Purchased through a cruise line. The tour guide met us at the port, separated us into groups, and…read moresent us to the park in separate Taxis. Once we arrived, the guide gave us a brief rundown on our schedule for the day, then showed us to the lockers to put everything away. We were told we could not take sunglasses or anything else out to the dolphin encounter. They really don't want you to take anything that could have a camera in it to take your own photos. We were given life jackets, and before going out to the pier, a photographer asked if we were interested in photos. We chose to get them with the dolphin and the Manatee. They had a security guard checking wristbands and for cameras before you go on the pier.
Our group was taken down in the water to stand on a small ledge that was maybe 18" wide, about 3' below the surface of the water. This was in the ocean with constant waves coming in, pushing us. There was a green fence behind the ledge, and you could tell by the way it was bent all over that people had been hanging onto it for years to stay on the ledge. It was just a normal wire chain link fence with lots of sharp edges, so you had to be careful where you held on. I believe the purpose of the fence in the water was intended to catch the seaweed floating in the water. With as much money as this place makes, you think they would be able to afford an actual rail for people to hold onto.
They brought out the dolphin, and the whole encounter felt very rushed. We were given a few seconds each to pet him as he went down the line. On the next pass, we got to rub his head, those who chose to buy photos got a little more time for the photographer to get pictures. We took turns rubbing his belly, and then those who were comfortable swimming off the ledge got to swim and splash with the dolphin. Many stayed on the ledge and skipped this due to the waves. I had to pull a couple of people back in myself who had trouble getting back to the ledge. The last activity was putting on a mask and listening to the dolphin squeak underwater, only 4 people felt comfortable swimming in the waves to do that. We got out of the dolphin area and got into a similar enclosure with the Manatee, which was also rushed. The only people who got to spend time with the Manatee were those who opted for photos prior to getting in.
The changing rooms were nice in the locker area. We went in to look at our photos and were told to choose our own photos from the group. I was wearing a similar sun shirt as the guy next to me, and I somehow chose several of his photos while selecting from the thumbnail photos. The person assisting us became upset, claiming I was trying to get pictures for the other people. The price for the Dolphin photos was $140, we were given the option of choosing 1 photo with the Manatee for $40 or all of them for $60. We ended up paying $200 for all photos, and they printed 2 of our choice. To get your digital photos, you have to download their app and get the photos while connected to their WiFi. They took so long processing our order and then showing us how to get their app to get the photos that we missed the only Sea Lion show.
We walked around the rest of the park and found the Snuba counter. We would have put our swimsuits back on to do that, but there was no one at the counter and no signs saying they were closed for the day. We saw signs for massage, but when we asked, we were led to an area behind a bar, nowhere near the signs. That seemed a little sketchy, so we walked away. When I looked at a map later, it showed the massage area was near the lagoon, not where we had been taken. We had lunch at the included buffet, don't recall what it was. There was a very nice server going around taking drink orders and bringing prompt refills. After lunch, we walked around in the gardens and the Mayan exhibit until it was time to go. To get back to the ship, we were split into separate Taxis again. We got back to the port on time, and we had plenty of time left before we had to be back on the ship.