Discovery Cove: Vital Info for Animal Encounters & Experiences

Many people often face a moral dilemma when considering a visit to zoos or aquariums. This is why you must do your research as an educated consumer and traveler. It’s an essential part of responsible tourism, and it is why we inquired about Discovery Cove before deciding to participate in its offerings and activities. 

First and foremost, proper accreditation is vital, and it’s necessary to support accredited places so that animals receive the care and attention they deserve. Discovery Cove is one of the good organizations to support.

Secondly, we consider if the organization gives back in some way, shape, or form. Discovery Cove is part of SeaWorld, and it plays a significant role in rescuing injured animals from the wild. These are animals who are harmed by boats, by predators, etc., and need specialized care for a chance at survival. 

Along with these considerations, we want to inform you of what you can expect in terms of animal encounters and their well-being before deciding to go to Discovery Cove, told through our firsthand experience and knowledge.

Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post, which means we may earn a small commission if you click the link and proceed with a purchase, at no cost to you. We thank Discovery Cove for hosting our visit. We truly only recommend hotels, products and services we personally use. 

Discovery Cove Accreditations 

They hold accreditations or certifications from: 

• Association of Zoos and Aquariums
• Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums
• International Marine Animal Trainers Association
• United States Department of Agriculture
• American Humane

SeaWorld has Helped Rescue More than 42,000 Animals

Many people are unaware that SeaWorld has three rescue teams and is one of the largest marine animal rescue organizations worldwide. Since 1965, they have helped thousands of dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals, sea lions, walruses, sea turtles, manatees, otters, and birds.

SeaWorld employs many veterinarians who know the specialized care the animals need. The scientific research done under SeaWorld has done incredible things, like helping restore the senses of injured or sick animals, including creating prosthetics for sea turtles who have lost limbs in the wild. 

A portion of the proceeds from the parks, including Discovery Cove, helps fund important research projects. 

Upgraded Experiences at Discovery Cove

The main ticket price at Discovery Cove includes a plethora of activities and areas. However, there are some additional experiences that incur an extra cost to maintain limited numbers and ensure animal welfare. These upgrades include:  

• Dolphin Swim
• SeaVenture
• Ray Feeding
• Shark Snorkel
• Animal Trek 
• Flamingo Mingle

Experiences can be booked per person, meaning every guest in your party doesn’t need to participate if they don’t want to. However, for safety reasons, each activity has requirements as follows (quoted from the Discovery Cove upgrades info): 

• SeaVenture, Shark Snorkel, and Shark Interaction: Participants must be at least 10 years of age and be confident swimmers. Children ages 10-13 must be accompanied by a paying adult who is also participating in the experience.
• Dolphin Swim: Children must be 6 years of age and at least 42 inches tall to swim with dolphins. Children ages 6-12 must be accompanied by a paying adult who is also participating in the dolphin swim experience.
• Ray Feeding: All participants must be at least 6 years of age and comfortable in water.
• Animal Trek and Flamingo Mingle: Children must be at least 6 years of age.

Important Things You Should Know about Discovery Cove Animal Encounters 

• Dolphin Swim Experience (upgrade required): This is the crown jewel interaction, where you swim alongside dolphins guided by trainers, but it’s limited to ensure quality time and for the well-being of the dolphins.. Booking early is key since spots fill fast.
• Stingray Snorkeling (included): Snorkeling in the Grand Reef lets you swim among schools of colorful fish and friendly stingrays; equipment provided and no prior experience needed. It’s a hands-on way to experience marine life naturally and safely.
• Explorer’s Aviary is Home to Exotic Birds (included): Free-flight birds like parrots and hornbills greet you in this walk-through sanctuary where you can interact and feed feathered friends on their terms. It’s like a gentle jungle chorus with surprise appearances and colorful personalities.
• Otter Interaction Areas Offer Educational Fun (included with options upgrades, like Flamingo Mingle): You can observe and sometimes touch animals under staff supervision, learning about their intelligence and habitats. These encounter provides tactile delight and conservation insights.
• Animal Care and Trainer-Led Talks Enhance Meaning: Throughout your visit, team members share stories about animal behaviors, conservation, and individual personalities, making encounters richer and more memorable.

Discovery Cove is a Certified Autism Center. The park maps have stimulation ratings for the five senses for all their areas and activities, including animal interactions. 

Our Favorite Experience: SeaVenture

We participated in two upgraded experiences that day: the Dolphin Swim and SeaVenture. SeaVenture was, by far, the standout. 

We didn’t love swimming with the dolphins. Though it was cool to learn about them and touch a dolphin under the strict supervision of the dolphin trainers to understand what its skin texture is like, we kind of just wanted to leave them be. 

