Seaworld - touching dolphins?

[kdmkdm7]

Can anyone please tell me if they allow any animal contact at Sea World? I have seen pictures that allow visitors to feed, touch the dolphins. Is this still true? Thanks in advance.

 

[Dax]

Actually in the Key West area they have a dolphin feeding that happens at different times of the day. When they open the fish shack, you can buy fish and then feed it to the dolphins. The dolphins seem to know who has the fish and who does not. As you are feeding them, you can touch them also. Be warned that the fish being sold only lasts until all are sold out, and the line forms early so be prepared. You also can feed the stingrays in Key West also. Have fun. Its a great experience.

 

[vernon]

Just wanted to underline what Dax said, if this is a MUST DO, then you need to get to the fish selling counters at least 30-45 minutes before they start selling as there are times they sell out very quickly.

Feeding the seals and sealions is also fun, although you don't get the chance to pet them like you do the dolphins and stingrays.

 

[erinch]

my entire tour plan was shot when my kids got to the stingray tank--which permits you to stay as long as you want petting them.

My DS and DD fell in love with the stingrays, stayed for an hour, went back again, and may someday be marine biologists because of it

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

So, you have to buy the fish to feed the dolphins?
How much does that cost?
It sounds like a lot of fun and my DD would just love to be able to experience that.
Are there posted feeding times?
Thanks!

 

[robvia]

Originally posted by erinch
my entire tour plan was shot when my kids got to the stingray tank

Great story. It's a good idea to head over to the Key West area in the afternoon, at say 3pm. That's when a trainer comes out with a bucket of fish and feeds certain dolphins. Plus you can get a beer at the snack stand and listen to the Jimmy Buffett music. The reason many go there in the morning, is because it's the first thing you see after you enter the park on the left side.

On one visit, my daughter and I caught the end of the 3pm feeding, bought more fish for the 4pm, then I went back out to my car, got more money, and we stayed for the 5pm session. I must have spent like $40 on fish food, plus a couple beers, but it was worth it.

To answer your questions iNTeNSeBLue98, the feeding times are posted on the booth where they sell the fish food. Once the food is sold, the booth closes until the next session. It's $4 per cup, and each cup has 4 fish. Season passholders get them for $3. It's a good idea to buy a few cups, because the dolphin know who has the fish, and they go fast. Bring lots of cash.

 

[erinch]

And, If you don't have fish, the dolphins are completely uninterested in you.

As I stated above, my kids felt much more bonded with the stingrays

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

Is it super crowded as people try to feed the dolphins? I can just visualize people jostling to get close to the dolphins. Thanks for the great tip to be there early to buy the fish!

 

[erinch]

when we were there very crowded, with lots of kids jostling to get where the dolphins are surfacing.

I always wish i could understand what the dolphins are saying to each other.

 

[robvia]

Yes, It's very crowded, often 4 rows deep.
Before the feeding, let your kid(s) push their way to the wall, while you wait at the window for food. If you get there during a feeding, buy the food, and just wait for others to run out. They'll eventually move and you'll push your way forward.

What are the dolphins saying? I think they're talking about who has the fish. They know who is holding a cup, and only swim to that person. They smile at you, swim up, make some noise, and sit in front of the person with the fish while people pet them. Then they swim away, circle, and do it again. And like another has said, once you run out of fish, they have no interest in you.

 

[erinch]

see, I think these are David Letterman kind of dolphins. I think they've got dolphin cigars hanging out of one side of their mouth, and they're saying:
"See that little girl with the big smile and her dad with the video camera?
Why don't you act like you're going to go right to her,
and just before you're in camera range go the other direction?"
That'll get her.

They've got all the humans trained to perform in a way that's comedy central to them.

These aren't Fred Rogers dolphins.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

How long does the feeding frenzy usually take place??? These might be a silly questions, but I hate the idea of such craziness.

1. If I stand in line and get the fish and DH is with the kids by the edge of the pool, by the time the pool is 4 deep can the person with the fish get back close to the kids?

2. How many fish are in each cup? Should both my DS and DD each get a cup? How many cups are you allowed to buy?

3. After everyone else feeds the dolphins, and you waited, is there a time limit that you won't get much time?

4. Are the dolphins always in this pool, or do they bring them out just in time for the feeding?

 

[WebmasterBarry]

1. If I stand in line and get the fish and DH is with the kids by the edge of the pool, by the time the pool is 4 deep can the person with the fish get back close to the kids?

