Cool place to wander around. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Lots of different speciesread more

I've kept saltwater long enough to know that livestock dies sometimes and it isn't always the…read moreshop's fault. This wasn't that. Yesterday I picked up two emerald crabs here. One was dead by the time I got home. Today I bought three pajama cardinals. I drip acclimate everything, and partway through the drip, two of the three were clearly going downhill. Not ordinary settling-in stress, but failing. I called the store, explained what I was seeing, and they told me to bring them in. The diagnosis came quickly once I got there: my salinity was 1.019, and the fish had been shocked during acclimation. On that basis they credited me for one of the two dying fish and I absorbed the other. Store credit, not a refund. What bothers me is where the 1.019 came from. They tested the bag I'd carried the fish back in, and I had filled that bag from my own display tank. Same water, two readings: 1.019 on their instrument, 1.024 on my digital meter at home, calibrated before I used it. One of those numbers is wrong. That wasn't an academic disagreement. It decided who paid. Their reading put my tank out of range, so the loss became mine, and the portion they did cover came back as credit that only spends at the shop that sold me the fish. Three of five animals in two days, and an explanation resting on a measurement a calibrated meter contradicts. There are other places to buy livestock around Gainesville and I'll be using them.

We headed up to Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo this past Saturday. They were having a Party for the…read morePlanet Day. They threw a party for the animals and celebrated Earth Day. There's a lot to see at this little zoo. We saw lemurs, a tree kangaroo, Visayan Pig, squirrel monkeys, gibbons, Caracals, owls, a beautiful bald eagle, Herons, Cranes, Emus, Kookaburras, Gila Monster, tortoises, a Wood Stork and more! Hard to get photos through some of the fences. What a fun time!

Well worth visiting if up in Gainesville for a medical appointment as we were…read more Cleo the caracal was our favorite. Many exhibits with much vacant land awaiting "The Master Plan". Numerous helpful staff who I think are students at the college. Paths are unpaved and leafy, not wheelchair friendly, but fine for walking. Gift shop had minimal adult sized shirts and none featuring caracals. Yellow parrots nice eye candy.

If you're looking for a calm, educational, and genuinely enjoyable experience in St. Augustine, the…read moreSt. Augustine Aquarium is a lovely hidden gem--especially for families and anyone curious about marine life. This isn't a massive, overwhelming aquarium, and that's actually part of its charm. The space is clean, well-organized, and thoughtfully designed to let you slow down and really appreciate the exhibits. You'll see a nice variety of sea life, from colorful reef fish and sharks to stingrays and local Florida species, all displayed in a way that feels both engaging and approachable. What truly sets this place apart is the interactive experience. The staff is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and clearly passionate about what they do. They take the time to explain, answer questions, and make the visit feel personal rather than rushed. The touch tanks are a big highlight--hands-on, educational, and fun for kids and adults alike. It's a perfect stop if you want something relaxed, informative, and family-friendly without the crowds. Whether you're visiting with children or just want a peaceful break from sightseeing, the St. Augustine Aquarium offers a refreshing and memorable experience. A great little spot that's well worth the visit.

Such a cute smaller attraction off the beaten path of the Main Saint Augustine area. Definitely…read moreworth going for a small educational look and see of aquatic life. They offer snorkeling and their Upground aquarium along with a ropes course strung above the area. There's a smaller trail behind the facility that you can walk and explore on your own. Restroom is available and a small gift shop. You can purchase food to feed and or pet the sharks and stingrays. Great facility for smaller schools to visit they do offer summer camps as well .

Silver Springs State Park was an amazing experience. I came out with a group to kayak, and it ended…read moreup being one of the highlights of the trip. The water is absolutely beautiful and crystal clear, and we saw wildlife pretty much the entire time. We spotted tons of birds, turtles, fish, and even the famous monkeys! Kayaking was a great way to explore the park because you can get surprisingly close to the wildlife while still just enjoying the scenery. Seeing the monkeys out there in the wild was definitely something I won't forget. Beautiful park, plenty to see, and a great place to spend a few hours on the water. I'd absolutely come back.

My parents were reminiscing about when they were middle school aged and came here for field trips…read more I was surprised to find out that Silver Springs State Park and the glass bottom boat tours have been around for that long! It was about a 1.5 hour ride from Orlando. Woke up real early on a Saturday (on honestly one of the coldest days of the year) to arrive at the park around 8am. I highly suggest purchasing glass bottom boat tour tickets online about a week in advance atleast since time slots fill up! We purchased the 1.5 hour tour on the boats. Our tour guide was incredible and shared so much knowledge and facts about the wildlife and park. I got to see tons of manatees! Plus getting to see gators, turtles, birds, and even monkeys! The glass bottom gives such a cool perspective on viewing the wildlife and plants underwater. Aside from the tour, we walked several trails to enjoy the great outdoors. Also, we had coffee in the morning when we first got here and lunch after the tour. The food was pretty good and filling. At the gift shop I made sure to leave with a magnet and Christmas ornament to remember such a great day here.

