1938 – Marineland, then known as “Marine Studios,” opened its doors on this date. Located near St. Augustine in northeast Florida, Marine Studios was billed as “the world’s first oceanarium.” The main attraction on opening day was a bottlenose dolphin, but soon other sea creatures were added to the lineup including a pilot whale, sea turtles, and more trained bottlenose dolphins. At its height in the mid-1970s, Marineland attracted over 900,000 visitors annually, and is still open today as “Marineland Dolphin resort which allows visitors to swim and interact with dolphins.