Beach Hotels Near Ocean Adventures Marine Park

Ocean Adventures Marine Park is part of and operated by the Institute for Marine Mammals Studies. All proceeds go towards their mission of providing education to the public, marine mammal and sea turtle conservation, and marine wildlife rescue and rehabilitation.

Ocean Adventures Marine Park is a superb facility. Young and old alike will love the opportunity to get up close and personal with various marine and tropical wildlife. General admission provides guests access to all shows, exhibits, the museum, the touch pool, and the aquarium. Guests can also book other animal encounters in advance for those that want a more personal interaction with sea lions, dolphins, or stingrays. When booking your encounter you might want to consider staying at one of the beach hotels near Ocean Adventures Marine Park to enhance your visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The dolphin show is one of the most popular shows, and it's sure to entertain and amaze you. These mammals are incredibly intelligent, and you will love watching them as they interact with their trainers. These dolphins are well cared for and have strong bonds and social connections with their trainers and handlers, which is an extraordinary thing to see.

The sea lion show is another crowd favorite. Sea lions are a lot of fun--they're more or less giant Golden Retrievers of the ocean. They love attention, and they love to show off their tricks and behaviors. An underwater viewing area lets you see the dolphins and sea lions from their own vantage point.

But not everyone at Ocean Adventures lives under the sea. Meet curious and charming parakeets at Tweeter Post, the walk-through aviary. Feeding sticks are available for bird enthusiasts. You can also catch a macaw and parrot show and watch these birds do their thing.

For more ocean adventure, there's a stingray show that educates everyone about these fascinating and misunderstood creatures. You'll have the opportunity to meet and touch the stingrays and to feel their surprisingly soft and silky skin. They don't sting at all, and accidental barbing you hear about are not only rare but are only the animal acting in self-defense. Once you meet them, these gentle and intelligent sea creatures will capture your imagination. Reptile lovers will be captivated by the alligator and snake show and the photo opportunity that follows.

The Discovery Center provides hands-on fun. A touch pool allows guests to touch and interact with stingrays, horseshoe crabs, and starfish. Aquariums are filled with fish and sea life. You can take part in a dig, and if you find a shark's tooth, you can keep it. A train ride takes you around the property and is sure to put a smile on your face. There's a playground for kids who need to burn off some energy and a cafe with refreshments.

If you are looking for a more in-depth experience, book an encounter or interaction. These are small group sessions where you get to interact one-on-one with the animal of your choice--dolphins, sea lions, or stingrays. The Dolphin Encounter allows guests to touch, feed, and have a photo opportunity with a resident dolphin. The Meet and Greet lets guests feed, touch, and participate in a posed behavior. And the Dolphin Interaction program lets guests get in the water and swim with a dolphin. You can touch, feed, and interact with a dolphin in their environment. The sea lions are just as much fun. Get a kiss on the cheek from a charming sea lion, or go behind the scenes and try your hand at training a sea lion in the Sea Lion Encounter.

You can also get waist-deep in the stingray pool during a Stingray Encounter. Touch, feed and interact with these remarkable creatures. If you want to spend more quality time with the stingrays, book a Snorkel with the Stingrays Experience, and stay at one of the convenient beach hotels near Ocean Adventures Marine Park.