I'll get straight to the point with the good stuff: Mote science education aquarium is doing great…read morework in the conservation of threatened and endangered species. The aquarium does an excellent job showcasing what zoo and aquarium scientists work on behind the scenes around the clock to help ensure the survival of species. There were countless viewing opportunities into labs of all sorts and the viewing deck where the aquarists feed and train the animals was also visible. The aquarium was admittedly on the smaller side when it came to number of animals to view, and we made it through in about an hour with our one-year-old. I imagine a child with a slightly longer attention. Span may have lasted a bit longer. However, I recognize that Mote is a research and education facility as much as it is an aquarium. There were classrooms and rooms with presentations set up where you could sit and learn about the work they do. If I lived locally, I would probably enroll my child in some of their classes and workshops so that he could learn about the important work of animal conservation. The ticket prices were very fair for an aquarium. Exactly what you would expect aquariums always cost more than zoos because of the extreme cost of water system maintenance. The parking lot is rather small, but there is a ton of parking across the street. The white concrete was a bold joist and about blinded us walking in, so bring your sunglasses. The gift shop really had the cutest selection. Whoever is managing that is doing an excellent job. We grabbed a sticker to remember our visit by. I have seen a lot of folks talking about the aquarium being sold out and not being able to enter. It is pretty normal for aquariums all over to do timed entry to make sure that it doesn't get too crowded or bottlenecked in places. I highly recommend getting your tickets online in advance for the time you'd like to go not just for this aquarium, but for any who offer timed entry. Overall, a great experience and will recommend two friends who may travel to the area.

We bought an annual membership when we got into town. We are visiting from California…read more We took our four month old baby to see the beautiful fish, otters, turtles, sting rays, sharks, manatees and so much more. She loved the lights and the movement of the fishes. The aquarium is beautiful inside, very clean and it wasn't too crowded. We are excited to continue to take our little one there to grow her mind. There is also a little cafe that makes amazing iced lattes.

The big cats are absolutely magnificent. The most magnificent of them all were the two panthers,…read morewho unfortunately had a small cage with concrete floor covered with large gravel stone and a small pool of moldy water that looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. Some mulch to sleep on and some clean water is not too much to ask for these magnificent animals. They slept during the entire three hours that I visited and I suspect were very depressed. The fact that a new panther enclosure is currently under construction does not change the fact that these two magnificent animals were not being well treated. Please consider providing some shelter and more natural habitat in the new panther enclosure so these animals have the privacy and quiet they need being sited right next to the food court. They are not a museum painting; they are living sentient creatures that in some ways are superior to the humans.

Really enjoyed our trip here. I don't want to compare this place to a zoo but let me...it's not…read more These animals you can tell are happy. They know the staff walking around and you can tell their personalities. The animals were having fun with their toys and were well taken care of. We fed the lions and bears and these animals took food off of the sticks so gently. These normal encounters felt like you were so close to them. Such beautiful animals. Really worth a visit.

Pretty nice small business. Corals are in abundance. Peter is knowledgeable and helpful.read more

After a bad experience elsewhere, I will not go anywhere else. They are super helpful and patient…read morewith me and all my newbie questions. I love my fish and corals. Best place around. If you want a place that's honest, this is your place hands down.

The Sarasota Jungle Gardens is a hidden gem. There's so much to do and it's one of the places in…read morethe world that you can feed flamingos. They have so many animals from turtles, parrots to baby alligators. This place is family friendly for all ages. Don't forget to see the bird show! There's free on site parking available.

Ok, not great. If you want to pay $25 to hand feed a…read moreflamingo, this is the place for you. The live bird show at noon was good. The cafe is still closed, so there is only one small restroom at the gift shop for the whole park! The animals in cages looked sad. While walking on the main path, I saw a rat! Another lady said she saw many.

Frag Freak has always been a staple LFS in the area, but it is under new management now, and it is…read morebetter than ever! The staff is all amazing, and the new owner Wes is super friendly. They now have a bunch of fish tanks in store, so you can buy a full set up and get started right away. They can also order you whatever tank you want if they don't have it in store already. As far are coral and livestock goes, their selection is amazing! As someone who has been in the hobby for several years and frequently visits different fish stores regularly, most of the time places just have the same common corals. But that is not the case here! They have everything from a $10 bargain section to super high end coral that most other stores don't ever carry. It's clear that these guys have been in the hobby for a long time because they are making sure to bring in the less common stuff. It's definitely worth stopping in just to see those coral.

My family went in for fish and supplies. Josh (Store Manager) and Austin were incredibly…read moreknowledgeable, helpful and patient as they demonstrated what we needed to know for a healthy salt water tank. We will be long term customers. Great selection and great service. I highly recommend.

Dj was a great guide for our group. Went into detail about all the different species, had…read moreextensive information on a few of them and he seemed to enjoy his job. This was a great experience with some opportunities to hold some of the stars at Croc Encounters. I definitely would recommend.

Loved our tour with DJ. He was a great guide and very knowledgeable. Would highly recommend this…read moretour. I would take other guests again.

AJ was so kind and gentle with my older dog. I highly recommend Pet Supplies Plus. AJ did an…read moreexcellent job.

Always a good experience shopping here for my dog. Friendly, caring and helpful employees who…read morereally like pets.

Nick just might be the Koi Whisperer... he provides great service and has been instrumental in…read morehelping us to keep our Koi Pond in great shape! I really appreciate his advice, counsel and enthusiasm... the guy knows his business!

Nick took good care of our ponds while we were on vacation. We will be using his service for some…read moreupcoming maintenance on our ponds.

Great service. They do an excellent job trimming our parakeet's nails. Also, an excellent variety…read moreof food.

I don't think you want to see a photo of a dead bird. The Patterson's who own Exotic Pet Shop will…read moretell you that there's a 24 hour bird return policy if they die between that time of arriving home. We would never have even called back or I would not be leaving this review if it wasn't about the customer service. After being told that there was a policy that only applied to fish that died between 24 hours. We are distraught over those $200 that has now turned into an empty solution, where we were mocked for our efforts to keep a pet. We feel mocked for how we were told to communicate that 24 hour policy that didn't apply to us and won't bring our money back. This is not a place to bring home a lifetime friend.

Ethically Purchase Your New Wet Pet…read more When I decided that I wanted to get a betta, I knew I wanted to get one from a local aquatics shop instead of from a big box pet store. It's more responsible & ethical, you're shopping locally, and you won't be getting a sick fish. I stumbled upon Wet Pets, and all the reviews raved about how knowledgeable Danny is. We found a beautiful betta swimming in a tank with other fish. He was super social and looked so healthy & happy. I got him the best betta starter tank Danny had. It's been a few weeks, and I think this is the happiest and most social little beta I have ever seen. We thought there would be some rocks & plants inside - but that's no biggie. He just had to wait one more day for his "furniture." Danny did say that if there ended up not being rocks in there that we can come back and he'd take care of us, but we ended up wanting a particularly funky set up haha. The only downsides are that the shop is very small & humid inside and it can get quite busy, which is frustrating if you have questions but need to wait a while for help - but that shouldn't impact my review since that's kind of expected with a small local fish store. Just know, you may need to be patient. Overall, Wet Pets is a great local business with a very knowledgeable owner. I highly recommend stopping in for all your wet pet needs if you'd like to support local business, ethical treatment of fish, and to be sure you get healthy fish

We love Wet Pets, SRQ. Danny (the owner) is super knowledgeable and has the best fish selection…read morearound town. When you buy from Danny it isn't like buying from some chain where you might have iffy water quality and fish health. You can tell Danny really cares for his fish.