The Indianapolis Zoo is the only place in the Midwest where you can get in the water with dolphins! Whether you reserve this experience for yourself or as a gift for a loved one, the Dolphin In-Water Adventure is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet amazing marine mammals up close.
This 90-minute Dolphin In-Water Adventure program includes:
Please note: This is a wade-in program and no swimming is involved. Each session includes up to eight participants.
Payment in full is required at time of registration. There will be no refunds unless the Indianapolis Zoo has to cancel the program and guests cannot reschedule. Registration closes 14 days before the event date.
Cost includes participant’s experience, one complimentary observer and Zoo admission for participant and observer.
Sign up now to secure your date. Registration must be completed at least 14 days before the event date.
This is a wade-in program and guests will be in water that is 3 feet 6 inches deep.
For the safety of both our participants and the dolphins, we prefer guests be in good health for the 24 hours leading up to their Dolphin In-Water Adventure. Please contact us if you need to reschedule.
Guests can reschedule their adventure with a $50 rescheduling fee. Subject to availability. Please contact us if you need to reschedule.
For the safety of our dolphins, trainers and participants, availability for individuals with special needs (behavioral, cognitive or physical) will be determined on an individual basis. We will make every effort to accommodate persons with special needs. Please contact us via the form below before registering.
Days and times vary. Please check our calendar within online registration for available days and times.
Each program session will have a maximum of eight in-water participants and 8 observers.
Participants will be submerged waist deep during the adventure. No swimming is involved.
Each shower holds a dispenser of body wash/shampoo. As part of the experience, participants will receive a keepsake Indianapolis Zoo Dolphin In-Water beach towel. Participants will need to bring a bathing suit and a bag to hold your belongings during the program, plus additional towel(s) and personal toiletries, if desired.
Yes, each guest will be provided with their own locked changing area, locker and shower.
For the safety of the participants and the dolphins, all jewelry must be either covered by the wetsuit or removed.
The locker room area will be locked by your Zoo staff liaison when the group leaves the changing area. However, the Zoo cannot be responsible for any lost or stolen items, so we recommended bringing a bag to hold your belongings and leaving any valuables inside your locked vehicle (or at home).
Program includes Zoo admission, a commemorative towel and digital photo. Guests will also have free use of a light weight wetsuit, life vest and sandals.
The In-Water experience takes place in the Dolphin Adventure pool located behind the main performance pool and stage area in the St. Vincent Dolphin Pavilion. This salt-water pool is 18 feet deep with a wide ledge that is 3 feet, 6 inches below the water. Stepped and ramped access to the ledge is available. The water temperature ranges from 78-81 degrees and may feel somewhat cool at first.
Participants who are uncomfortable in the water should inform the trainers in advance. All participants are required to wear a life vest and will be in water that is 3 feet, 6 inches deep. This is a wade-in activity and does NOT include swimming.
For the safety of our dolphins, trainers and other participants, only observers can take pictures or video, and flash photography is permitted. Each participant will receive a digital photograph provided by the Indianapolis Zoo.
Each participant is required to be at least 4 feet 6 inches tall and to have their arms and hands unencumbered.
The Indianapolis Zoo’s Dolphin Adventure has been specifically designed to accommodate as many people with special needs as possible. Our changing rooms are designed to follow ADA guidelines. Please contact us for more information.
Dolphins are predators and have rather sharp teeth. Dolphins will bite one another when fighting or establishing dominance. Under the supervision of our trainers and provided that participants follow our guidelines while in the pool, you will most likely have a positive interaction with our dolphins.
Our dolphins are curious and playful and seem to enjoy interacting with people. They have been trained for this program for several years. They especially seem to enjoy being touched.
Some wild dolphins have displayed a natural curiosity about people. At the Indianapolis Zoo, our dolphins have bonded with their trainers and associate people with something positive.
Living upstream from the Gulf of Mexico, which has lost huge portions of its wetlands, sea grass beds and oyster reefs, Hoosiers have a lasting impact on the health of the Gulf and the dolphins that make it their home. Indiana’s Wabash River contributes 11 percent of the nutrients that are creating dead zones in the Gulf. You can help by supporting The Nature Conservancy‘s Gulf conservation efforts.