Dolphins

The dolphins are a huge part of what makes Gulf World so special. You will instantly fall in love with these beautiful and friendly creatures and be amazed by their flips, twists and leaps. Trainers work side by side with the dolphins to produce an action-packed show you won’t ever forget. There are plenty of opportunities for guest interaction too, both in the show, and as part of the ‘Swim with a Dolphin’ program. Guests participating in this program will firstly get to learn all about dolphin conservation, and then enjoy a dorsal fin pull around the dolphin habitat, a dolphin kiss, a dolphin handshake and much more!

California Sea Lions

The California sea lions will keep the crowd entertained from start to finish. There are non-stop laughs all the way as these incredible creatures interact with their audience, mimic their trainers and show off their many talents. You’ll love their cheeky antics and hilarious facial expressions, and one lucky guest will even have the opportunity to get a kiss from the star of the show!

Other Cool Exhibits

The dolphins and sea lions may steal the show, but there are many other exciting animals to check out and enjoy. The stingray pool offers visitors the opportunity to pet these fascinating creatures, plus there’s penguins, sea turtles, iguanas, flamingos, and even sharks, all waiting to say hello. Ever seen a cockatoo on roller skates? The parrot show in the Tropical Garden Theater will blow you away as you see stunts such as a parrot on a bicycle and a macaw that plays basketball. These lively feathered friends will put on a show the likes of which you’ve never seen! The reptile show consists of snakes, alligators, and lizards, tarantulas and toads all of which have a starring role in this production. A reptile expert will take you on an educational journey around the exhibit, with plenty of opportunities for guest interaction. Snake around the neck, anyone?

The Park Itself

Gulf World Marine Park provides visitors with a full day of family fun and education. During the summer season, there’s even a breathtaking show by the All American High Dive team plus ‘The Magic of Noah Wells’ magic show, both included in the price of your admission. Once you have purchased your ticket, your Gulf World experience is up to you! All shows have several performances throughout the day, so go at your own pace and make your own itinerary. Hungry? Choose from pizza, burgers, grilled chicken, hot dogs, ice-cream, candy and more at the Gulf World Grille and the Snack Bar. In the evening, there’s even a Tiki Bar where you can grab a drink and recollect the adventures of the day. A large gift shop provides a really cool collection of gifts and souvenirs at reasonable prices.

General admission tickets are $24.00 for adults, $15.00 for children ages 5 to 1 years old, and free for children under 4 years old. Swim with a Dolphin and Trainer for a Day programs are available at an additional cost. Gulf World Marine Park opens at 9:00 am and closes at 7:30 pm during peak season (end of May – early September) ad 5:30 pm on Sundays through peak season, and throughout the off-season.

Gulf World Marine Park is located at 15412 Front Beach Road, Panama City Beach. For more details call (850) 234 5271.

Fun at Gulf World

Panama City Beach is known for being a family-friendly destination, but there may not be a family-friendly attraction anywhere on the beach more exciting than Gulf World Marine Park. Located a block east of Pier Park, Gulf World Marine Park is a full-on marine experience complete with dolphin shows, sea lions, all sorts of tropical birds and fascinating exhibits. More than just a show, Gulf Work is fully interactive allowing you to enjoy hands-on interaction with the animals like petting sting rays and even swimming with the dolphins. I spent an afternoon on the grounds going to the shows and had loads of splash-tastic fun.

As soon as you walk through the doors you see glowing blue portals, windows to an underwater world, that extend out to a 100,000 gallon tank filled with happy dolphins. The main lobby doubles as a gift shop filled with souvenirs and artwork you can’t get anywhere else. A second door leads you out to a courtyard garden rich with gardenia fragrances. The courtyard is lush, covered with wild plants and flowers. Peeking between the leaves are exotic birds anxious to greet you. Poppy, a brilliant Moluccan Cockatoo is the first to greet you as he bounces up and down his branch saying “hello!” Not to be outdone, Rudy, a Green Wing Macaw, spreads his wings and says “hi!”

As you move further into the park, you stand into the near the Coral Reef Theatre from which you can see the penguin, alligator, stingray, shark and sea turtle exhibits. The marine life is plentiful, so much so that I couldn’t possible cover it all in one post, which is why we’ll get right to the amazing dolphin show, the single most excitingly interactive marine experience you’ll get on Panama City Beach.

