If you’re looking for fun and memorable activities to experience during your Marathon Florida vacation, Aquarium Encounters is just the thing for you! One of the best things to do in Marathon, Florida, this aquarium and marine park allows you to see marine life up close and explore like never before.
There is so much to do and see at Aquarium Encounters, and it is sure to be the highlight of your vacation, read on to learn more about this awesome spot!
About Aquarium Encounters
You’ll find all sorts of fun things to do in Marathon, Florida, but a visit to Aquarium Encounters is one you won’t forget! Get close to fascinating marine life without getting in the water and learn all about the ocean through their exhibits and experiences. Located in our native Florida Keys, Aquarium Encounters works closely with many other aquariums to create a learning and conservation center with a mission to educate. From its deepsea mysteries to alluring marine species, there is so much to see and explore while visiting, so come join the fun!
Exhibits & Experiences
Meet all kinds of aquatic animals in our Coral Reef Tank, like the French Angelfish, the Florida Spiny Lobster, the Creole Wrasse, and the Blue Parrotfish. In our Predator Reef Tank, you’ll come face-to-face with marine life like the Moray Eel, the Porcupine Pufferfish, the Southern Ray, and the Blacknose Shark.
Free Guided Experience
To get the whole picture of our unique marine life, take a guided walking tour with our marine biologist for free! This is your chance to ask any questions about our animal residents and interact with them. Each guided experience lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, so you’re welcome to stay for the whole tour or leave at any time if you have other plans. The guided experience is included in every guest’s admission to Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters!
Feed the Animals
To get closer to our aquatic animals, get a feed pass and help give turtles, tortoises, sharks, and sting rays their food. That’s right, you even get to feed species from our Predator Tank! One of the most popular exhibits, it’s sure to bring a thrill to touch and feed sharks. Each feeding lasts about 15 minutes, so make sure you get there in time to experience one of the most exciting things to do in Marathon, Florida!
Touch Tanks
Explore our Touch Tanks, with various gentle animals welcoming you to the exhibit. Starting with the Shrimp Boat, meet and feed shrimp and other invertebrates. Next, interact with and feed our stingrays at our Stingray Cove. And check out the Nursery, where you’ll find our younger and smaller stingray species.
Explore the Tidepool, where you can touch a variety of unique invertebrates from Sea Stars, Conchs, and Horseshoe Crabs. The fun doesn’t stop there! Reach your hand into the cold water to touch deepsea creatures like Giant Isopods.
Plan Your Visit
Looking for the perfect place to call home during your Marathon Florida vacation? Look no further than Coconut Cay Resort and Marina! Our resort rooms offer the perfect place for you to relax and unwind after a day of fun. Don’t just take our word for it, find the perfect room for your next getaway and book your stay today!
Meet the Animals
We offer a full schedule for visitors to meet our animals, so check out the times and lineups to meet your favorite marine creatures! A marine biologist conducts every viewing, which lasts about 15 minutes, giving you time to look at and learn about each animal. Feel free to ask our biologist any questions about our marine life.
Starting at 10 a.m., join us at the top deck of the Coral Reef Tank to meet the Mobula Rays. You can meet our Lagoon residents at the Goliath Basin and then explore our Predator and Coral Reef Tanks. Climb the observation deck to view the beautiful Florida Bay and Vaca Cut.
At noontime, come to the top deck of the Coral Reef Tank to meet our Mobula Rays and see the Lagoon residents. At 2:30 p.m., you can get close to our American Alligators in the Everglades area. You get another chance to view the Predator and Coral Reef Tank and then meet our Mobula Rays again.
Close out the day by meeting the animals of Big Shark Bay and join our marine biologist for the End of Day Feedout!
Unforgettable Encounters
See our animals underwater on one of the Coral Reef Encounters; you can swim with fish in the Florida Keys coral reef ecosystem. This snorkeling adventure is a thrilling exploration of the thriving waters and aquatic life of the Florida Keys!
Get even closer to our sharks with our Big Shark Bay Encounter, where you’ll get to pet our docile Nurse Sharks. These sharks are easy for humans to interact with in a controlled marine environment, and you can witness their unique eating style. You can even feed a Nurse Shark with your encounter experience.
See the gentle marine gliders, also known as The Stringray Encounter! This encounter is perfect for everyone, putting you in the middle of the action of Caribbean stingrays. Get closer than ever before to these one-of-a-kind creatures of the sea!
The aquatic adventures don’t stop there, either. Join our Lagoon Snorkel Encounter in our welcoming lagoon enclosure with direct access to snorkeling at Marathon Aquarium. Discover the diverse marine inhabitants in our private saltwater lagoon, where you’ll find many different in-shore and coastal fish.
Last but not least, check out our Nursery Encounter and assist our marine biologists in training different species of young stingrays. You’ll learn and participate in the step-by-step techniques of behavioral training.
Conservation Efforts
Aquarium Encounters is passionate about saving the ocean and its wildlife. The entire park is set up as an interactive learning center that can give its guests a look into sea life you can’t usually see.
Their charity organization R3EACH takes on many conservation projects like coral reef restoration, manatee rescue and rehabilitation, great hammerhead research, and many more! Their mission is to research, rescue, and rehabilitate wildlife both on land and in the sea and to create awareness and educate guests on what they can do to help.
Where to Stay
After a day of exploring Marathon’s marine life at Aquarium Encounters, you can come back to relax and unwind in a Marathon, Florida, resort just as beautiful as the area by booking with Coconut Cay Resort!
When you book your stay in one of our marathon Florida rentals, you’ll be close to all of the area’s best attractions and activities. Along with the pool and complimentary equipment access, your rental includes lounge chairs, beach towels, charcoal grills, picnic tables, dock access, and boat slips.
In each room of our rentals, our guests receive daily housekeeping, onsite parking, an in-room coffeemaker, complimentary WiFi, and a daily “Grab-N-Go” breakfast.
Ready to jumpstart your next getaway in one of the more beautiful and exciting places on the Florida Coast? Browse all of our Marathon accommodations, book the perfect one for your getaway, and start planning your dream vacation today!