Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is a marine park on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, and it has been part of the Emerald Coast since it opened on August 14, 1955. The park calls itself one of the world’s original oceanariums, and it marked its 70th anniversary in 2025. Today it combines up-close animal habitats with a rescue and rehabilitation program for sea turtles, all a short walk from the Gulf-front hotels on Miracle Strip Parkway.

What to see

The centerpiece is Dolphin Oasis, a $24 million expansion completed in 2023 that gave the park’s bottlenose dolphins modern habitats. Manatee Cove opened the same year through a partnership with the Manatee Rescue and Rehabilitation Partnership, and it is home to Romeo, described by the park as the oldest known manatee in human care at more than 70 years old.

Other habitats include the Penguin Preserve, Seal Harbor, the Shark Moat, the Otter Den and the Expedition Trail, where alligators and reptiles live. Plan on a few hours to walk the whole park and catch a presentation or two.

Animal encounters

For a closer look, the park sells separate encounter programs with dolphins, sea lions, harbor seals, penguins, alligators and turtles, along with VIP trainer experiences and a reptile safari. Encounters cost extra and have limited spots, so book ahead, especially in summer and on holiday weekends.

Sea turtle rescue

Since 2015, the park’s C.A.R.E. Center has rescued, rehabilitated and released hundreds of endangered sea turtles along the Gulf Coast. It is a big part of the park’s mission today and a good way to introduce kids to the animals nesting on the beaches nearby.

Hours and tickets

Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with admission closing at 3:30 p.m. Tickets and encounter prices are listed on the Gulfarium website, and hours can change for holidays and special events, so check before you go.

Getting there: the park sits on Miracle Strip Parkway (U.S. 98) on Okaloosa Island, between the Brooks Bridge and the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Convention Center. The Holiday Inn Resort, Hilton Garden Inn and Four Points by Sheraton are all within walking distance, and The Boardwalk on Okaloosa Island is a short drive east.

Tips for visiting

• Arrive when the park opens to see the animals before the midday heat and crowds.
• Check the daily presentation schedule when you arrive and plan your route around it.
• Pair a morning here with an afternoon on the beach across the street.

Planning a stay nearby? See Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach and The Island Resort, and find more to do on our Okaloosa Island page.