The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
The Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1984 for the purposes of public education, conservation, and research on marine mammals and sea turtles in the wild and under human care. IMMS's Ocean Adventures Marine Park is open to the public year-round, reservations are not required. The Park is open seven days a week from 9:00AM to 4:00PM. All admission and interactive program proceeds go toward our conservation efforts. IMMS has been an active participant of the National Stranding Network since its inception. IMMS is the premier stranding organization in the Mississippi-Louisiana-Alabama region of the Gulf Coast with the capability and expertise to care for sick and injured marine mammals and sea turtles. IMMS serves as an important educational resource for the Mississippi Gulf Coast, incorporating programs for conservation, education and research of marine mammals, sea turtles, and their environment.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Does not meet animal welfare
guidelines
Tripadvisor does not provide bookings for this experience because it does not meet our animal welfare guidelines.
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87 within 3 miles
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63 within 6 miles
See what travelers are saying
- HCH3053 contributionsExcellent Experience!We really enjoyed the up close interaction with the animals. It's a smaller place and great for small kids or special needs folks. We purchased the dolphin encounter for our special needs daughter and they were great with her.Visited October 2023Traveled with familyWritten October 16, 2023
- Rhonda SGulfport, Mississippi24 contributionsAmazing PlaceThis place is amazing for both, kids and adults. Feeding the parakeets is my granddaughters favorite! There is something for all (young and older) to enjoy! Nearest steak and seafood restaurant is “Captain Al’s” which is absolutely awesome! They offer indoor and outdoor dining and have picturesque views over their marina. One of the best venues on the MS Gulf Coast, offering great food, entertainment, and outdoor activities. Gotta visit IMMS and Captain Al’s for a great experience!!Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 23, 2024
- Ryan J43 contributionsDo a Meet and Greet!We did the Dolphin Meet and Greet. Family of 4. The 9yr and 11yr did the experience and we adults were observers. Definitely worth the cost. Only 4 kids with the trainer. They got to touch, feed, do a trick, and get a free dolphin kiss picture. We did that and then enjoyed the back to back dolphin & sea lion show. It's a small facility so I'm not sure I'd go without paying the extra for an experience.Visited March 2024Traveled with familyWritten March 27, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
848 reviews
Excellent
692
Very good
100
Average
30
Poor
11
Terrible
15
Courtney M
Slidell, LA47 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
This place is amazing!!! All of the shows and areas of the park you get to explore for the price of a general admission ticket is great!!! Awesome value. The staff was very nice. The bird show and sea lion show was nice, but the dolphin show was very fun and very very entertaining. A must stop for families in Gulfport. Only negative is that the Turtle Cafe is pricey.
Written August 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Deb B
9 contributions
Aug 2021
It was quite smaller than we expected, very much off the beaten path. The shows were super short and the admission was kind of pricey for such the small place. A magnet was $12.The one thing we wanted to do was sold out which I thought surprising considering the amount of people that were there when we were.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Teresa B
Crossville, TN78 contributions
Oct 2020
This is a must do if anywhere in the area. It was about a 20 minute drive from where we were staying in Biloxi. It's a great place for all ages. There were a lot of small children there laughing and squealing and having a blast. Our girls (ages 17 and 13) absolutely loved it and my husband and I did too! (We may have been the ones doing some of that squealing!)
They have talks about the animals and different animal shows every 15 to 30 minutes. Very informative and very fun. Every staff member and volunteer that we talked to seemed to love their jobs and were all very passionate about the animals. The animals are all so loved and seem so happy there.
You can also pay extra for "experiences" with the animals. I highly recommend this! We did the dolphin experience. It was worth every penny, especially knowing that the money goes to help rescue injured sea animals. The facilities are very clean and very nice.
Oh and the BIRDS! So cool. You can buy a feeding stick for an extra $1.50. The birds love them. Very cool experience. Interacting with the birds, touching the stingrays, and all the shows and talks are included in the general price of admission. Plan to spend about 1/2 a day there.
They have talks about the animals and different animal shows every 15 to 30 minutes. Very informative and very fun. Every staff member and volunteer that we talked to seemed to love their jobs and were all very passionate about the animals. The animals are all so loved and seem so happy there.
You can also pay extra for "experiences" with the animals. I highly recommend this! We did the dolphin experience. It was worth every penny, especially knowing that the money goes to help rescue injured sea animals. The facilities are very clean and very nice.
Oh and the BIRDS! So cool. You can buy a feeding stick for an extra $1.50. The birds love them. Very cool experience. Interacting with the birds, touching the stingrays, and all the shows and talks are included in the general price of admission. Plan to spend about 1/2 a day there.
Written October 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nina
1 contribution
Aug 2022
This institute offers so many unique experiences, and I would totally recommend booking a stingray swim, The stingrays are so cute, and being able to snorkel and feed them was an unforgettable experience.
I took my Grandma, my parents, and my sisters (20 and 9) here and everyone enjoyed their experience. My parents and grandma did the Dolphin Interaction, and the trainers were awesome and made their experience so special. They highly recommend it for anyone, and they plan to take my sisters to do the interaction another time.
After the interaction, we just explored the park. My grandma and little sister loved the tweeter post where she could feed some of the birds. The dolphin and sea lion show was interesting. The discovery room is my favorite place since you can see reptiles, fish, and baby stingrays.
Overall, everyone in my family was able to find something fun at this place, and the price of everything goes towards a great cause. Would totally recommend this place; fun for the family and for a good cause.
I took my Grandma, my parents, and my sisters (20 and 9) here and everyone enjoyed their experience. My parents and grandma did the Dolphin Interaction, and the trainers were awesome and made their experience so special. They highly recommend it for anyone, and they plan to take my sisters to do the interaction another time.
