the price and drive from where we were staying in Marathon. Buy tickets online to save a few dollars. The activities repeat 3 times throughout the day, so you can see everything within about 3 hours, or you can break up your day with lunch and a swim in the lagoon. If you arrive early, it isn’t as crowded. In addition to the attractions included in the admission, there are many experiences you can have with the animals for a variety of prices.

We had a great time visiting while we were on vacation, our puppy was even allowed to join us! They have shows scheduled consistently throughout the day! Two out of our group participated in the swim with the sharks experience and they said it was cool. I absolutely loved it and loved that they are pet friendly!

We loved everything about Theater of the Sea! We were traveling from South Dakota to the Florida Keys for a week. We have 16 and 11 year old boys and they boy loved it. We loved how the entire visit was planned where you shuffle around between the shows. It was very well planned and executed! There were a lot of people in our group, so we missed the open bottom boat ride, but were able to catch it during the next scheduled time with no issues. The trainers were very open to answering any questions we had on the facility and you can tell that the animals and the grounds are very well cared for. It's like an intimate Sea World, you can get so close at the shows and really made for an interactive experience. For the price, this is a definite stop on your trip to the Keys!

Outstanding show. The staff is as entertaining as the animals! My second time here and each time was an incredible time.

We enjoyed the animals as well as the staff who discussed the animals or conducted training with them. The dolphin show was the best. We sat in the front row and got splashed as the did some of their tricks.

This place is tiny and mighty!!! The shows are terrific. The dolphin show with Sam and Ashley was the best we've seen(and we've seen many). The parrot show was cute with Isa. The seal show needs better accommodation. We listened to a staff member training and chatting with a trainee. She kept speaking over the trainer doing the show. Ourselves and other guests all agreed we are ready to work there now. For experiences,we had Megan for rays, Jodi for sea lions, Virginia for birds. ( we added this last minute and boy are we happy we did) They made the experience magical! We also did dolphins as the last thing but all in the group felt rushed by our trainer. It was fun but for the price we would have enjoyed a little more info and fun. All said and done great time was had by all. We would do this again!

Tour guides did a great job with explaining the marine life. Dolphin show was beautiful and all other animals were wonderful to see. Thank you for a great experience!

There were several sea animals and birds to view. It was cool that they had back to back presentations/shows. One time around was plenty.

I cannot say enough about this place. We just did the general admission and had the best time! The shows are amazing and the trainers are so educated about the animals there. I love that they use positive reinforcement for training and are a sanctuary for the animals that can’t live in the wild for various reasons. The park is stunning. We fed the fish on the beach, so bring quarters for the machine. Otherwise, it is a cashless park.

We thoroughly enjoyed the dolphin show and sea lions. The walking paths are beautifully landscaped and provide nice shade as well when walking from attraction to attraction. They have the shows spaced perfectly so you can join at anytime and still see them all which is very nice.

Don't do it. The worst value in the Keys. You'll get there and nobody will tell you where to go. Even when you ask a worker where to go to get to your family's dolphin swim, they'll be rude to you. The actual dolphin trainers were great and the short dolphin show is great but you'll sit around for a half hour waiting for the next thing. They'll be happy to issue gift cards - but won't tell you that they cannot be used for merchandise in the store - so we walked out without being able to take advantage of even a fraction of what we paid for.

This was a really great trip. We did the sea lion encounter, up close and in the water. It was a great time and the trainer was second to none. Highly recommend. We then went to all the shows and they were pretty good as well. Fun and educational.

This is such a fun place to visit! The experts that care for the birds and sea mammals are experts in their fields. The animals are in good hands. Definitely recommend a visit. Everyone is so friendly, welcoming, and so proud of their jobs. Bravi!

This is a place using rescued sea animals and gators which can no longer be returned to their natural habitat. There is several shows, aligator, dolphin, parrot,
sealion, and shark feeding. It was really hot and humid around 85 degrees while walking the trail to each show. The dolphin show was the best, like the old "Sea World
shows. Bring water and wear a hat, and a ton of sun screen or else.

