Marine Science Center
Get your hands on sharks and stingrays at the touch pool inside the Marine Science Center where your travel team is sure to walk away with a new appreciation for our aquatic counterparts! Injured sea turtles and sea birds like pelicans and herons come here to recuperate and receive medical attention before they go home good as new. Exhibits of whale skulls, a manatee, three-century-old brain coral and a wooden walkway through bird enclosures offer an interesting way to better grasp the delicate balance of the Earth’s climate, and the ultimate outcome of the lives it surrounds.
The Turtle Rehab Department alone has taken care of nearly 900 sea turtles, over 15,000 hatchlings and washbacks and just about a thousand gopher tortoises all since 2002! Your group will see seven turtle pools that serve as miniature hospitals and learn about the inspiring rehab and release program.
Over at the Mary Keller Seabird Rehabilitation Sanctuary, opened in 2004, guests will see beautiful winged creatures wading in a cozy body of water, taking in the view from a perch in their enclosure, or receiving medical attention. More than 4,500 birds have come and gone from this location, totaling over 140 different species!
Don’t forget about the 1,400-gallon stingray touch pool! Reach in and introduce yourselves to anemones, sea urchins, hermit crabs, cow nose rays, Atlantic rays, and more! The Classroom Lab allows curious individuals the opportunity to partake in squid dissection, an introduction to birding, shark biology and other conservation-related topics, while the Bird Observation Tower welcomes you to watch for local species of birds that frequent the location.
Before you leave, swing by the gift shop for a sea of charming accessories, books, apparel, games, videos, toys, housewares, and garden décor.