After the interaction, we just explored the park. My grandma and little sister loved the tweeter post where she could feed some of the birds. The dolphin and sea lion show was interesting. The discovery room is my favorite place since you can see reptiles, fish, and baby stingrays.
Overall, everyone in my family was able to find something fun at this place, and the price of everything goes towards a great cause. Would totally recommend this place; fun for the family and for a good cause.
Written October 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meredith B
Fort Worth, TX3 contributions
Dec 2019 • Family
We went on New Year's Eve and it was so much fun. Many of their animal interactions are indoors and can be done during cold weather. We did the Dolphin meet and greet, which is outside. The high the day we did it was 60 degrees and we were not cold.
Written January 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for coming to visit us. We are so happy you enjoyed how interactive our facility is and had a dolphin meet and greet. We strive to make our park educational and fun. Your admission helps fund our mission of coastal conservation!
Written January 1, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
OwlsVisit
1 contribution
Oct 2022
Three times I was standing beside employees who were openly bad mouthing their coworkers and the visitors. They didn’t bother to change the subject even when I was approaching. It was very unpleasant. They were difficult to work with, extremely incompetent, messed up reservations, entrance procedures, contacting people, resolving issues. It’s so sad, y’all please pray for these people and their work environment. Don’t pay them for anything extra, they will screw it up. Dolphin show was in open sweltering heat with just a few umbrellas to cover a few of the people and the trainers were in the shade. Don’t worry though, it’s only about 10 minutes long. Diner was closed. Gift shop was small and didn't have much. You can visit the parakeets but the other birds are roped off so you can’t get near them. I don’t know if you can during the birds showtime. There’s nothing to do in between times so it was a pretty short visit which was disappointing especially considering the cost. The stingrays were awesome, the dolphins were pretty. In short, the people were awful and some were kind of weird, the animals are amazing, but don't think zoo because there's not a lot to see or do here.
Written November 7, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sdobs1
4 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
My parents take my girls every year and they never get tired of visiting! They love all of the shows. Last year they did the Dolphin meet and greet. This year my daughter was asked to participate in the Dolphin show and she was over-the-moon excited to be a part of it! They’re already planning their next visit and the sea lion kiss is on their list! One of their favorite activities is petting the sting rays. The staff is always kind and courteous. We highly recommend this experience to those with or without children!
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jim G
Saint Louis, MO748 contributions
Mar 2022
We visited the Marine Mammal Research Center while visiting the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Initially I was discouraged by the few miles off the Gulf. When we arrived I thought it was primarily for small children, but were entered anyway. We are glad we did. We say the Ray Pool where we touched rays and saw then along with sharks and a few fish. We then went to the Discovery Zone were we saw the smaller rays that were not ready for the Ray Pool along with a variety of fish and turtles in tanks and the Aviary which is populated by parakeets. We saw the Dolphin, Sea Lion and Parrot Shows. The shows were short and a bit shallow compared to some of the others we have seen, but were still entertaining.
We visited on a slow day and greatly enjoyed our conversations with the marine biologists in the Ray Pool and Discovery Zone and the attendant in the Aviary. They were very engaging and informative.
Our visit to Marine Mammal Research Center was definitely worth driving off the Coast highway.
We visited on a slow day and greatly enjoyed our conversations with the marine biologists in the Ray Pool and Discovery Zone and the attendant in the Aviary. They were very engaging and informative.
Our visit to Marine Mammal Research Center was definitely worth driving off the Coast highway.
Written March 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Zach K
1 contribution
Sep 2022 • Family
My wife and two little girls (4 and 2 years old) visited IMMS last weekend and highly recommend it to anyone traveling through the Gulfport area. It is truly a hidden gem in the state of Mississippi. We experienced feeding birds in an interactive aviary, a dolphin and sea lion show that was very educational, touched stingrays-also very educational (with help from very enthusiastic interns), and toured the museum. The turtle cafe offers ice cream and treats for the kids, and of course the gift shop has tons of stuff your kids will want! Overall, can’t believe I have never been and will be back any time I am on the MS Coast. Cheers!
Written September 13, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeanne B
Buena Vista115 contributions
Mar 2022
We had a pretty good time here, but it wasn't exactly overwhelming. The dolphins were the main draw for us, but the dolphin show lasted only about 10 minutes, followed by a 5 minute sea lion show. The birds were cool, and the ray pool was too, but nothing great.
I was sad that my daughter, who is handicapped and couldn't walk into the pool unaided, couldn't have a dolphin "encounter." She had experienced a wonderful encounter in Florida, but then that had cost us much more too. So, for the price, this place is pretty nice.
I was sad that my daughter, who is handicapped and couldn't walk into the pool unaided, couldn't have a dolphin "encounter." She had experienced a wonderful encounter in Florida, but then that had cost us much more too. So, for the price, this place is pretty nice.
Written March 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
If it starts raining would we still be able to see the dolphin show? is it a covered area?
Written July 20, 2021
How much is it to swim with a dolphin and what are the age/ height requirements for it
Written July 13, 2019
The swim cost was $125 per person. Age requirements are on the website. Meet and greet we did was $55 eachh
Written July 13, 2019
You would have to contact the facility to find out
Written July 13, 2019
Please rephrase your question I cannot understand what you are asking?
Written June 13, 2019
Are most of the attractions located outdoors? Planning a visit but worried about the heat.
Written July 28, 2018
It's brand new now and it's not a lot of walking, everything is covered and close and there's a train down to the other touch pool and shark tooth excavating.
Written July 31, 2018
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