The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park, located on Okaloosa Island, announced that their resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins are making themselves at home in the long-awaited Dolphin Oasis.
- The new habitat, known as Dolphin Oasis, is located on the north side of the park. It spans 2.2 acres and features sandy dunes, swaying palm trees, and the sparkling emerald waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
After calling their original tank home since the Gulfarium first opened to visitors in 1955, the beloved dolphins now have the chance to swim in the one million gallon saltwater oasis.
Complete with exciting new features for both human and cetacean guests alike, Dolphin Oasis will open its viewing areas periodically to visitors starting December 26th to allow the dolphins time to get fully acclimated.
- The full exhibit will then celebrate its grand debut just in time for the Spring 2024 season, when the park welcomes droves of guests during the warm weather months.
“Our staff and longtime supporters are thrilled to see Dolphin Oasis come to fruition,” said Gulfarium Senior Vice President, Patrick Berry. “We have been working on this expansion for many years, and witnessing our dolphins acclimate in their new home is better than we ever could have imagined. We cannot wait to welcome guests to Dolphin Oasis soon.”
From the 480-person grandstand seating of the presentation habitat where the park’s dolphin shows will continue, to the 27-foot tall acrylic viewing window in the exhibit habitat that allows people to observe the dolphins both above and below the waterline, Dolphin Oasis promises a state-of-the-art upgrade for all involved.
- The new encounter habitat will also provide improived opportunities for up-close dolphin interactions across various programs.
“Our main dolphin habitat was one of the first of its kind and has stood proud for over 68 years,” states Will Merrill, president of the Gulfarium. “What was once a pioneering habitat for dolphins back in the 1950s provided dolphins the top-notch animal welfare that we offer our resident animals.”
Gulfarium breaks ground on new Dolphin Oasis as park visitors reach record numbers
First reported in December 2021, the Gulfarium on Okaloosa Island is planning to build a new Dolphin Oasis as part of their expansion. On…
2 Responses
“Resident” dolphins? Captive, actually. Prisoners. Better a big prison enclosure than a small one, but as they have committed no crime, unless they are free to come and go as they please this is not okay.
Coooooool. You know they rehabilitate injured local wildlife all the time, right? Do you actually think the dolphin oasis was built by a bunch of villains with a malicious porpoise (see what I did there?) ?? If you have to troll something, find a criminal report page or worldly tragedies story. There’s plenty of bad out there. The dolphin oasis does not fall under that category.