At the back of the complex you reach Dolphin Stadium, a huge watery-stage strictly for entertainment. On the day I visited the park there were 400 school kids who’d been bused in from Alabama. The bus ride, for them, was totally worth it.

Dolphin Stadium is a 15 ft deep nearly 1 million gallon tank, halved to make for a stage and a backstage. When the stadium seating is filled, the talented dolphins come out and really put on a show blending amazing tricks with marine life education. Onstage during my stay were four gorgeous bottlenosed dolphins, each with their own special talents. The show started with them showcasing their size and speed. The show host, trainer Dru Jojola, told us all about their natural habitat, feeding and other interesting facts. The first of the tricks was the speed. You can see the speed for yourself as the dolphins zoom through the water. Dolphins can swim an astonishing 20-25 miles per hour normal or upside down. From there the tricks got complicated.

Dolphins are obviously intelligent creatures, but these guys were just brilliant. First they showcased their sonar abilities, able to echolocate rings tossed to the bottom of the water based on sonar alone. Dru told us dolphins use sound to detect the size, shape, and speed of objects hundreds of yards away. This ability is so precise they can sense the density difference between a golf ball and ping-pong ball dropped in the water from over a hundred feet away. That’s just crazy. They also use this sonar (cool clicking sound) to speak, sort of, using sounds like whistles, squeaks, and trills which they did during the show.

The dolphins then showed how they can dance, skirting across the top of the water and flapping their fins to hits from the oldies. The kids in the audience thought that was just a riot. After that, things got interactive as one kid was brought onto stage to meet the dolphins. She was able to pet, kiss and even feed the dolphins who were happy to have her and she, smiling from ear to ear, loved every second of it. Other kids were brought to the front of the tank for a mimicking trick where the dolphins mimicked their movements. the trick turned out to be on the kids, who, to their surprise, got splashed by the dolphins flapping heaps of water all over their heads. It was hilarious.

Dru then gave the stage to the dolphins who were able to showcase their athletic ability as they leaped out of the water 10 feet into the air, spinning, twirling and splashing to huge oohhs and ahhs from the crowds. The trainers got in on the fun and rode dorsal fins across the tank only to be thrown into the air by the beautiful mammals. The kids loved it. The show ended with a spectacular display of synchronized jumps and leaps that drew big applause for a great show.

After the show, kids were allowed into the backstage area to meet and greet the stars. Kids got to shake hands to fins, receive wet dolphin kisses and take pictures with their favorite dolphin. They also got to meet the other 11 dolphins in the park, 4 of which were also bottlenose and the other 7 were rough-tooth dolphins. Many of the dolphins, stranded or severely injured, had been saved from their original habitat and thrive at Gulf World. Five of the dolphins were actually born within the Gulf World habitat. Gulf World works diligently to keep its habitat safe and natural for the dolphins as their tank is 100% filtered sea water piped in from the gulf.

Gulf World has other cool features in their Dolphin Encounter Program where kids are allowed to swim with the dolphins or spend an entire day at dolphin day camp learning how to train the dolphins and enjoying private sessions with the dolphins and sea lions.

Gulf World Marine Park really is an awesome getaway from the beach. In fact, I’ll be returning soon to give you an update on the other shows like the Sea Lion Show, The Magic Show with Noah Wells and “Showtime” with Todd Henderson. If you go to Gulf World all these shows are included in the price of admission. It’s definitely worth it. You’ll have a blast, learn and lot and truly feel like you’ve had a vacation within a vacation.

General admission at Gulf World is $24.75 kids ages 5-11 admission is $15.07. No outside food and beverages are allowed within the park but they do have a tasty Gulf World Grille serving pizza, grilled chicken, burgers, dogs and other items. The snack bar offers popcorn, ice cream, drinks, candy and all sorts of other stuff. In the evening they have a nice Tiki Bar open during shows. They also have a designated smoking area. Go to Gulf World and have a blast

Gulf World Marine Park is located at 15412 Front Beach Rd Panama City, FL 32413.

