Little Town, Little Aquarium– BIG impact
The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab is easily one of our family favorites. While we vacation for one week we might visit the aquarium 2-3 times! We finally became members, because it pays for itself very quickly with so many knights and princesses. If ever you are traveling on 98 in the panhandle or spending some time around Tallahassee, you need to make time for this little stop. It’s located in the fishing town of Panacea, Florida which is super charming.
One of the things I love about this place is that there are so many touch tanks. My kids grew up coming here so they have almost no fear of the creatures now. We have held sea sponges and cucumbers, starfish, horseshoe crabs, fiddler crabs, conchs, sea grasses, and I don’t know what else! The exhibits aren’t huge or showy, but it is clean and improved every time we go. The mission here is not entertaining you, though it will. The mission is education and conservation. To that end, they are super successful.
The volunteers and employees are passionate and knowledgeable about the animals living in and around the local Florida waters. If you go on a Friday you can see several of the larger animals getting fed and maybe even get a chance to feed them yourself. We have fed nurse sharks and sting rays a few times.
The Marine Lab also supplies specimens for laboratories at universities and performs experiments, so there is a lot happening in one little spot. There are several photo opps. We love to watch our family grow in front of the shark sign at the front entrance and the octopus tentacle in near the Lionfish and Eels. The gift shop has educational items like books and pamphlets for adults and kids as well as toys, jewelry, ornaments, and other fun trinkets, so bring some spending money. They do take credit cards, so no worries if you forget.
For more information, https://gulfspecimen.org/
Special concerns: Have a dog? He/she is welcome at this aquarium! Have little kids? There are stools around all the touch tanks to use for little legs. There are also a few tanks that are totally at kid level. The walkways outside are concrete side walk and pea gravel. Inside is concrete covered with rubber mats that allow the water to drain as people and creatures splash and tanks are cleaned. I would say it’s mostly handicap accessible. The restroom could be difficult with a wheelchair, but I think most everything else would not be a problem. Enjoy!
Rebekah Faith and Family 