Swimming with dolphins is the centerpiece of a daylong
adventure at Discovery Cove, located adjacent to SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida. Interacting with a bottlenose dolphin is just one of the several experiences in this exotic tropical
oasis that will stay with you for a lifetime.
At Discovery Cove you will snorkel through colorful
reefs swarming with thousands of tropical fish, explore underwater shipwrecks and mysterious grottos, and relaxingly swim
down a tropical river with rocky waterfalls and a freshwater lagoon.
Snorkelers will experience gliding among stingrays,
surprisingly gentle creatures that don't ever sting but do grow up to 4 feet in diameter, and stare down dangerous sharks
and barracuda as you safely swim within inches of all.
Swimming under a picturesque waterfall, you'll enter
a free-flight aviary towering over both water and land. Here you can play with more than 200 tropical birds.
"At Discovery Cove,
we've created an extraordinary family adventure and given guests an all new reason to come to Orlando," says Frank Murru,
Discovery Cove's general manager. "Discovery Cove has truly become Central Florida's newest vacation
destination." Guests will lexperience Discovery Cove up close and find out how the trainers care for
the dolphins.
A rare opportunity for you and your family to make a connection
with a beautiful bottlenose dolphin. You will get to talk, touch, play and swim with the dolphins. The 45-minute experience
begins as guests enter their cabana for a brief orientation, which includes a video presentation on dolphin characteristics,
how to use hand signals and positive reinforcement to communicate with your dolphin. Following the orientation, groups of
6-8 guests begin their thrilling 30 minute in water dolphin experience. At the Dolphin Lagoon, you will wade in shallow water
and become acquainted with a dolphin through hugs, kisses and rubdowns, and climatically, a one-on-one swim together through
the lagoon.
Want to become part of an entirely new universe where giant
rays and thousands of tropical fish swim along with you? This is the place to do it. At the Coral Reef, you will
snorkel through the expansive colorful reefs, shipwreck remains and enchanting grottos. Time is not a limit here as
you come face-to-face with endless species of exotic fish and stingrays. You will even catch a glimpse of shark and barracuda
as they swim behind protective glass. This is the ultimate snorkeling experience.
Looking for some special interaction with stingrays? At
Ray Lagoon, you will snorkel, wade and play with a dozen of southern and cow-nose stingrays. Stingrays are very gentle
creatures and surprisingly, feel velvety to touch.
Ready for an adventure on land? At Discovery
Cove's Aviary, you can mingle with, talk to, touch and even feed more than 250 tropical birds. Enter Discovery
Cove’s sprawling 100-foot-long, free-flight Aviary through the Tropical River’s magnificent waterfalls
or walk in off the beach.
Discovery Cove is an outgrowth
of SeaWorld's 35 years of experience with marine animals. With a reputation unmatched around the world, SeaWorld
currently cares for the largest zoological population of marine animals in the world. Discovery Cove will
provide guests the opportunity to swim with one of SeaWorld's most popular marine animals - the Bottlenose
Dolphin.
Bottlenose Dolphin: Tursiops Truncatus
Size: Adult dolphins average 8-10 ft.(2.5-3 m). Males may be slightly larger than females.
Weight: Adults weigh between 300-650 lb. (136-295 kg).
Diet: Dolphins
are active predators and eat a wide variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans.
Fun Facts:
Dolphins are extremely social animals and communicate through squeaks, grunts,
moans and trilling sounds. they also send messages through body language by leaping, breaching (leaping out of the water and
landing on their side) and smacking their tails against the water.
In addition to playful Atlantic Bottlenose dolphins, Discovery Cove is also home to Southern and
Cownose stingrays, tropical fish, barracuda, sharks, exotic birds, anteaters, sloths and miniature Asian deer.
