About the Aquarium
NOW OPEN Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm
We are located .7 mile east of Route 95 off of the 318 exit on Rt 16 ( next to the Courtyard Marriott)
The St. Augustine Aquarium and Snorkel Adventure is an exciting new Northeast Florida marine attraction. The first phase consists of an 80,000-gallon Snorkel Adventure, an interactive Shark & Stingray Cove, Seahorse and Hands-on habitats.
* LEARN: Educational presentations at all habitats throughout the day
*TOUCH: Touch starfish, urchins, horseshoe crabs & more!
*FEED: Feed our sharks at 11:00, 12:00, 2:00 & 3:00 ( Tickets limited )
*SNORKEL: Snorkel with hundreds of Florida Reef Fish and Rays! Gear provided.
*NEW: Hand feed fish or rays while snorkeling! Additional fee at check in.
Come join us for a day of interaction with some of Florida’s most beautiful marine species and touch invertebrates, feed the sharks or dig for shark teeth!
For the adventurous, snorkel up close and personal with sea life in a natural Florida reef environment. Hand feed fish, rays or both while snorkeling! We supply the wetsuits, masks, snorkels, vests and shoes. All you need is bathing suit, towel and dry clothes. Clear vision rafts are also available by request as part of your snorkel package.
Behind the scenes tours, birthday parties, events, educational field trips and summer camps are available as well. This along with a gift and snack shop.
The second phase will consist of ecosystem-specific habitats housed in a new building including: a recreated dock piling, rock jetty and shoreline to name a few. In addition, the permanent gift shop and restrooms will be located in this building. This will allow the temporary units to be removed to make room for the next phase. Expanded parking is also included. This is currently in the design & permitting phase. More details of Phase 2 announced soon!
In the third phase, you can experience an 18th century shipwreck reef, surrounded by sharks, while submerged in a real shark cage. Also enjoy behind the scenes tours, delicious food in our café and souvenirs and collectables in our gift shop.
Shawn & Kathy Hiester
Developing the St. Augustine Aquarium, Snorkel Adventure and Zipline has been a labor of love for founders Shawn and Kathy Hiester. They have been passionate about marine biology since they were kids and are thrilled to share that passion with their community through a viable and sustainable public aquarium.
Shawn and Kathy spent two years traveling the country to tour aquariums and meet the dedicated people who make them work. They also assembled a team of experts to not just build a business, but to use the aquarium as a vehicle for research, education and thoughtful discussion about the state of Florida’s marine habitats. They established relationships with marine research universities and organizations in support of their mission: marine conservation through education.
When people see and understand these incredible creatures, they will realize how critically important it is to protect them.