Dolphin Research Center

The Dolphin Research Center is a dolphinarium on Grassy Key, Florida. The 8400 m² area is home to dolphins and California sea lions. It provides experiences of various kinds with dolphins. Visitors can swim with dolphins or take part in other interactive programs.

History

It opened in 1958 as Santini's Porpoise School, a school of dolphins by Milton Santini, who had previously worked as a fisherman and Dolphin catcher. It was his dolphins that played along in the Flipper movies in 1963 and 1964. The establishment in 1972 continued as Flipper's Sea School. In 1977, Jean Paul Fortom - Gouin the establishment, calling it the Institute for Research Delphinid. The facility is closed to the public.

As the whaling moratorium came into force in 1983, handed Fortom - Gouin the business to his manager and his Head Coach, Jayne and Mandy Rodriguez. It opened new as today's Dolphin Research Center.

The site served as the location for the films of the series Flipper, and was the "Atlantic Dolphin Research " center in the television series "Key West" in the early 1990s.