Last week were saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, Nellie, the longest-lived dolphin in human care. While we at Marineland are greatly saddened by the loss of the iconic dolphin, her life and the legacy she leaves behind are to be celebrated.

We invite you to join us next Thursday, May 15 for a public celebration of Nellie’s astonishing life. We will have an Open House including complimentary admission to Marineland Dolphin Adventure all day, 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., and narrated dolphin training presentations throughout the day.

We will hold a special Celebration of Life event from 2-2:30 p.m. under the tent, honoring Nellie by celebrating her life with remembrances and tributes to her amazing legacy. We welcome you to join us in remembering Nellie, what she taught us and her importance to everyone that knew her.

We have created an online tribute to Nellie that includes more information about her life, photos and a video that includes staff memories.


This is very sad. Not only have we lost a beloved dolphin, but another one of my childhood memories is gone. I loved going to the old Marineland. I can remember how excited I would get as we drove south on A1A and I would see the arches in the distance. Even though Nellie did not perform on a regular basis, I can remember seeing her perform once or twice. Truly she will be missed.