Duck Key's Two Marine Neighbors Are Sharing Three Harbor Seals This Fall

Dolphin Research Center is rebuilding the life-support system behind its harbor seal habitat on Grassy Key, so for now its three senior seals live in Marathon, at Florida Keys Aquarium Encounters. Ace is 21, Cane is 16 and Baby is 34. They share a 12,000-gallon pool that is usually saved for manatees in the last stage of rehab before release, according to Keys Weekly's October 8 report.

For anyone on Duck Key, that turns the two marine-life stops just down the highway into something closer to a single operation. The animals, the trainers and the engineering now cross the six mile markers between them. The stretch from Mile Marker 59 to Mile Marker 53 deserves a fresh look this season, both on your own and when family flies in for the holidays.

How Three Seals Ended Up in a Manatee Pool

The seals are new to the Keys. Dolphin Research Center adopted them earlier this year after the Miami Seaquarium closed during bankruptcy proceedings, and harbor seals were a species the Grassy Key facility had never housed. DRC CEO Rita Irwin told Keys Weekly that "all of the animals who lived at Miami Seaquarium, including the marine mammals, needed homes, and various facilities rose to that challenge," three of them in Monroe County.

DRC wanted to improve the seals' filtration, and that work couldn't happen with the seals still in the habitat. The center had been looking at temporary homes in central Florida or on the west coast. That would have meant a second long transport in under a year. Aquarium Encounters offered its own pool instead. Irwin told the paper that owner Ben Daughtry "said yes without even flinching."

A third partner also had to agree. Aquarium Encounters normally saves that pool for manatees near release, so it explained the situation to the Manatee Rescue & Rehabilitation Partnership, and program leaders said "absolutely," according to Aquarium Encounters biologist Kee Bligh.

Why a Lagoon Facility Borrowed an Aquarium's Plumbing

The move came down to how each facility handles water. Dolphin Research Center normally depends on tidal exchange in open lagoons, and the upgrade for the seals focuses on its closed-circuit filtration. Aquarium Encounters already runs a state-of-the-art life-support system built to keep sensitive fish, sharks and rays healthy.

The help goes beyond the loan of a pool. Irwin said DRC has relied on Andy Dobrowolski, who oversees the life-support system at Aquarium Encounters, while it redesigns its own. So the seals will go home to a habitat partly shaped by the facility hosting them now.

Staff move between the two sites too. One DRC staff member stays at Aquarium Encounters all day, other trainers rotate in for sessions, and DRC medical staff visit as needed. Bligh noted the change of pace for a building used to sharks. "We've never had to worry about fur in our filtration here," she told Keys Weekly. "I'm used to silent sharks."

The ties reach back to the seals' old home as well. Alix Philos, who trained at Miami Seaquarium and Gulf World and now works for Florida Sea Lion Encounters, can visit the Keys and spend time with the animals she has known for years. DRC trainers also went to the Seaquarium before the move to watch how the seals were trained. Bligh said the two Marathon facilities had already worked together on manatee rescues over the last few years, and the seals opened the door to a deeper partnership.

Who Stayed on Grassy Key

The seals were one part of a larger group. As Keys Weekly reported in November 2025, DRC also took in two dolphins from the Seaquarium, JJ and Samantha, and two sea lions, Raleigh and Clyde. DRC's animal page lists Samantha as a 39-year-old bottlenose dolphin.

The seals are in Marathon for now, but the sea lions are still part of a Grassy Key visit. DRC general admission includes dolphin and sea lion behavior sessions about every half hour, plus narrated sessions, theater presentations, the Sprayground and same-day re-entry. For a closer look, the reserved Behind the Scenes with Sea Lions program costs $67.50, and like DRC's other programs, the price includes general admission. The listing doesn't say which sea lion will take part on a given day.

Six Mile Markers, Two Ticket Models

With animals and staff moving between the two sites, a fall day with visiting family can easily include both. They price their days differently. Dolphin Research Center builds general admission into its paid programs. At Aquarium Encounters, the encounters are sold separately from admission.

Timing matters. DRC closes at 3:30 p.m. through December 13 and moves to a 4:30 p.m. close on December 14. Aquarium Encounters stays open until 5. A morning on Grassy Key and an afternoon in Marathon matches both schedules. Aquarium Encounters' ticket page currently offers 10% off for active military and lists no local-resident discount. If seeing Ace, Cane and Baby is the reason for the trip, call Aquarium Encounters first and ask whether the seals are on view during general admission. The arrangement is temporary, and no return date for the seals has been announced.

The Monthly Evening With a Monroe County Rate

Only one offer on this stretch is priced specifically for Keys residents, and it runs one evening a month. DRC's Dolphin Sunset Celebration is $199 per person. The Monroe County local price is $169 with the code LocalLove at checkout and a Monroe County ID at check-in. Members pay $149, though the eDolfriend and Keep in Touch memberships don't qualify.

The event lasts an hour and a half and is open to ages 5 and up. A paying adult has to come with any child aged 5 to 7. Three dates are left in 2026:

• Wednesday, October 28. The date list shows 5:15 p.m. DRC's booking calendar shows a 6:45 to 8:15 p.m. slot, so check the time when you reserve.
• Wednesday, November 25, the night before Thanksgiving, at 4:15 p.m.
• Wednesday, December 16, at 4:15 p.m.

The November date lands during Thanksgiving week, which makes it an easy evening to plan around visiting family. The December date falls two days after DRC's longer winter hours begin. With one evening a month and limited space, the November and December dates are worth booking early if family is coming down.

Ace, Cane and Baby will return to Grassy Key once DRC finishes the upgrade, and their habitat will run on a filtration design partly worked out with help from Aquarium Encounters.

If a full house of holiday guests has you rethinking the bunk room, the ground-level entry or the dock where everyone gathers at sunset, Kelsey Caputo-Frins can walk through your Duck Key home with an architect's eye and a contractor's sense of what's possible. Request a Valuation & Design Consult and plan the space before next season's visitors arrive.