Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park Wins Accreditation by Alliance of Marine P&A

Ft. Walton Beach, FL - The Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park has been awarded recognition for a higher standard of care for its marine mammal residents. On April 14, 2013, General Manager, Patrick Berry, received acknowledgment from the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums (AMMPA), an international association representing marine life parks, aquariums, and zoos dedicated to the highest standards of care for marine mammals and to their conservation in the wild through public education, scientific study, and wildlife presentations, at their annual conference in Washington D.C.

"This accreditation has been a goal for us since embarking on our facility renovations in early 2012," says Berry. "It goes to show that the level of dedication to our animals and quality of their care is of utmost importance us."

Since its inception in 1955, the Gulfarium has maintained the standards of governing agencies such as USDA and its subsidiary, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which conduct annual inspections to examine everything from water quality of the habitats to the quality of fish being fed to the dolphins. Following a rigorous inspection in January of 2012, the new accreditation by AMMPA confirms an even stricter level of care is being met by the Gulfarium encompassing animal training practices and a variety of educational and conservation strategies.

"We're very proud of this accomplishment," says Chad Stouffer, Director of Animal Management at the Gulfarium. "We strive to provide the best for the animals in our care and continually push ourselves to raise the standard."

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park continues to make improvements to the park including renovations to its penguin, otter, and alligator habitats, and additional educational signage. New and exciting animal encounters include the Sunset Camp evening program for kids ages 6-14, and Discover Otters, a chance to play with and feed adorable Asian small clawed otters.

Gulfarium Marine Adventure Park is located at 1010 Miracle Strip Pkwy SE, Fort Walton Beach, FL. We are open seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more info visit www.gulfarium.com or call (850) 243-9046.