MARINELAND, Fla. – After navigating years of uncertainty, Marineland Dolphin Adventure is turning a corner, buoyed by community support and a renewed mission centered on education, research, and preservation of its historic legacy.
Now operating as a nonprofit organization, the world’s first oceanarium is slowly rebuilding under new ownership, with plans that extend beyond tourism to include scientific research and marine education.
Flagler County Tourism Director Amy Lukasik underscored Marineland’s importance to the region and its “Old Florida” identity.
“From a tourism perspective they are important,” Lukasik said. “As many of the locals know, a lot of the reasons people came here is the Old Florida feel. We don’t have major attractions here and we don’t want major attractions here, so Marineland sort of fits that product of Old Florida.”
She added, “You can come to an Old Florida attraction and it tells the story of how the state started in tourism because obviously they were here before Walt Disney World, and who we are today as a tourism destination. We’re happy that things worked out the way they did.”
Community leaders and longtime supporters say Marineland’s survival is deeply personal. Flagler Beach City Commissioner Rick Belhumeur, whose parents discovered Flagler Beach while traveling to Marineland in 1966, called the attraction irreplaceable.
“It’s rich Flagler County history that we don’t have a lot of, so it means a lot,” Belhumeur said.
As the organization stabilizes, staff are assessing infrastructure needs and planning future volunteer workdays to tackle long-overdue improvements.
“Come. Come and see what we’re doing. Support us that way,” Marineland Dolphin Adventure Director Felicia Cook said. “But you can also… show up on work days. We are skeleton staffed. But the animals are being taken care of and that’s the most important thing.”
Cook said patience from visitors will be key as the attraction rebuilds.
“When you come here, you’re the most important thing to us. We want you to have the experience of a lifetime,” she said.
Looking ahead, Cook hopes to restore educational programming and expand offerings tied to wellness, therapy, and research, while welcoming opportunities to tell Marineland’s story through film and media.
“If they’re going to learn about our dolphins and tell the story about our dolphins correctly, then yes, that’s what we want,” she said.
“There is a true love for Marineland in this county,” Cook added. “My goal is that we will have camp this summer. Don’t know that it will happen but that’s my goal.”
The Marineland Dolphin Adventure is open to the public. More information is available at www.marineland.net
