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BOTTLENOSE BUDDIES AND BARGAIN RATES DISCOVERED AT FLORIDA’S EMERALD COAST
August 25, 2009
DESTIN • FORT WALTON BEACH • OKALOOSA ISLAND, Fla. - From spotting flipper at sea to wide-eyed children screaming in delight at the dancing dolphins of the World’s oldest marine park, the Emerald Coast offers a journey of discovery into the intriguing world of marine life amidst 24 miles of sugar white sands and emerald green waters. Whether a child or an adult, bonding along the open ocean and the pools of Florida’s Gulfarium -- at the destination that has been voted “Best Beach in the South” and “Best Family Destination” for 14 years by the readers of Southern Living magazine -- encourages the creation of long-lasting tales and priceless friendships with “Bottlenose Buddies and Bargain Rates” starting as low $99 per night* Nov. 1 through March 31, 2010, a 40 percent discount off high season rates (www.destin-fwb.com).
The Emerald Coast provides opportunities of a lifetime to witness intelligent marine life. Opening in 1955, Florida’s Gulfarium, the first marine park, is a sanctuary to two of the only three spotted dolphins in captivity and host to Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, with 14 fascinating Gulf-edged exhibits. Trained by the original trainer of “Flipper,” the three bottlenose dolphin stars perform with amazing feats from comedic soccer games and paintings of abstract art to 18-foot leaps toward the clouds.
Famous for a willingness to occasionally approach and playfully interact with humans in the water, the Gulfarium’s special “dolphin encounter programs” and “dolphin therapy programs for kids with special needs” are up-close and personal hand-to-flipper experiences. The Gulfarium exhibits, lessons and shows are the perfect opportunity for educational kids about the diverse marine life in oceans.
Florida’s Gulfarium has also acted as a savior for stranded marine life, with two of the only three spotted dolphins in captivity. Deemed “un-releasable” by the U.S. Government due the high-risk of not being able to survive in a natural habitat, Florida’s Gulfarium has provided them with a home. In return for the help from humans, these dolphins are now helping special need children through the JF2 Dolphin Project, a dolphin therapy program. The interaction that Kiwi and Daphne provide has achieved greater improvements in attention span, communication, speech and other fine motor skills than traditional therapy. This one- to two-week program is an incomparable journey with an extraordinary buddy.
Destin boasts a natural wonder -- the underwater 100 Fathom Curve -- which draws closer to Destin than to any other spot in Florida, creating the speediest deep-water access on the Gulf. This phenomenon and the clear emerald green waters of the Gulf welcome dolphin-watching adventurers aboard wave runners, glass boat boats and sailboats. Seeing the gleeful dolphins wake jumping brings smiles to faces of all ages.
To create memorable “BOTTLENOSE BUDDIES AND BARGAIN RATES,” call the Emerald Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 322-3319 and visit www.destin-fwb.com for a complete listing of area charters and dolphin programs at Florida’s Gulfarium.
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