Theater of the Sea

Theater of the Sea, established in 1946, is a marine mammal park located in the Village of Islamorada, Florida, United States. It is a tourist attraction located on Windley Key in the Florida Keys. Visitors can swim with Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, and sting rays, and nurse sharks. Theater of the Sea lagoons and lush, tropical gardens are home to dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, fish, sharks, stingrays, alligators, and birds.

Established in 1946 by the P.F. McKenney family, Theater of the Sea is located in the Florida Keys, halfway between Miami and Key West, and is one of the oldest marine mammal facilities in the world. The McKenney family still owns and operates the park today. Originally a rock quarry excavated for Henry Flagler’s railroad in the early 1900s, the lagoons and lush, tropical gardens at the facility are home to dolphins, sea lions, sea turtles, tropical and game fish, sharks, stingrays, crocodiles, alligators, and birds. Twelve million gallons of ocean water are pumped in daily to supply water to the three-acre natural salt-water lagoons. The health and well-being of the animals take precedence over all other interests and their care is supported by patronage alone. Many of our animals were rescued by Theater of the Sea and other organizations like the Turtle Hospital, Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Marine Mammal Care Center.

After passing away in the late 1980s, Bud McKenney’s widow, Martha, remained involved in their lifelong endeavor but relinquished management of the park to their son P.F. McKenney, Jr., and daughter Martha Arender. P.F. “Kenny” McKenney, Jr. has successfully followed in his father’s footsteps by maintaining and enhancing the park in a manner that has paralleled and often exceeded his father's. Nowadays, the 17-acre property of lagoons, waterfalls, and lush tropical gardens is home to a variety of animals including Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, California sea lions, sea turtles, sharks, rays, tropical and sport/game fish, invertebrates, crocodilians, raptors, and parrots. Theater of the Sea not only continues to grow and become more beautiful each year but takes great pride in consistently providing a wonderful home for the animals while sharing them with visitors in ways that inspire awareness and sensitivity towards animals, the environment, and conservation issues.

Theater of the Sea is open daily from 9:30 a.m. E.S.T. for educational and entertaining shows and programs. After enjoying the shows and programs, guests can browse in our unique gift shop, dine at Papa’s grill, and visit our private lagoon-side beach to snorkel, sunbathe, or just relax. General admission to the park includes dolphins, sea lions, fish and reptiles, and parrot shows, access to the lagoon side beach, and a 5-minute bottomless boat ride around the dolphin lagoon. One of the shows is always taking place; guests join the one that is in progress when they arrive and should plan to spend two to three hours in the park.

About Us (2022) Theater of the Sea. Available at: https://theaterofthesea.com/about-us/#:~:text=Established%20in%201946%20by%20the,and%20operates%20the%20park%20today. (Accessed: January 14, 2023). 

History (2018) Theater of the Sea. Available at: https://theaterofthesea.com/about-us/history/ (Accessed: January 14, 2023).