Welcome to the South Padre Island Dolphin Research & Sea Life Nature Center! Dedicated to the preservation of wild dolphins, birds, and marine life of South Padre Island and Laguna Madre bay. Visit us to learn about the wild bottlenose dolphins in our area.
Give your children a hands-on marine life experience with our Touch Tanks. Enjoy a close up view of all sorts of creatures indigenous to South Padre Island.
Fall/Winter Hours of Operation: Daily 10:30 am to 4 pm CST (Closed Tuesdays)
Nature Presentations at 11 am and 2 pm
Admission Donation: $3.00 per person Group rates available
Call (956) 943-6626 for more information or email spisealife@aol.com
Located on Port Isabel Island - 110 N Garcia on the Light House Square (by the Pirate's Landing restaurant)
A 501c3 non-profit organization
Dolphin and Birding Photo Safaris available by reservation by calling 956-299-1957 ask for Scarlet
Coastal Current article by Scarlet Colley:
December is the ultimate for some great birding days and dolphin days on the bay. We get those flat calm days between the switching winds that create the most fantastic, surreal days to skim the bay waters that are giving its grace to every one of us flotsuming on it. I am sure every one that makes their living on the bay, even the windsurfers that depend on the wind, are in awe of the tranquil, glassy calm waters of those days of December.
Just this week, the forces of mother nature opened her arms and gave such a day to us. The misty blankets of fog crawled around the water and islands seemingly looking for something to envelop. But for Port of Isabel, the shroud of mist was so thin, it was as if it were a gossamer veil. And we skimmed out onto the mirror of itself. At times it was as if reflections and "realtions" were one and the same. Pelicans flying over head looked as if they were flying thru the water. Clouds seemed to be dancing under our feet. And with the water so still, so clear, our dolphins came and whispered many things to us. I wondered if they were enjoying seeing their own reflections as they leaped around and around us. A mirror for them and diving right into it, how fairy tale is that! Everyone on the encounter wanted to dive in to. It was so magical, so beautiful.
It stayed that way all day, not just the few hours we so often get. White pelicans were what I call "swanning" across the bay, dipping their long bills into the silent, calm water without making a sound. I called to the dolphins, and we all could hear echos of what I was saying " I do believe in dolphins, I do , I do". Then, as the dolphins came to us, we could hear them. Rozzi , my little dolphin dog,could hear them too and knew which part of the boat they were coming too way before we could. To hear their clicks and whistles was such a treat for me. But when I do not even know the languages of my own species, I do not hope to know theirs, only the next best thing, body language. And on such conditions as this, flat calm, perfectly still, and clear water, I could see them so well, as they turned to look at us and Rozzi. But I could see my reflection, and them underneath it and it was a feeling of understanding that overwhelmed me. They were whispering, we need a voice, look, here are our babies, we need a good world for them.
This is what December days give, and as it is a time of giving and hope for our children as well, and each other, remember to nurture it with the nature that surrounds you and is there for you. We all love our bay and we see it in many forms, but it is always giving. Happy Holidays from the SPI Dolphin Research & Nature Center for Sea Life. To learn more about the bay and its life, see us spisealife.org or visit the center at 110 N Garcia, Port Isabel 956-299-1957.