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You can but tickets online at www.gulfworldmarinepark.com or call 850-234-5271

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Top 10 Reasons to Vacation on Panama City Beach

10. Weather
Do you know the average temperature for Panama City Beach? No? 78°. That’s right, a magnificent 78°, which I’ll bet for some of you is warmer than your summer days. Early spring begins late January where you will find “snowbirds” (winter vacationers) walking the beach, tanning and building sandcastles. Summer temperatures are in full swing by April, warming the gulf enough for water sports and excellent fishing. And the Fall, my personal favorite, keeps the nights a cool 68 – 75° , perfect for seasonal outings and dinner cruises.

9. Ripley’s Believe or Not Museum
Who doesn’t love a good ol’ shrunken head? But after a while even tiny skulls get boring. Panama City Beach’s “Ripley’s” has an added feature that’s sure to liven things up. A 4-D movie zooms you deep into a mine cave and up into space. Its totally fun. What’s even more amazing is that they even have a booth that transforms human beings into hermit crabs. Okay, that last bit wasn’t entirely true…but you’re welcome to believe it anyway…OR NOT!

8. Club La Vela
If clubs are your thing, there’s no better place to dance and play than the “Largest Club in the US”. Club La Vela has several themed rooms, each with its own atmosphere, ambiance, feel, and audience. You’ll find Hip-Hop, and High-Energy dance fans in the Thunderdome, you’ll see techno-lovers and trendy people in the Underground, Nightgallery, and in Galaxy Club dancing to Break Beats, Progressive House, Chicago Hard House, and Jungle. They even have Live Rock, a Sportszone and a Foam room. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to super-club heaven.

7. Pompanos Restaurant
Whenever tourists approach a local and ask where they can get fresh, delicious seafood, almost unfailingly, the answer is Pompanos Restaurant. Everything about Pompano’s exudes laid back beach. Located at the entrance to Front Beach Road, from the palm frond ceiling fans to the nautical theme, Pompanos doesn’t miss a beat. Startlingly fresh seafood, skillfully cut sushi and an atmosphere so relaxed and tropical you’ll want to take off your shirt and shoes and kick back. But, please, do remain clothed.

6. St. Andrews State Park
Perennially on top 10 lists for America’s most beautiful beaches, St. Andrews State Park is absolutely breathtaking. And there’s a great deal more to the park than beach. Vacationers get into nature and enjoy alligator ponds, nature trails, shell island tours, camp grounds and some of the best fishing in town. There are few things better on Panama City Beach then spending an afternoon at St. Andrews State Park, renting a jet ski and a snorkel and truly having an adventure. You’ll see dolphins, alligators, all sorts of marine life…definitely worth being called “World’s Most Beautiful Beach”.

5. Gulf World Marine Park – Panama City Beach
Have you ever wanted to swim with a dolphin? No, not a rubber-floaty shaped like a dolphin, an actual “Flipper” underwater mammal? Would you like to? If you answered yes, the place for you is Gulf World Marine Park on Panama City Beach. They offer full access to dolphin habitats allowing you to get pulled by a dorsal fin or get a dolphin kiss. They also offer opportunities to be a trainer for a day and learn what its like to take care of these awesome animals. But that’s not all. Not only can you swim with the dolphins, but hang out with sea lions, parrots, alligators, sting rays, sharks, sea turtles, penguins, reptiles and even Elvis. Yep, you heard right, Elvis.

4. Willy’s Pier Bar a.k.a The Pier Bar at Pineapple Willy’s
Show of hands; how many people like food, music, sports and beach? Good, that’s everyone. P. Willy’s Pier Bar rocks, literally and figuratively. A new addition to the Pineapple Willy’s restaurant, Pier Bar is the ultimate after-hours spot. All the best blues bands, awesome food and drinks and a better view of the beach than you can get on a postcard. Not as rowdy as a club, Pier Bar has just the right blend of laid back and exciting to make for an awesome night out. Pineapple Willy’s Pier Bar also made the top 5 places to watch the game list.

3. Firefly – Panama City Beach Restaurant
Good food can be found in many places. Great food, however, cannot. You might’ve had a dream once where you thought you had great food. It wasn’t great food. You haven’t enjoyed truly great food until you’ve tasted Firefly’s Espresso-braised Free-range Texas Boar Shank. Firefly is one of the most elegant dining experiences on the beach. The food is upscale, the setting is intimate and you will not find a trendier place for Martini’s. Also try the Ahi Tuna with the soy-lime ginger sauce. You’ll swear off cooking for a week.

