Our mission is to inspire conservation through connection and discovery.
Welcome to Marineland! As part of our mission, every visit contributes to vital conservation efforts in the field. The best part? You choose which organization receives your donation. Explore our three partner initiatives below—focusing on sharks, sea turtles, and whales—and help us make a difference today.
Sharks
Ch’ooj Ajauil has pioneered new methods of tagging whale sharks, giving scientists and researchers valuable insights into their movements and seasonal patterns. To date, they have tagged over 58 whale sharks! In addition to studying whale shark aggregations, Ch’ooj Ajauil has also studied wild dolphin population and movements, and manta ray biology and behavior.
They’re expanding their efforts, and in addition to continuing their important work with whale shark populations, they will also be deploying tags on great hammerhead sharks to understand their habitat use in the Mexican Caribbean.
Learn more about Ch’ooj Ajauil at: https://www.choojajauil.org.mx/
Whales
The Marineland Right Whale Project (MRWP) is a non-profit community-based citizen science program based right here in the town of Marineland, Florida! Working toward the harmonious co-existence of North Atlantic right whales and humans, this organization harnesses the passion of our Northeast Florida community to collect scientific data and inform protections for these great whales.
Pregnant North Atlantic right whales migrate seasonally from the cold waters off the coast of Eastern Canada and New England down to Florida’s warmer waters, where their calving grounds are located. With fewer than 400 North Atlantic right whales remaining, this critically endangered species faces threats from rope entanglement and vessel strikes every day. The MRWP volunteers are a shore-based group that conducts surveys that inform agencies of whale presence, leading to scientists’ better understanding of migration routes, health status, behavior, and habitat utilization, while providing live-time information to mariners about the whales’ locations so collisions can be prevented. With so few whales in such a large ocean, the support of an army of volunteers is priceless.
Learn more about the MRWP: https://www.marinelandrightwhale.org/
Sea Turtles
The Flagler Turtle Patrol (FTP) is a community-based volunteer organization that patrols fifteen miles of shoreline in Flagler county every year from May 1 until October 31– sea turtle nesting season! When they encounter evidence of a turtle “crawl”, they begin documenting and staking out the nest area; and then, they wait! Once the nest emerges, volunteers will return to the site and complete a nest evaluation to determine the success of the nest. Loggerhead, green and leatherback sea turtles all use the North East Florida coastline for nesting, and the Flagler Turtle Patrol plays an important role in their conservation.
Learn more about FTP at: https://www.flaglerturtlepatrol.com/
Thank you so much for making Marineland part of your day, and contributing to meaningful conservation initiatives.