A Review of Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City, FL

When I go on beach vacations I could honestly just sit on the beach all day and do nothing else, and I would be perfectly happy. However, during a recent trip to Panama City Beach, Florida we decided to get our toes out of the sand for a few hours and visit Gulf World Marine Park. As a huge animal lover (I have four dogs), I was so excited to visit Gulf World and see the dolphins, sea lions, gators, flamingos, and many many more. There are animals of all kinds and they also happen to be extremely talented.

 

gulf world marine park reviews

 

Gulf World is pretty much a smaller version of SeaWorld without the rides. There are four different shows and a couple feedings that you can see during your visit, which will last about four hours. The whole park is completely wheelchair accessible and there are even designated places for wheelchairs to park at during the shows.

 

gulf world marine park reviews

 

The first show that we saw was the Feathers and Furry Friends Show. In this show, several furry animals including birds, cats, a dog, and even a mouse are on a peaceful beach holiday until the “dog catcher” comes around and tries to ruin it. They all work together and perform some awesome tricks while doing so. My favorite animal in this show was Bandit, a talented Australian Shepard. I wish my dogs could perform just half of the tricks that Bandit did, but the only trick that mine can perform is eating their food in record time.

 

Next up was the Sea Lion and Rough Toothed Dolphin Show in one of the outdoor theaters. The sea lion, named Otto, ended up being one of my favorite animals of the day. He was adorable and really seemed to like the rough toothed dolphin as well. They even shared a kiss at the end of the show to which the audiences response was a unanimous “Awww”!

 

gulf world marine park reviews

 

The third show that we saw was the Reptile Show. This was definitely the show that I was least looking forward to because I have a huge (and I mean HUGE) fear of snakes. I don’t want a snake anywhere near me and of course, with my wheelchair I had to sit on the front row. There were other reptiles in the show such as a bearded dragon, but then a monstrous yellow python was brought out. I could not even believe how big it was! Luckily, it never got near me, but one brave lady in the audience did hold it and it kept trying to go up her shorts. The trainer had to keep pulling the snake’s head away and it was rather funny and unexpected.

 

gulf world marine park reviews

 

The final show was the Bottlenose Dolphin Show. Most people go to Gulf World to see the dolphins and wow, they really show out in this spectacle. The dolphins are constantly performing flips, twists, and jumps. Toward the end of the show, the dolphins get a little too excited though and start splashing the audience. The wheelchair area is elevated so that the chairs won’t get wet, but if you sit in the first three rows of regular seating you will get soaked! The little kids seemed to love this, but most of the adults were trying to hide their electronics so that they didn’t get ruined. The bottlenose dolphin finale was a great ending to our day at Gulf World.

 

gulf world marine park reviews

 

Aside from seeing the shows, you can also take part in several animal encounters while at the park. You can have your picture taken with the sea lion, dolphins, or even the python if you’re brave enough. The animal encounters are a separate cost, but it is only $10.

 

If you are in Panama City Beach and want to do something other than soak up the sun, experience Gulf World for a few hours. If you’re anything like me then I know you will love seeing these sweet and very talented animals.