Field Trips at Dolphins Plus

At Dolphins Plus, we offer enriching and adaptable educational experiences that bring students back year after year. With fresh material, diverse learning opportunities, and hands-on experiences, each visit builds on the last, creating a dynamic and ever-evolving journey of discovery.
When you collaborate with our education experts, you'll uncover a wealth of engaging learning opportunities designed to captivate and inspire. Students will leave with lasting memories—and eagerly anticipate their next field trip!

We believe field trips are more than unique and fun experiences—they are powerful tools that actively enhance student learning that can align with educational standards and curriculum goals. Our team has conducted extensive research and will collaborate with you to ensure that your field trip to Dolphins Plus will align seamlessly with your learning goals and make a lasting educational impact.

We will work with you to customize your field trip experience, tailoring it to meet your specific curriculum objectives. Be sure to review the section on educational standards to incorporate your field trip into your lesson plans effectively.

Want to learn more? Download the Exclusive Insider eGuide for Student Group Planning.

You won’t have a general tour guide when you visit Dolphins Plus. Experienced trainers and conservationists interact with students and lead classroom and immersive experiences. These are highly regarded experts in their fields with experience working with guests of all ages to create learning opportunities targeted toward developmental phases. Content and experiences will resonate with your group for high-quality learning.

Our programs allow students to safely engage with our dolphins in a natural sea water lagoon, fostering a unique emotional connection through swimming, touching, and interacting with these incredible animals. This bond inspires increased knowledge, awareness, and a deep passion for conservation.

Our dedicated education team will help you choose the perfect encounter to meet your group’s needs.

Options include:
Dockside Encounter: Ideal for non-swimmers and younger students.
Shallow Water Encounter: A hands-on experience in shallow waters.
Signature Swim: An immersive interaction for a truly unforgettable adventure.

No matter which encounter you select, our experienced training team will guide you in creating a meaningful and impactful experience that leaves a lasting impression on your students.

When students are having fun and entertained, they become actively engaged in the learning process, leading to improved focus and retention of information. Research supports this: one study found that edutainment-based instruction significantly “enhanced students’ academic achievement and retention.”

In the study, students took a Building Technology Achievement Test (BTAT), followed by either a traditional lecture or an edutainment-based session. Those students then re-took the BTAT. Those taught with edutainment scored 11.91 points higher on their second test, compared to 8.75 points higher for those taught via lecture alone.

Inspired by the power of edutainment, field trips at Dolphins Plus are designed to be fun, thought-provoking, and emotionally engaging. These experiences ignite curiosity and inspire students to become passionate stewards of our oceans.

Conveniently located just 90 minutes south of Miami, Key Largo is a tropical paradise with a laid-back charm all its own. At Dolphins Plus, we are privileged to call this unique environment home—a place where dolphins inspire our work, and diverse ecosystems provide unparalleled opportunities for exploration and education.

Flanked by the Everglades to the west and the third-largest barrier reef in the world to the east—also the only living barrier reef in the continental United States—Key Largo boasts a vibrant mosaic of marine habitats. Coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests, and tropical hardwood hammocks come together to support an extraordinary variety of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in North America.

This natural richness makes Key Largo and Dolphins Plus a premier destination for student travel, offering immersive learning experiences in a truly one-of-a-kind setting. Whether exploring the reef, studying mangroves, or connecting with marine life, visitors are sure to leave inspired by the wonders of this tropical haven.

Dolphins Plus: Committed to Ocean Conservation and Marine Mammal Welfare At Dolphins Plus, we are deeply committed to the preservation of our oceans, the protection of marine wildlife, and the overall well-being of our planet. Our initiatives focus on both actionable steps and collaborative efforts to drive meaningful environmental change.

Promoting Sustainability
We believe that small, everyday choices can create significant positive impacts. That’s why we educate our guests on sustainable practices, such as using reef-safe sunscreens and opting for eco-friendly products. Through our partnership with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, we actively promote sustainable seafood choices, empowering individuals to make environmentally conscious decisions.

Advancing Marine Research
Dolphins Plus collaborates with universities and like-minded organizations on research initiatives that enhance our understanding of marine mammals and their ecosystems. Our research team has contributed to over 40 peer-reviewed articles on diverse topics, including:
Cognition
Behavior
Conservation
Welfare
Acoustics
Veterinary Care

These efforts provide critical data to advance scientific knowledge and support conservation strategies that protect wild marine mammal populations and their habitats.

Supporting Marine Mammal Rescues
We proudly support Dolphins Plus Marine Mammal Responder (DPMMR), the only whale and dolphin stranding center in the Florida Keys. Covering a vast 10,000-square-mile area from Key Biscayne to the Dry Tortugas, DPMMR leads rescue and rehabilitation efforts for wild marine mammals.
Our dedicated team members from the research, animal care and training, and veterinary departments volunteer alongside DPMMR. Their expertise and experience in marine mammal care play an essential role in these rescue operations, helping to save and rehabilitate stranded animals.

By combining education, research, and direct conservation efforts, Dolphins Plus continues to work towards a future where marine ecosystems thrive. Together, we can make a difference—one sustainable choice at a time.