2. Pier Park – Panama City Beach
Panama City Beach’s recent and biggest addition is Pier Park, an outdoor mall and entertainment boardwalk. Tourists and locals alike absolutely love Pier Park. If not for the great stores, then for the state-of-the-art movie theater, or the most unique restaurants in all of NW Florida, or the outdoor amphitheater with live summer shows. It can be any of those things, but my guess is everyone loves it because of the choo-choo train. Who doesn’t love a choo-choo train? Pier Park stands alone complete with festivals, events, rallies and all sorts of cool stuff normal “malls” just don’t have. Not to mention it’s on the beach. Come to PCB and go to Pier Park. If you don’t go to Pier Park you haven’t really vacationed on Panama City Beach.

1. The Beach
Were you expecting anything else? Panama City’s Beach is the number one reason to vacation on Panama City Beach. Show us an all around better beach that doesn’t require a passport and a vacation guide named Reynard who, for some odd reason, prefers banana hammocks over board shorts. Panama City Beach is without rival in that category. Although world renowned for its Spring Break season, after the students have gone back to school, the beach transforms; gone are all the beer cans and Mardi gras beads and what remains is a quiet, sparkling paradise. PCB has a dedicated Tourist Development Council that puts a lot of money and care into making PCB an enjoyable, relaxing experience for vacationers.

These are our reasons…

What are yours?

Chances are, if haven’t visited Panama City Beach in a few years, on your next visit you may not recognize the place. Repeat tourists have often told me stories of how they remembered Panama City Beach. They exalt places like the old Hangout and the fun their kids had at Miracle Strip—even long-graduated Spring Breakers and their tales of transforming our beach into Northwest Florida’s largest rave.

When cruising down the “Strip,” gone are the mom and pop hotels and random snowcone huts; gone are the giant chicken wire and plaster figures that towered over roadsides. Gone, even, is good ol’ Petticoat Junction (some of you may not remember that one).

Much has changed. In fact, since I was young, Panama City Beach is completely different. But, just because there aren’t as many goofy golfs (and I love goofy golf) doesn’t mean the beach’s changes are bad.

Note what many consider to be upgrades. In place of the mom and pop hotels and various “huts” are truly majestic condominiums. These stylish structures bring an under-appreciated elegance to the beachside. There are less small retail stores and more shopping plazas. The Miracle Strip amusement part is now a relic, the dome of the old Abominable Snowman ride still visible over the green fence, but its joy and laughter moved slightly westward to Pier Park. Some of the old bars and hangouts are gone, only to be replaced by better bars, trendier restaurants and hangouts for all ages.

The charm of the staples remain with places like Shipwreck Island Water Park, Club La Vela, Spinnakers, Shuckum’s, Schooners, Gulf World Marine Park, Zoo World and Pineapple Willy’s, but recent additions like Pier Park, RockIt Lanes, Oxygen, the PCB Aquatic Center and other may add to the value of the whole beach.

In my opinion, that last statement may be truer than most people realize. Don’t get me wrong, the popularity of the entire destination hinges on the charm of the old Panama City Beach. But, as a lifelong resident, I love watching the change. The condominiums aren’t just big view-hogging edifices; they have amazing accommodations and advanced amenities. Because of them, the rest of the beach has been forced to keep up. The remaining hotels and motels have changed their décor and added to their amenities. Take the Holiday Inn Sunspree for example. Over the last three years they’ve added The Aqualand playground, a new beautiful convention and business center, the Sunset Lounge and upgraded all the rooms and bedding. This was a direct result of competition from nearby condominiums. And that’s not all. Even the grounds of the seven mile long strip conceded, becoming cleaner and better maintained in order to keep up with the overall “new look.” These changes have made the whole of the beach cleaner and nicer.

Panama City Beach is on the verge of great things, truly providing services tourists can’t get anywhere else. And with the new airport on the way and ongoing rumors of expanding Pier Park into a more “amusement-like” arena, more first-rate advancements are on the horizon. But what do you think of the changes? Do you like the new-look PCB or do you prefer the old-style beach? Let us know and we’ll make sure your concerns hit the right ears.

Thanks to Tim Hollis for an awesome, and sadly nostalgic, book “Florida’s Miracle Strip.” If you would like to purchase his book, click HERE.