The new Mote Aquarium is definitely a big upgrade from the building I used to visiting. It's much…read morelarger and feels more in line with the modern aquariums you see these days. Do I like it? Kind of. Personally, I prefer aquariums that focus on showcasing a wider variety of fish rather than architectural viewing features like the curved glass tunnels and overhead viewing windows. Those elements are fun and exciting, especially for kids and casual visitors, but I'm there to see the marine life. The layout was excellent, and many of the exhibits were similar to those at the old Mote Aquarium, although I did notice the Cayman exhibits were missing. The shark and stingray tank was a highlight, and there were plenty of activities throughout the day, including a VR experience, penguin feedings, and watching divers clean the shark tank. The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, always sharing interesting facts and engaging with the kids. The biggest downside was the admission price. For a family of six, it made for a pretty expensive day. I also felt there wasn't enough convenient parking. It was a little surprising to see such a large pond outside when additional parking would have been appreciated. That said, the outdoor area was beautiful, my kids absolutely loved their visit, and I found the aquarium both informative and visually impressive. While I would have liked to see more fish exhibits, there was still plenty to enjoy. If you're visiting the area, it's definitely worth checking out.

We came to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium with high expectations because of its reputation as a…read morenonprofit marine research and science education institution, but unfortunately left feeling disappointed. We purchased two tickets online for around $80 and visited on a Thursday afternoon. Even with timed entry, the aquarium felt extremely crowded, with many areas requiring us to navigate shoulder-to-shoulder through the exhibits. The entire aquarium took about an hour to walk through all three floors, but much of that time was spent dealing with crowds rather than exploring. For the price, we expected more exhibits, especially after learning the VR attraction requires an additional fee. Compared to other aquariums we've visited, the experience felt a bit overhyped. We were also concerned by the size of some of the animal enclosures. If the environment didn't feel peaceful or comfortable for us as visitors, we can't imagine how the constant noise, crowds, and limited space may affect the animals. Better signage, improved traffic flow, and a reevaluation of the enclosures could greatly improve the experience for both guests and marine life. The staff were the highlight - friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about marine life. We also enjoyed the photo booth and penny press machines for souvenirs. Overall, we appreciate Mote's mission and the important work they do, but the visitor experience didn't meet our expectations. We hoped for a more peaceful, educational experience with more exhibits, better crowd management, and spaces that better support the animals' well-being.

Amazing variety of animals and well taken care of. This is perfect for kids of all ages. Petting…read moreand feeding the chickens and goats were my kids favorite part. But be careful of the monkeys they will throw poop! Haha

My family received free tickets and decided to visit a while back. We were so sad the whole visit…read more Many of the animals were in small, jail like enclosures. There was a wolf kept in a small, concrete floor, tiny stall with a big cat and the cat bit the wolf. We let a staff member know and they told us the name of the person who owned the wolf (we assumed the animals were owned by Big Cat Habitat and not private individuals. Big Cat Rescue in Tampa is a legitimate rescue. Big Cat Habitat is more like a side circus where most animals are kept in enclosures which are too small. Please support legitimate rescues and not places where private individuals own and display their pets.

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.

Great time, lots of gators,Monitors, turtles etc - Be hydrated it's hot, if there's no breeze it…read moregets pretty stuffy..

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

So I'll start by saying the employees them selves are great and helpful but the manager (Dan) is…read moreextremely rude and could care less about the animals in his care he wants to just make money off of them verses finding them a loving home. I had tried to bring to his attention there was a mess up on a label about a type of fish I was gonna still buy at the normal full price but he had it marked as a rare fish and tried to SCAM money out of me. He was rude and basically said he wants money over giving a discount so the fish that has been there for over a month he'd rather it just die then leave for $12 less. Overall I'm very disappointed with the managers management of the store everytime I go he's no where to be seen when he is in the store he's not helping anyone he just watches the staff carry the store. Again this review is specifically for Dan the manger and not the staff they are great!

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.