Discovery Cove has its “Trainer for a Day Package” that gives its guests the chance to schedule a reservation so that they can talk, touch, play and swim with the bottlenose dolphins. This package includes a 30-minute dolphin session, deep-water dolphin interaction, private photo sessions, ample time with the dolphin trainers and a behind the scenes tour. Isn’t that exciting? The 30-minute dolphin session is operated by Trained Dolphin Adventure Guides that will orient guests about the safety and information they have to learn about the dolphins before plunging into the dolphin pool. The lecture of the orientation is about how to use hand signals and positive reinforcement to persuade the dolphins to execute behaviors before partaking in a one-on-one swim. The deep-water dolphin interaction is between a single dolphin and a group of around eight people while the one-on-one swim lasts about 15 seconds.
Discovery Cove’s main attractions are: the Coral Reef where guests can utilize their park-provided snorkeling gear to watch and interact with thousands of tropical fish, including an underwater shark and barracuda tank located behind protective glass; the Stingray Tank where guests can swim after an orientation with Discovery Cove Adventure Guides; the free-flight aviary that contains over 250 tropical birds which guests can interact with. Some of the birds are parrots, toucans and over 30 other species of birds which are more or less exotic; and the Tropical River attraction runs straightforwardly through the aviary and encircles the park so that guests can float around the different scenes of Discovery Cove. It is adjacent to the heated freshwater resort pool.
Discovery Cove is also a theme park that is environment-friendly because instead of using polystyrene foam and petrochemical-based plastic tableware they used biodegradable food wares. The park is also planning to use materials that are organic and biodegradable (bamboo, vegetable-based starches, corn, sugar-cane fiber, etc.) for their food-service containers and tableware.
Discovery Cove entrance is all-inclusive. Meaning it is a package deal that includes food, drinks, equipment rentals, and a ticket to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. But there are other entrance alternatives given by the park. Those are: the dolphin-swim, non-dolphin-swim, and “Trainer for a Day” packages. To be able to be admitted in the park you should place a reservation first because it can only accommodate 1000 guests in a given period of time. Entrance to the park also includes all you can eat or drink at the restos and snack bars, including booze. Recently, the park launch a “Twilight Discovery” Program which includes gourmet dinner and drinks. Entrée choices can include salmon, mahi mahi, jambalaya, hamburgers, chicken fingers, pasta and roasted chicken, along with an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and desserts. Discovery Cove also gives their guests snorkeling equipment (mask, wetsuit/vest, snorkel) that they can keep. The entrance package also includes lockers, towels, sunscreen and beach chairs. There are also private cabanas available for rent.
Discovery Cove is a theme park in Greater Orlando, Florida, United States. Guests can interact with a variety of marine animals, most notably bottlenose dolphins. The park is located adjacent to sister parks SeaWorld Orlando and Aquatica. In addition to swimming with dolphins, Discovery Cove guests can interact with exotic birds, tropical fish, rays, and land mammals. It is operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, a subsidiary of The Blackstone Group.
Dolphin swim
Discovery Cove offers the opportunity to schedule a reservation to “talk, touch, play and swim” with bottlenose dolphins. With the help of trained dolphin adventure guides, guests receive a safety orientation and information session to learn about the dolphins before moving to the dolphin pool. Guests are shown how to use hand signals and positive reinforcement to encourage the dolphins to perform behaviors before participating in a one-on-one swim. The “Trainer for a Day Package” includes the regular 30-minute dolphin session, adding deep-water dolphin interaction, private photo sessions, increased time with the dolphin trainers, and a behind the scenes tour. The dolphin interaction is between a single dolphin and a group of around eight people. The one-on-one swim is for about 15 seconds.
Attractions
Discovery Cove contains a coral reef, where guests can use their park-provided snorkeling equipment to observe and interact with thousands of tropical fish, including an underwater shark and barracuda tank located behind protective glass. Guests can also swim in the Stingray Tank, which features dozens of rays (up to 4-feet wide) that park visitors can interact with after an orientation with Discovery Cove adventure guides.
The park contains a free-flight aviary, which contains over 250 tropical birds to interact with and feed, including parrots, toucans, and over 30 other species of exotic birds. The heated Tropical River runs directly through the aviary and circles the park, allowing guests to float past an assortment of the Discovery Cove’s beaches, waterfalls, and rainforest landscape. The Tropical River runs adjacent to the park’s heated freshwater resort pool.
Conservation initiatives
In order to become more environmentally-sustainable, Busch Entertainment and Discovery Cove have made many efforts to become “green” by eliminating polystyrene foam and petrochemical-based plastic tableware and experimenting with biodegradable food wares. Discovery Cove plans to construct their food-service containers and tableware from materials that are organic and biodegradable, including bamboo, vegetable-based starches, corn, and sugar-cane fiber.[5]
Admission
Discovery Cove admission is all-inclusive, including food, drinks, equipment rentals, and a ticket to SeaWorld Orlando, Aquatica, or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. Three different admission options are offered by the park, including the dolphin-swim, non-dolphin-swim, and “Trainer for a Day” packages. Reservations for Discovery Cove are required, and a maximum of 1000 guests can be present in the park at any one time. Admission to the park includes all you can eat or drink at the restaurants and snack bars, including alcoholic beverages. The park recently launched a program called "Twilight Discovery" that also includes a gourmet dinner and drinks. Entrée selections include salmon, mahi mahi, jambalaya, hamburgers, chicken fingers, pasta and roasted chicken, along with an assortment of sandwiches, salads, and desserts. All guests that enter Discovery Cove receive snorkeling equipment, which includes use of a mask and either a wetsuit or vest, as well as a snorkel that they get to keep.Lockers, towels, sunscreen, and beach chairs are also included in admission to the park. Private cabanas located throughout the park are also available for rent
Animal inventory
Atlantic & Pacific Bottlenose Dolphins Akai (M), Aries (M), Astra (F), CJ (M), Capricorn (M), Catalina (F), Cindy/Goofy (F), Clipper (F), Schooner (M), Copper (F), Coral (F), Dexter (M), Diego (M), Dixie (F), Dot (F), Hutch (M), Igy (M), Jenny (F), Kaylee (F), Latoya (F), Lester (M), Liko (M), Luna (F), Marea (F), Maui (F), Natalie (F), Nate (M), Penny (F), Rascal (M), Rose (F), Roxy (F), Sasha (F), Schooner (M), Stella (F), Thelma (F), Thelma's calf (?), Tyler (M), Yar (F), Yoko (F), Yoshe (M).
