Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Clearwater Marine Aquarium on Clearwater Bay, Florida, is not your typical aquarium: it is a working center dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine life, with a strong focus on environmental education, research and conservation. Your general admission ticket lets you meet the resident animals, many of which cannot be released, in their permanent habitats and learn their stories. Look out for Atlantic bottlenose dolphins at the 40-foot-wide Window of Wonder, along with sea turtles, river otters, stingrays, sharks and pelicans. You can also see animals currently undergoing rehabilitation in the working animal hospital. Catch the daily presentations and talks, and head to the theater to watch footage of the team rescuing and treating injured animals. The aquarium is an indoor/outdoor facility with air-conditioned areas inside and open-air spaces outside, and the harbor view deck and stranding deck look out over Clearwater Bay. A complimentary audio tour, with both an adult and a kids' version, shares the rescue stories of the resident animals. Every visit helps fund the aquarium's mission of rescue, rehab and release.