Florida >> Monroe County >> Theme Parks >> Dolphin Research Center - Grassy Key
The Dolphin Research Center is a a non-profit education facility based in the Florida Keys. If you want to get close to a dolphin, swim with a dolphin, or just pet a dolphin the Dolphin Research Center is the place.
Meet the Dolphin at the Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key FL
DRC is home to a family of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions. The Dolphin Research Center also rescues and rehabilitates marine mammals around the Florida Keys.
The Dolphin research is the least expensive way to touch a dolphin. The Meet the Dolphin progam is $25 per person (plus the $19.99 admission fee) and puts you on a floating dock with your hands on the friendly dolphins. Shake their flippers and rub their back or stomach.
When dolphins are injured or unable to care for themselves in the wild, Florida has several marine mammal facilities to rescue these dolphins. The Dolphin Research Center is one of the oldest facilities in Florida dedicated to caring for Dolphin. They depend on funding through educational programs available to the public for a fee.
DRC is home to the original “Flipper” 1960’s TV series that helped make dolphins so popular. The original Flipper is buried at DRC under a statue of her (Flipper was a she) and some of Flippers grandchildren live at DRC.
The Dolphin Research Center offers interactive encounters such as swim the dolphins, trainer for a daily, and researcher for a daily. For age 3 and up, your family can “Meet the Dolphin” for $25 per person. Your child will be able to touch the dolphin by shaking its flipper and rubbing its back.
A more immersive full day program is called “Trainer for the Day” where you spend the day with a trainer learning their techniques to train dolphins. This program is for ages 5 and up and cost $650.
Along with several hands on encounters to choose from, the Dolphin Research Center offers general daily admission and camps for ages 10 and up.
The Dolphin Research Center, Grassy Key, FL
Dolphin Research Etner
Accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums
Hours: Open 7 days a week from 9am to 4:30pm (closed on holidays)
Phone: 305-289-0002.
Directions: Dolphin Research Center, 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, Florida 33050-6019.
Mile Marker 59 (bayside).
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