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  • When Dolphin Research Center first began.

    Dolphin Research Center is located on Grassy Key, at mile marker 59.

    You can't miss our mega-sign and giant dolphin on the Overseas Highway
  • Dolphin Research Center was founded as a nonprofit corporation in 198

    Jayne Shannon-Rodriguez and Armando "Mandy" Rodriguez

    Dolphin Research Center was founded as a nonprofit corporation in 1984 by Jayne Shannon-Rodriguez and Armando "Mandy" Rodriguez.
  • Dolphin Research Center is home to dolphins and sea lions.

    Dolphin Research Center is dedicated to marine mammals

    In addition to dolphins, Dolphin Research Center is home to a colony of sea lions.
  • Dolphins have been living on Grassy Key since the 1950s.

    Many Generations of Dolphins

    Our flippered family extends to four generations.
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Our History

Dolphin Research Center was founded as a nonprofit corporation in 1984 by Jayne Shannon-Rodriguez and Armando "Mandy" Rodriguez. Their goal was to ensure the dolphins had a home here for life, and in doing so to establish a unique education and research facility.

The bottlenose dolphins and California sea lions presently living here provide a range of personalities and backgrounds. Over half of our family was born at the Center, while the other members have either come from other facilities or were rescued, rehabilitated and deemed unreleasable back into the wild by the Government and now have a forever home at Dolphin Research Center.


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Our Mission - Through education, research and rescue, Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment we share with the well being of DRC's animals taking precedence.
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