Gulfarium’s Dolphin Oasis

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park opened on Okaloosa Island off the western shore of Florida in 1955—it’s one of the oldest in the country. The park features sea lions, turtles, alligators, sting rays, otters and penguins, but its point of pride are the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins—known for their curious and spirited natures. The dolphin habitat was a pioneering exhibit in the 1950s, but the Park needed to completely upgrade its facilities.

The new Dolphin Oasis is a 2.2-acre fully immersive experience, with sand dunes, palms and the pristine emerald waters of the Florida coastline where the dolphins reside. The $30 million expansion includes completely new facilities, built from the ground up. The new habitat allows 11-15 dolphins to swim in three interconnected environments that hold over 1 million gallons of seawater and mimic areas where dolphins naturally venture in the wild, so dolphins can explore and socialize with each other. A maternity suite for mothers and calves, husbandry habitats, a medical lift for the animals and multiple locations for animal care specialists to interact with the dolphins all contribute to the new exhibit’s dynamic environment.

Additional new visitor amenities include retail, food kiosks, seating area, and a changing room. Split-level viewing, close-up animal encounters, and a new 480-seat stadium overlooking the demonstration pool will give visitors many opportunities to view and interact with the dolphins. MIG served as the prime consultant and acted as the design architect, landscape architect and exhibit design lead.