QUICK SUMMARY

This is a good park to go to if you've got kids who like waterslides and similar activities (or if you happen to enjoy such). They also feature a very worthwhile dolphin swim-with program, provided by the company Dolphinaris.

The food, however, is horrible. You would be well advised to bring your own.

HEAVY DETAILS

This is another location that suffered severe damage under Hurricane Wilma, and has had to rebuild as a result. The dolphin facilities, in particular, were changed from open-water pens to an enclosed system of pools, much more hurricane-resistant and far safer for the animals.

As a result of this rebuild, the dolphin facilities look really nice. My wife and I did the top-end swim-with package (DSP), and we got a great discount on it ($130 per person vs. $150) by booking through the on-site travel agent at our hotel. I thought so highly of the experience and the facility that I returned on my own a few days later to do the 'Trainer for a Day' program (honestly, the first one I've ever done).

I can say with much confidence that the DSP (Dolphin Swim Program) will appeal to both novices and those who have had past contact with dolphins. Besides the usual structured behaviors (kiss, hug or layout, high-target, etc.) you will also get some free interaction time with the critters. Swimmer-to-dolphin ratio rarely exceeds 3.5:1, and can be lower under light crowds.

The Trainer for a Day program is well worth it if you want to know more about the dolphins, and training them, than can be answered in the time available for a swim-with session. The program puts you and a few others (my group was six large, counting myself) with one of the training staff for the entire day.

You get some classroom time, in which you're introduced to basic dolphin biology and training theory, and you'll also get three in-water sessions with different groups of dolphins where you actually learn how to give them various hand signals to perform their various behaviors (never say 'tricks,' as it's inaccurate and considered rude).

Later in the day, after lunch, you'll get a very thorough tour of the place, including the fish house and (most interesting for me) the veterinary lab. You will be given ample opportunity to ask ANY questions you may have about the animals, their care and feeding, or any other aspect of park operations, and you will receive very detailed and educational answers.

The day ends with a final session with the dolphins, and here is where I learned of the ONLY down-side to the entire program: No free-swim time with the critters! That's the ONLY thing that kept me from bumping the TripAdvisor rating scale for this park up to five dots.

No matter which program you choose, you will receive a complimentary day pass to the rest of the park. If you like waterslides and wave machines, this could be a Fun Thing. Lockers are not included, and will run you about USD $4 with a USD $10 deposit (which you get back when you turn in your key and token).

FOOD WARNING! The alleged food in this park sets a new low for theme park quality (or lack thereof). Stay far, FAR away from the nachos (they made my wife sick for two days!), the alleged pizza is mediocre at best, and the "chicken fingers" were so dry, hard, and overcooked that I think even the grackles would have ignored them.

It would be much safer (and far more healthy) to bring your own food (you can do so). In my case, I had our hotel pack a box lunch for me. I did not regret it!

My only other complaint about this park is its location. It's still close enough to Cancun's hotel zone to have a "city" feel to it. I think, for our next trip, I'm more likely to visit the Cozumel location.

Happy travels.