The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies, Gulfport

Wow what an amazing little gem! Affordable for our family of 6 and we had experiences we will never forget! The dolphin show was incredible and we had so much fun feeding the birds and touching the sting rays!

Phenomenal Experience! Truly a hidden gem that I wouldn't pass up. The place is clean, with a fantastic schedule of events, affordable pricing & the staff are stupendous! In the museum you can dig for real sand shark teeth (even my older kiddos enjoyed this.) Every staff member is eager to teach & answer questions. When your here you can attend: snakes & gators talk, sting rays talk, dolphin show, sea lion show, and bird show; all last about 10 minutes but are open for questions for all curious minds (that means adults too.) They also have encounters which include the general admission in the cost. They have anything from dolphin kisses, dolphin encounters to hanging out with the string rays. As my daughter wants a career with animals I signed her up for Job Shadow. I can't speak for the other experiences offered but the Job Shadow experience was absolutely extraordinary! She was able to learn first hand from the trainers & experts themselves. They shared there love & knowledge of the job while making it fun & educational! If you have a kiddo that loves animals the way mine does I wouldn't hesitate and go make the day of their dreams come true, like mine. 🧡

A wonderful place to visit. It’s not crowded, has a beautiful layout. Granted it’s not as big as an aquarium, but they are very knowledgeable about the animals and have wonderful experiences for people to experience. The ray pool was my favorite, plus it’s a nice way to catch a break from summer temps. You won’t break the bank with a visit. It was fun to watch the little ones see dolphins and sea lions up close. The parakeets are so much fun to watch.

We had a great time at IMMS. It was only $16 to get in and was definitely worth it. There are a few shows you can go watch too. It is a good way to learn about sea creatures in an environment that actually cares about the animals.

Great family experience! Dolphins, sea lions, stingrays, fish, and birds. We purchased a dolphin meet and great which included general admission. Highly recommend you learn so much about the animal rescue. All shows were informative. Hidden gem.