Istanbul Dolphinarium — Attraction in Eyüpsultan

I do not recommend for the turists!!! Be very carefully because the employees from there are taking advantage that you are not from their country and they are stealing your money from the bags (they know that the police can't do nothing because is their word against yours and they don't have cameras in the changing rooms so you can't prove this). If you are going there please take the money, the phones with you to the pool or put them to lock your backpacks. The experience itself, swiming with doplhins is great, but you better chose other dolphinarium for doing this because you can't have trust in the people from this one. We were 2 days ago to swim with the dolphins and we had the worst experience. A fuller man with blue/green eyes put us to change in the rooms and he told us to let there the backpacks while we'll be swimming with dolphins(without being put in a locked place). We have checked before and we had the money. After less than 10 minutes (that they say they let you swim with the dolphins but is not like this -they were rushing us even if we were the only ones there) we came back to get dressed and go to the hotel. I want to mention that we only went by taxi and had nowhere to lose money. When we got out of the taxi and checked the money was gone !! We went back and called the police but nothing happened. They don't know english, is very complicated to communicate with them. The attitude of 2 employees from there (the fuller man who told us to leave the backpacks there because he will guard and an older one) was very rude, they were laughing and told to us they we lost the money on the street ( really? In taxi we could not loose the money). The interesting part is that when we came back there the guy who "guarded" blushed and was acting strange...So, if you cand avoid this place, DO IT !! If you really want to swim with the dolphins take everything with you...

The place itself is a bit of rundown and you might mistake it for some abandoned warehouse. However when you come here you come for the show and it is such a fantastic place to visit with the kids.

The show was made up of three parts. Two beluga whales then two dolphins and then finishes with a walrus. There are four shows per day, at 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:30. We came for the 14:00 show on a weekday and it wasn’t that busy at all you just have to enter the hall early to get a seat of your choice.

Seats are arranged in vip seats in the middle of the hall and normal seats to the sides. Most families sat on the normal seats that are separated from the vip seats by a walkway so they essentially got a vip view.

Beluga whales show was a bit slow because of their slow movement. Dolphins were energetic and fast paced and the walrus show was essentially a stand up show that in many parts made mockery of its fat body. And the show lasted for just a bit under one hour.

On their website they made reference about making arrangements for swim sessions with the dolphins but I haven’t checked.

In terms of prices, the normal seating price is approximately 40USD per person, a photograph with the dolphin is approximately 25 USD. There are for cash payments, card payments are a bit more expensive, slight discount is offered for those with turkish...

BE CAREFUL of PICK POCKET. You need to be AWARE of this risk before you want to go there.

The Show is very good. A 4 star. But the surrounding, mainly the roads & crossings are unsafe. There is Organised PICK POCKET/ criminals. Think twice before you go in this area.

We had the bad experience of our life of being picked pockets just on the main road/ crossing in front of the Dolphinarium. The management & owners of the Dolphinarium knew that there are pick pockets but they say they can not do much.

Attached pictures that we have taken after the attacked. It is a group of 5 to 6 'COVERED ladies' -35 to 55 years, look innocent, wearing hats like tourist. They have male leader using their or stolen cars to distract you while the ladies do the pick pockets. In our case they have used the crossing, the male leader drive the car backward to make us get distracted.

If the authority want to catch them, they can, the car plate used in the attacked is in the picture Black Honda. Even the bus or the EDS camera can recognise them.

Strong message to the Dolphinarium management. You should take care of this matter or else people won't come if this continue. Involve the municipality/ police/ put more camera/ inform the guests about pick pockets on the main road. Hope you will take...