I love that this is less than an hour away. I stopped in with lovely family members for the 2 pm…read moreshow. The first/last thing you encounter is the gift shop. Lots of mermaid, scale and sea animal plushies. My favorite would be the 2 lime green eels, funny the living one is one of my favorites! The aquarium is small, and if its a busy day, it gets uncomfortably crowded, but since you have a fluid hour, you can visit anything you migh have passed as people were backed up. The rescue birds are a nice addition. They look happy and healthy. The employee who was cleaning the windows was also sweet. I mistook one of the tour guys as my friend, he took it well. He was knowledgeable about Nautilus' and was very helpful when explaining the touch tank and how to pet the rambubctious rays, that kept popping up for pets. Theree an activity shark hidden near the benches for kids who need other stimulus. Its a near little corner with sensory floor panels and a lot of finger activity. (Im not sure how often it's sanatized, but it was really popular) The shark nursery was probably my favorite. So many shark purses, little hatchlings and juvenile leopard sharks. What do they do with all the sharks that hatch. Be sure to get a spot on a bench quickly, as they do fill up. We sat on the back right and had a lovely view of Mermaid Hannah and the story of the Mer people. She was lovely and graceful in the water, the fish paid her no attention, but there was a grand standing rat that really loved showing his "face". So cute! If you want to feed the shark or the rays, it is an up charge of $5. They offer a little mermaid photoshoot for girls under 12, for an additional price as well. The offer something for everyone. I really enjoyed my visit

Good for an hour long of entertainment. The show was a little silly and my 4 year old instantly…read moredeclared it wasn't a real mermaid, but we had a good visit. I loved the scavenger hunt with the checklist of animals to find.

4 stars for a great indoor activity to beat the summer heat in Orlando! This was our first time…read morevisiting Sea Life (located at ICON Park) and our 2-year old had a blast. He loved running around and looking through all the different tanks full of fish. It's a pretty small aquarium and tickets are relatively inexpensive at $15 pp. You can also buy a ticket bundle and combine it with the Madame Tussauds wax museum next door. We didn't do that this time but not a bad deal if you want to see both. This is definitely a tourist attraction, being located on I-Drive, but we still enjoyed it. We went through it in about 45 minutes, but you could go at a slower pace if you're not chasing a toddler. Even with the size, there's still a lot to see and a wide variety of fish and sea life: sharks, turtles, axolotl, starfish, stingrays, seahorses, jellyfish, moray eel, and more. There's also a touch tank at the end if you want to participate. It also wasn't too crowded and was easy to navigate.

Wasn't sure what to expect when we got timed tickets for this aquarium sight unseen…read more Not a fan of taking multiple photos of you, to sell back to you, before you even get inside to see anything. They had some interesting fish and water animals. The docents who were trying to educate people had an uphill battle with the younger kids. Overall, I've been to some bigger aquaria with more to offer but I enjoyed it.

Solid aquarium with plenty to offer for all ages. We headed in here while in the area and booked…read moreour tickets in advance online. It was a quick and easy check in and we were inside quickly. They have a lot of various exhibits and plenty of signage to read and learn more about the animals, environment, and more. The staff was friendly throughout the various interaction we had around the aquarium (touch tank, viewing sessions, etc.). The entire space was clean and well cared for and the animals had good spaces. Overall: A Good aquarium that is easy to walk through and enjoy! Book online for your tickets so you save a little money!

A clean new aquarium in Daytona Beach. It's a great place to spend a rainy day if you're looking to…read morebe entertained for an hour or two and aren't worried about high admission prices. It's not huge but has a good variety of animals to learn about and see. There is one sand table activity for kids and a coloring area where your art work can be scanned and temporarily added to a little display. The touch ponds with the starfish and feeding the stingrays were fun for our kids. Some of the exhibit spaces could have been improved for children - they were too high for my kids to see into so parents prepare to do some heavy lifting. They could think about adding some step stools or some sort of mini stair system in certain areas to help improve viewing access for the littles. It's all one level and would be easy to navigate for anyone with mobility issues. Additional experiences include VR, mining, hold a baby alligator and stingray feeding. All come at an additional charge. The downside to this place was definitely the price tag. Military, law enforcement, Florida residents and seniors all offered a very minimal discount. Don't forget your various IDs because they're required for the discount. I told the abrasive cashier I didn't have my applicable ID and couldn't find a picture and she said "well it's only $1 discount". I was surprised she wouldn't take me on my word as a lot do these days, especially since it was "only $1". Not the best personality represented at the front desk. The gift shop is a good size and has all kinds of toys, clothing items, stuffed animals and a small area of books with some cute titles. Overall a good way to spend a couple of hours if you're willing to suck up the high prices. I'm glad we went today but can't say we'd be back if the prices aren't lowered...a bit of a one and done experience as it stands now.

Amazing staff, very calm and educational environment. You can tell they love the animals and take…read morecare of them.

This marine biology center is the best of the best in local attractions, especially for kids. It's…read morea great ocean learning center for STEAM. Learn more about our local wildlife program here, including sea turtles.

Good people who work there. They support aquatic life and overall education! Have a diversity of…read moreother reptiles and exposure to good things involving ocean life. Not so much for a cafe but great for kids.

If you haven't visited this location, you are sleeping on a fantastic animal rescue and child…read moreentertainment center. For the longest time I thought they were 'just a fish shop', but then realised they are also a rescue centre with a huge range of animals, from the adorable axolotl's to a giant albino python called Buttercup who is currently my child's favourite thing in the world, koi and turtle ponds, some lovely frogs, and host regular sensory friendly events. This is a wonderful place to introduce your child to a new wide range of creatures they would otherwise not have the opportunity to engage with. They also have an on-site café that apparently serves some of the greatest chicken nuggets in Jacksonville, and a small shop. The staff are knowledgeable and patient, the owner is a gem of a man, the facilities are clean and beautifully decorated, and if you're just here to look, it's a wonderful way to kill an hour. Just drop a little something in the tip box to show your appreciation.