Long time Ocean Reef residents will no doubt remember Molly, a very popular dolphin who made her home at Ocean Reef for a number of years. Since 1996, the divine Miss M. has lived at Dolphin Research Center, the nonprofit education and research facility on Grassy Key. DRC is pleased to let all of Molly’s Ocean Reef friends know that this mature lady is in great health and enjoys life to its fullest. She still has a love for silk scarves and, thanks to adoptive parents, has quite the collection hidden all around her lagoon. Visitors are always charmed when Molly swims by, trailing one of her scarves, oh-so-classily, over a pectoral flipper or her tail flukes.
For those of you who would like to visit Molly, Dolphin Research Center, mm 59, is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Whether you have an hour, or can spend the day, there’s always something exciting to see and do. Regularly scheduled narrated presentations demonstrate dolphins in action, while providing important information about the animals and the need to protect the ocean environment.
The center also offers a variety of exciting interactive programs that bring you up close to our family pod. Trainer for a Day and Researcher for a Day are two of our most unique adventures, offering in-depth, hands-on activities and personal contact with the dolphins. Visit www.dolphins.org and click on Get Wet with a Dolphin to learn all about Trainer for a Day, Researcher for a Day, Dolphin Encounter, DolphinSplash, Play with a Dolphin, Paint with a Dolphin, and Meet the Dolphin!
Molly would love for you to visit and say hello. For more information, call 289-1121.
Now celebrating our 22nd Anniversary, DRC is home to a family of 16 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and two California sea lions. A nonprofit organization, we are funded entirely by the admission and program fees paid by the people who visit our center and by private donors and members. We are an international tourist destination, one of the most highly respected education and research facilities in the world, and also the Licensed Manatee Rescue Team for the Florida Keys. DRC is proud to be an accredited member of the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums.