However, the SeaVenture felt unique and was something we had never seen before, despite our extensive travels around the world. As we ventured underwater with a helmet that allowed us to breathe naturally, we encountered pufferfish, stingrays, and a multitude of other tropical fish. You are not permitted to touch the fish that swim by. Instead, you admire a close-up view of them from your SeaVenture helmet. Even when one of the team members handed us a mollusk to view close up, it was only permitted because we held the rock it was standing on.

Important Things to Know About SeaVenture at Discovery Cove

We had a safety briefing that lasted about 15 minutes prior to entering the water and putting on our helmets. The briefing included learning hand signals to communicate underwater, such as signaling to go up (out of the water) and indicating that you were okay if a guide asked how you were doing. 

During our orientation, of sorts, our lead guide asked us to let her know if anyone experiences anxiety or back pain because they can assist with both and it’s best for them to be aware of these things. I experience slight bouts of claustrophobia and anxiety when it comes to enclosures like the dive helmet we were about to put on. It always helps for me to tell the group leader about this; I appreciated her asking. It also helped to know the timeline of our experience. Finding out we’d only be under the water for 20 minutes, max, was helpful! 

Once we were underwater and breathing just fine, as promised, my anxiety washed away as fast as the fish swam by. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, as did Dan, and it quickly became the #1 thing we tell people they need to book at Discovery Cove.

We don’t scuba dive (and don’t have a desire to get certified) so this was the closest thing to it we’ve ever done. We have snorkeled all over the world, including in Belize, Thailand, and Hawaii. However, this experience was unique due to the dive helmets you wear and how you walk on the aquarium floor. 

Additionally, we had not one but three guides with our small group of eight people (groups have nine participants, max). A one-to-three ratio for staff to guests is damn good! 

In alignment with the park’s conservation practices, for the SeaVenture bookings, “Discovery Cove donates a portion of the proceeds to Rising Tide Conservation, a non-profit dedicated to the protection of coral reefs through sustainable aquaculture.”

Discovery Cove Dolphin Swim

Many people go to Discovery Cove to swim with the dolphins. This wasn't the number one reason we went, but we were curious what the experience was like.

As advertised on the Discovery Cove website, the Dolphin Swim is 30 minutes. However, the entire experience ultimately lasts over an hour. This is because you first meet in a designated area to receive instructions from the trainer. This includes guidance like removing all jewelry and some additional important information about the dolphins and entering the Dolphin Lagoon. 

You are also instructed on how to handle sunglasses and hats, both of which you must refrain from touching during the experience if you choose to wear them. This is why it’s recommended that you avoid wearing either, despite the Florida sun.  

You are forbidden from bringing cell phones and GoPros in the water, which is for the safety of the animals, not because the park is trying to be greedy with photo packages. We understand that in some instances, you might think corporate greed is the reason for a rule, but this is not one of those cases. 

What You Do During the Dolphin Swim

During the Dolphin Swim, you get in the lagoon, which is kept at a safe temperature for the dolphins, between 76 to 77 degrees. Wetsuits are provided for all guests. The lagoon is easy to stand in, which is likely why there is a 42” height requirement. The deepest point of the lagoon is 12 feet. However, guests never go into that area; only the dolphins do! Guests are in the much shallower area, which is between one to three feet. This means that you don’t have to be a strong swimmer for this experience. 

We interacted with two dolphins during our 30 minutes in the water. They showed us some tricks, we got to touch the skin on flukes, and one of the dolphins gave us a “ride” in the water as we hung onto the dolphin in the exact spot we were instructed to touch. I felt sort of off doing it and asked the trainer if it would hurt the animal before I agreed to do it. He told me that a dolphin can tow double its weight, and they weigh around 400 lbs each, so unless I was 800 lbs, it was safe. 

Lastly, we posed for photos with the dolphins as individuals and as a couple. 

Caring Team Members

If there’s one thing that struck us during our Dolphin Swim, it was how deeply the trainers care for the animals. Inevitably, they all share a deep love for animals, which motivates them to make this their career.

The two trainers we spoke to were very open to answering our questions, which were mostly about the animals’ welfare and the SeaWorld rescue mission, both of which they had participated in. 

Go Behind the Scenes at Discovery Cove

It’s understandable that Discovery Cove cannot allow backstage access for all its guests, just as any business doesn’t allow customers to go to the back of the house. However, like Walt Disney World’s backstage tours, there is a special program that guests can book called The Ultimate Animal Experience. It takes you behind the scenes to learn more about the animal care facilities and how the Discovery Cove team prioritizes animal welfare. 

The five-hour experience also includes special animal meet-and-greets, an enhanced dolphin swim, a private snorkel session before the park opens, and an otter experience not offered with any other upgrade. The price starts at $249 per person. 

Photography During Animal Encounters

In another measure to protect the animals, guests are forbidden from using their own recording devices in Dolphin Lagoon, at Flamingo Mingle, and during the Shark Swim. This is why Discovery Cove provides photographers to capture moments during these activities, and why you may want to consider adding a photo package. Other party members not participating in the activities are permitted to take photos and videos recorded from the beach areas.