Theater of the Sea
Encyclopedia
Theater of the Sea, established in 1946, is a marine mammal park
located in the Village of Islamorada
, Florida
, United States. It is a tourist attraction located on Windley Key
in the Florida Keys
. Visitors can swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
s, California sea lion
s, and Sting Rays, or watch shows where they perform. In which dolphins swim in and jump through a hoop and ring a bell. The 17 acres (6.9 ha) site also has exotic birds, lizards, crocodilians , sea turtles, tropical, game fish, sharks, and other forms of marine life. Short cruise
s and bottomless boat rides are also conducted.
The park also engages in ecological conservation
programs, including the first artificial flipper
transplant
on a sea turtle
.
used to supply rock for construction of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad
. When the railroad went bankrupt after the devastating Labor Day Hurricane, the property was sold by the receivership to a local for $800 (having no interest in the property, the local was offered a parcel stretching to Whale Harbor, about 0.2 miles to the west, for the same $800).
Theater of the Sea was opened in 1946.
Marine mammal park
A marine mammal park is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept within water tanks and displayed to the public in special shows. A marine mammal park is more elaborate than a dolphinarium, because it also features other marine...
located in the Village of Islamorada
Islamorada, Florida
Islamorada, a "Village of Islands," is an incorporated village in Monroe County, Florida, United States. It is located on the islands of Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key and Plantation Key in the Florida Keys....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, United States. It is a tourist attraction located on Windley Key
Windley Key
Windley Key is an island in the upper Florida Keys in Monroe County, Florida, United States.U.S. 1 crosses the key at approximately mile markers 84—85.5, between Plantation Key and Upper Matecumbe Key....
in the Florida Keys
Florida Keys
The Florida Keys are a coral archipelago in southeast United States. They begin at the southeastern tip of the Florida peninsula, about south of Miami, and extend in a gentle arc south-southwest and then westward to Key West, the westernmost of the inhabited islands, and on to the uninhabited Dry...
. Visitors can swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphin
Bottlenose Dolphin
Bottlenose dolphins, the genus Tursiops, are the most common and well-known members of the family Delphinidae, the family of oceanic dolphins. Recent molecular studies show the genus contains two species, the common bottlenose dolphin and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin , instead of one...
s, California sea lion
California Sea Lion
The California sea lion is a coastal sea lion of western North America. Their numbers are abundant , and the population continues to expand about 5% annually. They are quite intelligent and can adapt to man-made environments...
s, and Sting Rays, or watch shows where they perform. In which dolphins swim in and jump through a hoop and ring a bell. The 17 acres (6.9 ha) site also has exotic birds, lizards, crocodilians , sea turtles, tropical, game fish, sharks, and other forms of marine life. Short cruise
Cruising (maritime)
Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...
s and bottomless boat rides are also conducted.
The park also engages in ecological conservation
Conservation biology
Conservation biology is the scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction...
programs, including the first artificial flipper
Flipper (anatomy)
A flipper is a typically flat limb evolved for movement through water. Various creatures have evolved flippers, for example penguins , cetaceans A flipper is a typically flat limb evolved for movement through water. Various creatures have evolved flippers, for example penguins (also called...
transplant
Organ transplant
Organ transplantation is the moving of an organ from one body to another or from a donor site on the patient's own body, for the purpose of replacing the recipient's damaged or absent organ. The emerging field of regenerative medicine is allowing scientists and engineers to create organs to be...
on a sea turtle
Sea turtle
Sea turtles are marine reptiles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic.-Distribution:...
.
History
The property on which Theater of the Sea sits was formerly a quarryQuarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
used to supply rock for construction of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad
Overseas Railroad
The Overseas Railroad was an extension of the Florida East Coast Railway to Key West, a city of almost 30,000 inhabitants located 128 miles beyond the end of the Florida peninsula...
. When the railroad went bankrupt after the devastating Labor Day Hurricane, the property was sold by the receivership to a local for $800 (having no interest in the property, the local was offered a parcel stretching to Whale Harbor, about 0.2 miles to the west, for the same $800).
Theater of the Sea was opened in 1946.