dauphin island sea lab estuarium

treewoman

A great place to visit when the weather was not to so good in January. There is a lot of information to absorb about the life and times of sea creatures in this unusual location- ocean, rivers, estuaries.... Kids would love it. The volunteers were very informative and gave us lots of info we would not have gleaned from just looked at the sea life exhibits.

MistyD103

The Estuarium has a great variety of sea life from the adjacent estuary and Gulf of Mexico, and has wonderful, knowledgeable staff. One of my daughter's favorite exhibits was the table with various shells and specimens she could explore while learning about them from an Estuarium educator. It's not a large aquarium, but it is very well laid out and has plenty to see. The gift shop is very nice, with plenty of unique items. There's a touch tank with rays and a small shark outside that the kids loved, and the living marsh and adjacent boardwalks are nice. The area is fantastic for watching sea birds as well.

mlpn

All ages really enjoyed the educational, informative and hands on exhibits . The staff was extremely welcoming and the touch pool was a big hit with the the little ones.

papabaker

watching the fish and other animals swim around in the tanks was almost mesmerizing. the lighting in some of the tanks lit the plankton and made quite a show. I was unaware that there are sea horses in the gulf. I also learned that Alabama has more species than any other state. I didn't pet the rays at feeding time, but watching those who did was certainly entertaining

mountainstosea64

We had a most informative visit. The entire staff was very into their jobs and enjoyed sharing their knowledge. A super nice Docent made the visit special. He made sure we did not miss a thing. We later found what we thought was a unusual jaw bone and teeth on a beach walk, took it back by, they identified it for us (black drum) and seemed thrilled we took the time to bring it by. They kept it for display. Would recommend a visit.

WRJ-MLJ

We enjoyed the Estuarium but probably expected more. The self guided tour was fine, but the best part was when one of the staff stopped what they were doing and talked with and explained one of the sea creatures (I don't remember the name) to us and another family. It was fun to see the rays being fed. It seemed a little pricey for what we saw. Would I go again? Probably not.

Dodie_12

The sealab is a research facility and explains about the the sealife in Mobile Bay. The inside aquariums are clean and the explanational posters of the fish were well done. It was fun to see a fish and then find out the name of it and interesting facts about it.

billw947

This is definitely worth a visit while on Dauphin Island. The Estuarium, despite its small size, provides lots and lots of displays and gives a great overview of Alabama's coastal environments. The aquaria are very well kept and there are a couple hands-on exhibits too. Highly recommend as a stop!

jvteach77

This aquarium is very informative and interesting, since it focuses on a section of the oceans often overlooked in larger aquariums. Worth the time to see. Also, don't forget the outside walkways and touch tanks. They are expanding the aquarium now, so it should be a little larger in 2015 sometime.

WillC7

We spent a little more than an hour touring the estuarium. A docent name Neil was very helpful and followed us around allowing our 6 year old to ask question after question. The feeding of the rays was also interesting and informational. Lots of information on the wildlife in the Mobile Bay and Gulf of Mexico area.

bhauxwell

Visited the Sea Lab on a rainy afternoon and really enjoyed viewing the different types of wild life. It's a smallish aquarium, but would be a great place to take the kids for the afternoon. They allow hands on petting of the sea rays too. Check it out.

old_traveler12345

This is a research center for several universities as well as an informative display of local marine life. The volunteer guide added so much information to the description of the marine life on display. In addition to the indoor exhibit hall there is an outside feeding tank with rays and a small shark that you can touch as they swim by. The ticket purchase is good for the entire day and you can return at feeding time. There is also a living marsh and boardwalk. Although I didn't purchase anything the gift ship has some unique and attractive items.

PASUHO

We really enjoyed the Sea Lab Estuarium. Loved the Sea Horse aquarium and the sting ray feeding. So neat!! You could actually touch the string rays as they swam by. The gift store was also the best! Very interesting and educational.

surferjoy1

This is a small but nice place to visit. I think it should be a donation rather than a set amount for entry. Our family of four divided and just sent the kids in, one being 18.

ejbpesca

The Estuarium delivers an understanding of local waters and offers a chance to touch a ray and see the local fish up close.