Daytona Aquarium & Rainforest Adventure — Attraction in Daytona Beach

My wife and I just visited, along with another couple (old friends who live locally), and we all really enjoyed ourselves! All four of us are very experienced divers, so we love to visit zoos and aquariums -- and view these attractions with an experienced and critical viewpoint. By international standards, this is a medium-sized attraction -- that does a great job of educating and entertaining visitors with clean and well-maintained exhibits that are managed by a caring staff. It's a modern, family-friendly facility, that we would recommend to anyone!

There are no killer whales or dolphins, but it's a wonderful place to relax and immerse yourself into an exploration of our natural world. It also offers interesting virtual reality experiences and spaces that can be used for parties, and we were told -- soon to come -- a wedding venue. No cafe yet, but it will be welcome.

We started our visit with a live presentation by "Ashlee" in their "Education Room", in which visitors were introduced to a live lizard, snake and a baby alligator. Ashlee did a very nice job holding each animal in a gentle and non-threatening way, and she described them using language that was appropriate for all . She answered questions thoughtfully. At the end, everyone was invited to pet the baby gator -- a treat for the kids!

We really liked the informational displays on the walls as well as the many well-designed video panels that describe the animals' characteristics and habitat. Very few facilities have such nice displays. In the aquarium area, don't miss opening the portholes mounted on the walls, that, when opened, reveal addition information.

Even though designed for kids, adults also enjoyed the interactive sand table, that uses projection/camera technology to demonstrate how changes to topography have shaped the Earth's oceans and waterways. Various dinosaurs come and go to keep the users engaged. If you build a pile high enough, it'll turn into a volcano!

Another interactive exhibit, named "Draw Alive" encourages visitors to use dry erase markers to create custom-colored, unique sea creatures on laminated sheets. Visitors then place their sheet in a "Pipe", that’s actually a camera that digitally copies the drawing and creates a matching digital creature that swims into the virtual fish tank, to mix with the other animated fish and turtles. This colorful LED display is excellent!

They have a couple of well-designed touch tanks that allow visitors to physically -- safely -- touch sting rays and other invertebrates. I always feel a bit sorry for the animals in this sort of display, but they are now ubiquitous, and these seemed to be well managed.

They have a nice mix of sea creatures, in well-designed fresh water and marine tanks. We were marveling at an unusual Peacock Mantis Shrimp with a few other visitors, when staff member named "Tom", stopped us to say: "Stay right there!" He then disappeared into a door and we watched in awe as he fed the shrimp for us. This was a unique experience! Tom then re-appeared to chat with us and answer the visitors' questions. He kindly gave a well-informed and polite boy a seashell from the very tank that we were watching. He explained how difficult and complex it was to transform this large retail space into a beautiful aquarium/rainforest display. He was very knowledgeable, and we were lucky to have met him.

The newly opened rainforest section also has well-designed displays, with a nice variety of animals in very clean twilight habitats that are appropriate for the nocturnal species. Here we had another insightful conversation with an intelligent young woman (I didn't catch her name) who was caring for the animals. She answered every question that we had, and clearly had previous zoo experience. She spoke very highly of the management and other staff, which says a lot for this place. Working for zoos and aquariums can be rough, and we really appreciate a place that treats its employees well.

The gift shop had something...

I HATE captivity- its just so heartbreaking, but so is the wild anymore (with pollution, deforestation and hunters/fishermen, etc.) so captivity - to some extent helps protect the animals. I came when the rainforest exhibit wasn’t open (not sure what kind of animals will be in cages in that exhibit). But all the enclosures looked very nice and clean. It was VERY informative. Very clean facility . Wonderful interactive exhibits. A fantastic variety of really interesting and beautiful animals to admire and learn about. We got there at 5 and only had an hour to spend there, we were literally the only ones there! We could have spent a long time there reading and watching the animals longer but we were there at closing and didn’t have the time. Observing the animals was incredible! The clown fish were playing with each other. Several large fish loved my baby, they kept hanging out by him. The touch tanks are fun! (For us at least, who knows how the sting rays feel swimming in mindless circles in a barren tank)! The sand box is super fun! The frogs were active and visible. Really nice facility. As an animal rights vegan, I normally don’t support places like this. But happy to report there were no whales/dolphins/otters/manatees (which travel far distances each day and should NOT be in captivity). I think the octopus could use a tank that has more activities for it because they’re just way to smart). I feel bad for some of the animals bc they looked lonely: Like the baby aligator, and some lizard species. and the huge toad’s enclosure looked way too small for him. I am not familiar with most species of fish (but a few enclosures looked too small for the active larger fish) I wonder what they do with the baby animals (sharks/alligators) when they get older and bigger?? I hope they do something sustainable and not harmful. Overall, it was an informative, safe and clean aquarium and I feel like the creatures were content enough, even though captivity sucks, it is great for us to view and learn about our fellow earthlings and conservation. We didn’t get to do the VR or view any feedings or play in the arcade, but looks like it would be a great place for birthday parties. Vegan restaurants nearby like Kale Cafe and Zen Bistró. Beach nearby. Remember to be kind and considerate to all creatures of the earth. Pick up your trash, live simply and love.

Update!! We’ve been to the rainforest section and I was so sad foe the animals. I feel like their enclosures are just too small. I fear for the baby otters too. What happens to them when they get too big? Where do they go? I can see how they tried to make the enclosures nice, but… idk…. Captivity just sucks. But the Wild doesn’t seem safe anymore either due to human deforestation and...

I have not visited yet but I have read many reviews and watched plenty of videos. This place has AMAZING potential and it’s very obvious that it’s not finished and the company has been very open with their plans, dates and given us as much information as possible about construction and completion. Yes they started allowing people to buy tickets and walk through early, but the people need to realize it’s not finished. It’s very publicly announced, common sense kind of “not finished” and yet people are still criticizing it and leaving nasty comments about how it’s not finished, WELL DUHHHH. If your local buy tickets and support this project, they obviously started selling tickets early due to budget. Ask yourself, what company would risk a plummet in reviews and bad reputation before it’s even completed ? The answer is , a company that may have ran into some financial issues and project is turning out to be more than estimated. So SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY, Buy the tickets ! Buy the merchandise! By the food and beverages! BE APART OF WHAT COULD BE ANOTHER MAIN STAPLE ATTRACTION FOR FLORIDA LOCALS AND ITS TOURISTS! This place is a gift, let’s help them finish wrapping it up 🥰 I am so eager to visit ( I live about 2 hours away ) and bring my kids. Hopefully they will add in some outdoor playground activities and have a lot of hands on activities and sensory rooms etc. It would absolutely incredible if they incorporate a children’s museum into it as well. SO LETS SUPPORT! It’s a beautiful project that I cannot wait to see completed ! 🥰.

For those wanting to purchase tickets now, please read the company updates on their renovations and updates on their plans and exhibit release dates. Please fully understand that this project is not 100% complete, not all animals and exhibits are available/been constructed, but by purchasing tickets and other items it goes towards their development. This place has potential to make history in its area and state 🥰 you could be apart of...