What an amazing time!!! We did the shallow water dolphin swim with my mom and 4 year old daughter and it was awesome!! All the shows were really cool! You get to see the sea lions, dolphins, turtles and all the animals so close! The boat ride was so cool too!! Dolphins jump right in the middle of the boat!!! A must do!!!

This was simply put one of the best ever. The shows are so well done, it is obvious that the trainers LOVE their jobs. Their excitement and fun make the experience one of a kind. The dolphin show was spectacular absolutely awesome. Kid friendly, clean and the food is fairly priced and actually very good.

Wonderful place. Hidden gem. Reasonable pricing. Up close animal encounters. Great shows. Highly recommended for all ages.

Very impressed! Clean facility, well organized, great shows. We really enjoyed our time here. The staff was knowledgeable and even the animals seemed happy to be there.

The dolphins were so sweet and amazing. We did the deep dive. The trainer very obviously loves the animals and those dolphins. The water is so so murky. You can’t even see the dolphins coming up. It’s gross. And itchy. These poor things are in there all day, every day. The trainers say the water comes in from the ocean and rains but I don’t see how that works. The ocean water is clear with sand…and the water there..is gross and murky with no sand. I hope those animals are taken care of.

We have always wanted to swim with dolphins. We chose the shallow water swim and got to meet Skipper. The trainer was very attentive to ensure that we had a nice experience. The cost was not cheap, but the money goes toward sea animal rescue. The price of admission was included. We also watched a dolphin show and a sea lion show. There were also birds, alligators, flowers, and a short boat ride which we could have skipped. Overall, an unforgettable experience!

Very impressive, our family ages 18 to 75 thoroughly enjoyed our time there. An 18 year old did the interaction with the dolphin with Emily (Instructor) A great experience. The shows were amazing, well organized, flowed so your time was maximized. Learned so many things about the dolphins, sea lions, birds. Felt like they were well cared for. The dolphin show was outstanding. A must see in the Keys. I would love to go again and stay longer.

It was a fun place. It is very small but it's they keep you moving from show to show. The were good and the talks informative. If you have the time then stop especially if you have kids. (we didn't but we still loved it)

Meet the Sea Lion was so fun. So cute and friendly, like a dog. Meet the parrot was amazing too because they paint for you! I would say swimming with the sting rays was scary because they still have barbs intact. Disney removes them for our safety. I would not recommend swimming with the rays. And the water was so cloudy that you could not see anything while snorkeling. The shows were very crowded though. It is also a small place. The food is not so good. They ran out of everything. I would go here for sure again! Reserve early for dolphin encounters though because we could not get any encounters.

This place is so great! It's a little smaller than I had expected, but in a good, healthy way. They are able to take great care of all of the animals they have without being overwhelmed. They have fun shows that are great to sit and watch. The dolphin show is one of the best I've seen. I did a dolphin meet and greet. Our group was small, so we got a good amount of time with the dolphin and trainer. I'm a softie, so it meant a lot to me to be able to experience this. The place is clean and you can tell they really care about what they are doing here.

We had so much fun at Theater of the Sea. The shows were amazing and followed the schedule. The dolphin and sea lion shows are hands down the best, don’t miss those!
Our kids swam with the dolphins, this will forever be a favorite memory. They had a blast! We paid for the photographer as well and received over 100 photo, very much worth it. We went in the afternoon but would have watched some of the shows a second time if we had been there longer. This is a definite if you are in the area!

Dolphin show, Parrots, Turtles, Sharks and Alligators, this place has it all. The shows are entertaining and instructive, on a par with any aquarium. The dolphins are the show-stoppers, but the the rest of the exhibits are also very good. Each exhibit is about 15 to 30 minutes so you will not be bored. great for kids 6 years and older.