The Local Perspective

If you’d like to explore the marine life of the Keys up close in a fun and informative environment, we highly recommend checking out Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters during your stay with us.

Based at the Florida Keys Aquarium & Conservation Center, just a seven-minute drive from our resort, Aquarium Encounters offers both guided aquarium tours and a range of more unusual aquarium activities. At the Stingray Encounter, you’ll not only swim among the gorgeous gliding creatures; you’ll even be able to invite a trained stingray to sit on your lap. The Coral Reef Snorkel Encounter will give you a chance to explore the delightfully varied assortment of strange and wonderful animals in the unique coral reef immersion tank. The Big Shark Bay Encounter might sound scary, but in fact, it’s a very safe way to experience the aquarium’s amiable collection of nurse sharks as an expert marine biologist explains just how the aquarium staff goes about training these slow-moving members of the shark family. Private aquarium tours are also available.

Address: 11710 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

Since at least the 1960s, when the popular TV series Flipper debuted on NBC, Americans have been in love with dolphins. Though the show is set in Key Largo, the best spot in the Keys to learn about and play with dolphins is actually located in Grassy Key, just a short 15-minute drive from the Marlin Bay Resort & Marina.

The Dolphin Research Center is a state-of-the-art research and rehabilitation facility dedicated to promoting the welfare of bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions. The center endeavors whenever possible to release its marine mammal residents back into the wild, but roughly half the permanent population of the center cannot be returned to the open ocean, as the creatures would not survive, and the other half were born at the center. During your visit to the facility, which is open daily from 9 A.M. – 4:30 P.M., you’ll learn all about the dolphins and sea lions from the center’s friendly and expert staff. You’ll also have the opportunity to swim with the dolphins. The animals are never forced to do anything, however, so the timing of direct dolphin encounters varies from day to day.

Address: 58901 Overseas Highway, Grassy Key, FL 33050-6019

The Crane Point Museum, Nature Center, and Historic Site is a 63-acre preserve nestled inside the Marathon shopping district. An absolute must-see for anyone visiting Vaca Key, Crane Point includes a Museum of Natural History, a Children’s Museum, the Marathon Wild Bird Center, and the George Adderley House.

The Museum of Natural History is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute and features stunning exhibits on Native-American inhabitants, early European explorers, and the ecology of the Keys. The Children’s Museum provides various interactive displays that let kids get up-close (and sometimes hands-on) with fish, rays, crustaceans, and even a nurse shark! The Marathon Wild Bird Center is a research institute and clinic that specializes in rehabilitating injured birds and educating the public about these majestic creatures. The George Adderley House (a.k.a., the Bahamian House) is a historic museum constructed as a home in 1903 by George Adderley, who had emigrated from the Bahamas. The Adderley House is the Keys’ only extant “tabby house.” And of course, the extensive nature trails and botanic gardens make Crane Point the perfect place to lose yourself in the natural splendor that makes the Keys a paradise on earth.

Address: 5550 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050