You can squeeze back in.

2. How many fish are in each cup? Should both my DS and DD each get a cup? How many cups are you allowed to buy?

I think there are 4-5 fish in a cup. You can buy as many cups as you want until they run out.

3. After everyone else feeds the dolphins, and you waited, is there a time limit that you won't get much time?

I'm not sure what you're asking. The only time limit to feed dolphins is they sell fish until they run out.

4. Are the dolphins always in this pool, or do they bring them out just in time for the feeding?

Dolphins are always swimming in the pool.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

thanks Barry Hom!

I guess my question 3 sort of related to question 4. I was wondering if the dolphins are only out a small amount of time. And if we purposely wait to feed the dolphins until the mad crush of people was gone, would we still be able to feed them, or would the dolphins have gone back and we lost out on the time to feed them because we waited to long.

 

[MiaSRN62]

On a side note, though you cannot feed them, make sure you stop by the dolphin nursery. We happened upon this area about an hour prior to park closing. The kids and my husband and I really enjoyed playing ball with the juvenile dolphins ! There were only 2 or 3 other people there and we lingered around the enclosure for about 45 minutes. We kept tossing the basketballs to the young dolphins and they would toss them back. This game went on for the whole time we were standing there. The babies didn't seem to tire or bore of the game. It a memorable experience. The dolphin nursery is sort of between the Tropical Reef and Bimini Bay Cafe store.

 

[vernon]

Vija, the dolphins stay in their lagoon the whole day (24/7 in fact). If you want to save your fish until after everyone else has done theirs you will still be able to interact with them. I wouldn't count on you being without a crowd though. There is something about dolphins that just seems to attract people, as soon as kids see that the dolphins are all in one area ( around you waiting for fish)the kids will be gathering around you. You also tend to see that some of the dolphins lose interest in feeding ( and people) and play amongst themselves so your plan could backfire if all the dolphins have had their fill.

 

[edie w]

Vija, it looks from your counter like you'll be there late in the year. Unless you're visiting at Christmas or Thanksgiving it's likely to be quite quiet. We've been 3 times in October and have had no trouble getting right by the pool or buying fish if we were there at the beginning of the sale window.

The people who haven't bought fish will let you up to the pool side, as it means the dolphins will get close to them and they might get to touch them.

 

[Dr.Mickey]

This is one of our favorite things in all of Orlando. My wife would be content to stand by the pool all day and not see any other shows. We usually go during off peak times of the year. The beginning of the feedings are crowded, but then people wander off. The dolphins don't seem interested in you if you don't have fish if other people do have fish, BUT if you stick around long enough and don't splash or pet them on their blowholes, you will get to interact even without fish. The trainers walk the wall and try to get the dolphins to come up and interact between feedings. The dolphins know their trainers and love to get their love. How else will SeaWorld sell you a picture of you and your dolphin?

If you wait to feed your fish too long, you may have a trainer come up to you and tell you to go ahead and feed the fish. They want the fish to be as fresh as possible.

Another great time is usually in mid-mornings (don't know specific time but you could ask a trainer when you first get there) where the trainers put "toys" in the water. We had the best time watching the dolphins with their basketballs. They even nosed them to guests and played ball with some of us. Back and forth . . . didn't know they did that at the nursery, too. Thanks, Robvia!

 

[Abbeysdaddy]

This was one of the high point in our most recent visit to Orlando. We are DVC members and frequent the Disney parks often. We tried Seaworld for the fist time last year and loved it. On day 1 we discovered the dolphins, my daughter was thrilled as she loves dolphins (her bedroom has a dolphin theme). On our 2nd day (free 2nd day), we headed straight to the dolphins, it was early in the day and the crowds were sparse. My wife, daughter, and son played with the dolphins for quite a long time. We did buy the fish to feed the dolphins, I too enjoyed feeding and playing with them. Seaworld has photographers that will take pictures of the dolphins interaction with the people, we were lucky (or is it unlucky when I had to pay for all of them?) that all 4 of us had our pic taken. Be warned, it is very difficult to say no to a child (or spouse!) when they see the picture of them interacting with a dolphin. We have one of our walls covered with the pics in our house. I also took some great pics and video. Hint: if taking pics, go across the cove to where the SW photographers are to get some great pics.