Helpful Visitor Information

If you are doing the Coral Reef Encounter, Stingray Cove Encounter or Lagoon Encounter you will only need to bring your swimsuit and your waiver, if you chose to do it at home, we provide everything else!

If you are participating in the Nursery Encounter or Big Shark Bay Encounter you will only need to bring yourselves and your signed waiver if you chose to do it at home!

Yes! We provide everything you need for your encounter including masks, fins, snorkels and wetsuits.  Please bring your swimsuit for all in water encounters.

Please do not bring your own equipment as you will not be able to use it.

You may only use your own equipment if you are doing a Lagoon Encounter.

The only exception to this rule is specialty (prescription) masks, which must be sterilized before going into our tank. Please call Guest Services at 305-407-3262 to arrange this prior to your visit

Should you elect to SCUBA dive in our Lagoon, you must bring your own equipment. The only equipment we provide for the Lagoon Encounter is a wetsuit, mask, snorkel, and fins

We do not have lockers on property, however the encounter area is private to those doing the encounter. Guests are encouraged to lock valuables in their cars.

The water temperature ranges from 74-77 degrees in our tanks. The lagoon temperature changes with the temperature of the air but typical ranges are 68-85F

Most of our encounters are not affected by bad weather!

The Coral Reef, Stingray Cove, Big Shark Bay and Nurse-ry Encounters can all happen no matter the weather because they are covered by a tiki hut.

Our Lagoon Encounter is subject to cancellation or postponement depending on lightning storms.

We do not allow cameras of any kind in the water with our animals because they can bring outside contaminants into our tanks that could be harmful to the animals.

Cameras can also be distracting to guests during important instructions.

In the Lagoon Encounter instructors may allow guests to bring cameras in the water after the instructor feels the guest is comfortable snorkeling or diving.

Photos and a video will be taken throughout your Encounter by our photo technician. Each Encounter participant goes home with a free photo, and the other photos/video are available to purchase after your encounter.

You will need to be present for their encounter if they are under the age of 18.

You will not have to do the encounter with them, but you will have to be present for the encounter.

Children must be at least 8 years old to breathe off the regulator in the Coral Reef Encounter. Otherwise any child who is comfortable in the water may participate in any of our Encounters as long as a parent/guardian is present.

All encounters are held on-site at the aquarium!

Head to the guest services desk when you get to the aquarium and our staff will direct you from there.

Absolutely! Family members will be able to view your encounter with general admission passes in the aquarium.

The Coral Reef Tank is a 200,000 gallon tank that is 10 feet deep.

Divers in the tank enjoy temperature-controlled, eternally calm water and 70 feet of visibility!

Stingray Cove is only about 3 feet deep, which makes it a great option for people who may not want to swim in the water.

There are no age requirements for the Nursery, Big Shark Bay, Stingray Cove or Lagoon Encounters.

The Coral Reef Encounter has no age requirement for snorkeling. Participants in the Coral Reef Dive must be 5 to breathe off of compressed air and 8 to be weighted.

No! Guests can breathe compressed air from a regulator at the surface of the water without being SCUBA certified in our Hookah Dive Program. This is a great way to try out a crucial aspect of SCUBA before signing up for a full SCUBA course! In order to go to the bottom of the tank in our Coral Reef Encounter, you either need to be Certified or book a private encounter.

The Coral Reef Dive allows you to breathe off of compressed air and explore the bottom of the tank. Must be certified, or pay the additional amount to dive un-certified.

The coral reef snorkel is in the same tank with the same activity, but breathing with a snorkel at the surface of the water.

We have suits that can accommodate most children and adults up to XXXXL

If you are participating in the Coral Reef or Stingray Cove Encounter there will be a guide in the water with you.

In our Lagoon Snorkel Encounter a dive instructor is present, but not in the water.

There is a dive instructor in the water with you for the Coral Reef Encounter.

A Marine Biologist accompanies our guests in the water for the Stingray Encounter.

Guests with special needs should contact our Guest Services at 305-407-3262 prior to booking their Encounter for more information.

We can accommodate most special needs in our various encounters. Please contact our guest services staff for more information on all of our programs.

No! The animals you will be in the water with are all very used to being around people. Our Coral Reef Tank is divided into two sides, one with predators and one with the friendly fish. The side you will be swimming in contains the friendly fish.

To qualify for a refund, Aquarium Encounter Reservations must be cancelled 30 days prior to your scheduled Encounter.

Within 30 days of your encounter, reservations can only be rescheduled to another available date or time.

Encounters cannot be rescheduled within 72 hours prior to your Encounter. Cancellations are not eligible for a refund.

All cancellations or reschedules must be done over the phone with one of our Guest Services Representatives at 305-407-3262.

Guests are expected to arrive 15 minutes prior to their scheduled time in order to register and prepare for the encounter.

Arriving after the scheduled encounter could result in the cancellation of your encounter.

That depends on what you’d like to do! General Admission visitors spend anywhere from 1-3 hours interacting with and viewing all of our exhibits. Guests that choose to add encounters to their experience spend anywhere from an extra 30 minutes to an hour and a half at the Aquarium to accommodate Encounter time.

With General Admission, there are guided tours and feedings with our Biologists in which guests are welcome to participate! A guided tour usually lasts about 20 minutes and begins on the :50 of every hour. Feedings are announced over the speaker system as they occur throughout the day.

Yes! Our Eagle Ray Café boasts a delicious and affordable menu. From nachos to PB&J to a chef salad, there’s something available for every guest.  Our Eagle Ray café has a great menu, with daily specials and key lime pie. We also sell Beer and Wine!

The Eagle Ray Café is accessible to all guests of the Aquarium with general admission.

At Aquarium Encounters we have a variety of sharks, rays, fish, tortoises, turtles, and tide pool animals.

We do not have Dolphins or Sea turtles here at our facility, however if you were interested in learning more about these creatures, check out the Turtle Hospital and Dolphin Research Center.

Some of our animals, like the Tortoises, used to be the pets of folks who could no longer care for them. Most of our other animals are sustainably caught for Educational purposes at the Aquarium

A little of both! Most of the facility, including the Coral Reef, Predator, and Sting Ray tanks, are covered by a large tiki roof. There is plenty of shade and sun throughout the Aquarium.

Our Aquarium Encounters have varying requirements for participation ages:

Coral Reef Encounter – please see encounter page for age restrictions

https://www.floridakeysaquariumencounters.com/encounters/coral-reef-encounters/

Stingray Encounter and Lagoon Snorkel – All ages welcome!

Big shark Bay and Nursery – All ages welcome!

All Children (under 18) must be accompanied by an adult or have written parental approval from a present parent for any Aquarium Encounter.