Wildlife Encounters
The Florida Keys are home to remarkable neighbors, from dolphins and sea turtles to butterflies, Key deer, and countless native and migrating birds. Here you can visit rehabilitation centers, aquariums, and sanctuaries that care for injured wildlife while offering visitors a chance to learn and connect. Hand-feed giant tarpon, watch butterflies drift by, or join a charter to spot marine life in the wild. We invite you to meet these creatures, fall in love with them as we have, and help us keep The Keys clean and healthy so our wildlife can thrive for generations.
Filters
The Lower Keys
Dolphin Connection
Interact with dolphins in their lagoon habitat and help support marine conservation.
Key Largo
Dolphins Plus Bayside
Swim with dolphins and experience unforgettable marine encounters in Key Largo.
Key Largo
Mother Ocean Fund
Mother Ocean Fund – A Florida Keys-based nonprofit restoring coral reefs, rescuing marine life and training adaptive divers for aquatic therapy.
The Lower Keys
National Key Deer Refuge
National Key Deer Refuge protects the endangered Key deer and native ecosystems in the Lower Florida Keys — a sanctuary of nature you can explore via trails and observation points.
The Lower Keys
Mote - Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research & Restoration
Mote Marine Laboratory’s Florida Keys Research Campuses are dedicated to coral reef science and restoration.
Key Largo
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Established in 1980, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge protects tropical hardwood hammocks, mangroves, and salt marsh habitats as part of the Florida Keys NWRs complex.
Key Largo
Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF)
Explore ocean conservation with REEF's citizen science, education, and marine programs.
Key West
Key West Aquarium
Explore Key West Aquarium's vibrant marine life and interactive touch tanks!
Key Largo
Capt. Sterling's Everglades Tour
Captain Sterling's Everglades Eco-Tours offers personalized, small-group boat excursions through the Everglades National Park, Pennekamp Park, and Florida Bay, led by experienced guides passionate about wildlife conservation.
Key Largo
Mote Key Largo Coral Nursery
Mote Marine Laboratory’s Florida Keys Research Campuses are dedicated to coral reef science and restoration.
Key Largo
Coral Restoration Foundation Exploration Center
The Coral Restoration Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting coral reefs through science, innovative technology, education, and community involvement.
Marathon
Dolphin Research Center
Non-profit marine center offering dolphin, sea lion, and educational experiences in the Florida Keys.
Marathon
Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters
Explore interactive marine life encounters and touch tanks at Florida Keys Aquarium!
The Lower Keys
WILD about DOLPHINS-Captain Sheri's
Wild About Dolphins — private eco-boat tours and wild dolphin encounters departing from Key West, Florida.
Islamorada
Theater of the Sea
Theater of the Sea — immersive marine life shows and animal interaction programs in Islamorada, Florida Keys.
