Regardless of whether your kids are in preschool, kindergarten or fully grown, there's an animal activity they’re sure to love in St. Pete/Clearwater. In fact, we’re willing to bet that you’ll love them, too! Because when it comes to animals, there's nothing more exciting than watching dolphins jump through the air, feeding giant giraffes or holding baby alligators.
Home to our most popular animals in the area, your kiddos might get a little star-struck when meeting the dolphin celebrities from the hit movies Dolphin Tale and Dolphin Tale 2. Fall in love with dolphins Winter, Hope and Nicholas, admire energetic otters, watch graceful sea turtles and make friends with sting rays. Sign up for a special Animal Encounter to get up-close or become a Trainer For a Day (ages 10 and up)!
Take the plunge in a 33,500 gallon tank inside this popular restaurant on St. Pete Beach. That's right - you can snorkel with over 200 indigenous Florida fish including grouper, tarpon, snapper and a moray eel! You'll also get a behind-the-scenes tour of how the aquarists maintain the tanks and feed the fish. Swim with the Fishes is $35 per person (ages 8 and up) and available Tuesday-Saturday. Children of all ages will love the Touch Tank at the RumFish Beach Resort where you can hold live sea stars, sea urchins and more.
Feed a 15 foot-tall giraffe or watch cheetahs sprint at speeds of up to 70 m.p.h.! Busch Gardens Tampa makes for a great day trip and features one of the largest zoos in North America (with more than 12,000 animals!). Take your experience to the next level with a Serengeti Safari to search for hippos, lions, hyenas and more from your safari vehicle (ages 5 and up) or care and feed the animals in the Keeper For a Day program (ages 13 and up). Prices and availability varies.
This place is for the birds... and it's a great thing! The Sanctuary is dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and (if possible) the release of sick or injured wild birds. It also provides a safe home to non-releasable birds. Stop by for a visit any afternoon for a chance to hand-feed the pelicans at 2:30 p.m. Take some time to meet Miss Kitty the Great Horned Owl, Louie the Double Crested Cormorant, George the American White Pelican and more. A variety of educational presentations are held throughout the week, and guided tours are available (call ahead). Open daily and admission is free for all ages!
What visit to Florida would be complete without a chance to see live alligators? At the Alligator Attraction at John's Pass Village on Madeira Beach, hands-on adventures create memories and photo opportunities that will last a lifetime. It's an inviting atmosphere for children (and adults) to learn about and interact with amazing reptiles, small mammals, amphibians and more. Open daily.
Take an exhilarating speedboat tour of the Gulf Beaches on the Dolphin Racer and be entertained as you watch acrobatic bottlenose dolphins surf and dive alongside. The beginning of the high-speed tour creates a large wake, inviting the dolphins to jump and body surf nearby. Next, relax and take in the scenery as the tour finishes with a narrated inland cruise. All ages are welcome and cruises take place daily.
