Marineland's focus has been entertainment, education since 1938

The history of Marineland has a pattern like that of a movie star's life. It began as an overnight success, then ballooned to super-stardom. Later it fell on hard times and hit rock bottom. Finally, it reinvented itself - all in the span of 76 years.

The star analogy is fitting because Marineland was founded by wealthy movie-making jet-setters Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, Douglas Burden, and Ilia Tolstoy for the purpose of filming underwater flicks. Opening in 1938 as Marine Studios Inc., classic movies like "Marine Circus" and "Revenge of the Creature of the Black Lagoon" and "Benji Takes a Dive at Marineland" among others were filmed there.

But soon the fascination with dolphins and other marine life superseded the allure of the watery silver screen and an entirely new industry was born.

"Our industry, as we know it, started here," said Vice-President and General Manager Kurt Allen. "Our founders were real pioneers and icons of American history. No one was doing this then. They had species no one had even heard of and had to learn by trial and error."

By doing so, they revolutionized dolphin research, conservation and education. Best of all, they accomplished all this while still remaining highly entertaining for visitors.

The location was ideal because species could be easily collected from both the ocean and the Intracoastal and it was right on the A1A highway - the only north-south highway in Florida at the time.

Famous founders

Whitney, the first board chairman, was a Yale graduate and original founder of Pan Am Airlines. He had ample credentials to make this innovative venture a success, but he was also determined to make research a priority. This was demonstrated by his generous donation of capital and land across from the park to the University of Florida for the Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience.

The list of "firsts" achieved at this park is too long to fully share, but the highlights are dramatic. It was the first underwater film studio, the first "oceanarium" to combine different species in one tank, the first attraction to have a living bottlenose dolphin and the first park to add showmanship to marine life displays.

It was even where the first man-made toys for dolphins were created - much to the appreciation of the dolphins' former toys, the sea turtles.

Marineland was the first to mate dolphins in captivity, which led to the first successful dolphin birth in captivity in 1947.

But the most meaningful firsts were those related to research and conservation. Arthur McBride, the park's first curator, was the first to recognize that dolphins "see" by sound, or echolocation.

According to "Images of America - Marineland," written by Cheryl Messinger and Terran McGinnis, McBride is responsible for much of what is known about dolphins today, including ground-breaking discoveries on biology, mating, social order, and other complex studies.

In the 1930s and '40s, the studio encompassed the bustling town of Marineland. A fancy hotel, famous lounges, bars and restaurants, a full-service gas station, a Greyhound bus station, a fishing camp, a marina and a gift shop all bolstered the attraction.

Scientists, artists, writers, media, celebrities and visitors from all over the world regularly flocked to the park. Movies, television shows and documentaries with famous cast members like Lloyd Bridges, Rosemary Clooney and Johnny Weissmuller were filmed at the facility.

The place grew like it was on steroids, Allen said. Even when it closed for four years during World War II, it rebounded spectacularly. Surely this level of fame and fortune would continue forever.

Progress in other parts of the state began to edge in on Marineland's exclusive niche, however.

Hard times hit

"It may have started with the great mouse invasion of 1971," Allen said, referring to the competition for tourist dollars when the Disneyworld complex opened in Orlando. SeaWorld then opened in 1973. Then I-95 was built so most travelers by-passed the beach route.

In the mid-'80s the park hit a financial slide that just kept getting worse no matter how hard and what they tried, Allen said.

Marineland went into bankruptcy in 1998 then reopened in 2006 as Marine Dolphin Adventure. It was supposed to be a time of major renaissance with ambitious plans to return the whole area to glory. There were plans for development in retail, hotel, lakeside residences, and a marina, but the economic downturn put an end to these dreams.

The transformation

Allen said things are looking up now. The acquisition by the Georgia Aquarium in 2011 allows Marineland to operate as a nonprofit organization and focus on education, research and conservation. Marineland is accredited by the Alliance for Marine Mammals Parks and Aquariums.

"Institutions like Georgia Aquarium would not even exist if Marineland and others of its kind had not created an awareness and understanding of aquatic animals generations ago," David Kimmel, President and COO of the Georgia Aquarium said in a press release about the acquisition.

Very little remains of the original park. Gone is the massive round pool where the famous Mitch Lightsey and others once wowed crowds with exciting dolphin shows. The only original building left is the gift shop which now doubles as the main entrance.

The old arched entrance still stands but just as decoration. The marble statue of Neptune was salvaged and presides over the new acquisitions and quarantine area.

The general admission area educates visitors and allows close-up viewing of animals like stingrays and sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation or quarantine.

"We act like a half-way house for the Georgia Aquarium. We acclimate these animals and quarantine them to get them ready to go there," Allen said.

Marineland has collecting permits for smaller animals but no dolphins have been collected in the U.S. since 1989. All 14 dolphins were born at the park.

The changes are exciting, though, especially for visitors who want to actually get close to dolphins. New programs like Immersion, Discover Dolphins, Dolphin Designs, Touch and Feed, Behind the Seas Tour and Trainer for a Day all offer varying levels of direct interaction. Kid's summer camp programs also combine interaction with environmental education.

"These programs help support our research. They are our bread and butter," Allen said. Park researchers are currently working alongside scientists at the adjacent Conservation Field Station to respond to stranded animals and other projects.

Other user-friendly options include a wedding venue with an ocean backdrop and a dolphin doing backflips to celebrate the first kiss. Birthday parties, events and picnics are also available.

Through the ups and downs of this star attraction's history, there has always been one constant. That signature squeaky chatter of dolphins teaching, entertaining and interacting with staff and visitors.

"They're amazing animals," Allen said. "They are a sentinel species, letting the world know the status of the environment."