dolphinarium

I visited here last summer with my boyfriend who is Bulgarian but hadn't been swimming with dolphins. I was so excited... I adore animals. It was my impression that the dolphins would have a much larger area for swimming when not doing their shows but I highly doubt this after swimming with them. The pool was extremely small in which we were to go swimming with one of the dolphins and I couldn't see how there was anywhere else for the poor dolphins to go when not working. After all the bad Sea World publicity I feel ashamed for even going to a place like this. The animals had no visible signs of harm but they need a lot more room and should be free to swim in the sea. As we were leaving another group of people were coming in ... the dolphins don't seem to get a break. Varna is one of the most beautiful places I have been to... it really is and there is so much to do you can even go on boat rides and see animals in their natural habitat which I would recommend to do over the Dolphinarium anytime.

Soooo beautiful and interesting place to visit... wonderful show ! Kind people and playful dolphins! Such a perfect place

I suppose the children found this entertaining, but just had a dated and ex-socialist feel about it. Very amateurish and barely amusing.

We have been for a show at the Dolphinarium , we had a very good entertaining day and the trainers and dolphins were great :))) A very good place to visit .

Some of the stunts were really good while overall impression is quite average. Duration of 35 minutes only was really dissappointing. Also a cafe on the other side of delphinarium with windows to the pool to watch dolphins was a dissapointment as well - water was so cloudy that you could see dolphins only when they wereright next to window.

Took the family (2 teens and a 20 year old). It was interesting and they had a good time. It was worth going and the lady presenting did a running translation into several languages including English.

If you visit Varna, go to the Delphinium only with your small children. They will enjoy meeting with these beautiful animals!

Recently I did go for the "Play with Kimbo - Dolphin Encounter" individual tour at the Dolphinarium-Varna. It was a great experience, exciting close encounter with a trained dolphin. Perfectly organized by the Dolphinarium crew, very interesting on the educating side, very exciting and unforgetable tour - recommend it to everybody who loves the dolphins and the sea!

5 dolfins are mentioned ta the beginning of the show. Just 3 are finally presented in the pool and one of them does not participe actively to the show.One jump with hoops ! One jump to touch balls hunt to the roof !No other animals (however official web site of varna is telling about seals ???)Just for young children and even then !!!

Small dolphinarium with a strong smell of stale water. Five dolphins and a baby are in the water; however, only one dolphin, an 18-year old female, Ioanna, actually did the work, occasionally accompanied by another dolphin. The show is overpriced and lasts 45 minutes, out of each 20 minutes was wasted on a talk about dolphins (which by the way had informational mistakes) and picking the people from the spectators to "assist" with the show. This is an indoor facility, the pool is small, and water seems dark. Anyway, if this is your first trip to see a show, go for it. However, if you had a chance to see a similar show elsewhere, skip it. I had an opportunity to visit the Batumi Dolphinarium in Georgia, and having seen the condition of the facility, the show, the happiness with which the trainers and the dolphins work together there, the Varna Dolphinarium was a complete disappointment and a waste of money.

I was on holiday with a group of my friends and went to the Dolphinarium because we wanted to see the dolphins happy. this was not a good experience. The dolphin which you can see from the glass window by the café is terrible. the dolphin was on its own in a small tank with dirty water, and he had a curled fin, this is not a good sign and it could be because of due to lack of exercise, or swimming in circles, the fin collapses. I really hope that this changes things for you, as I would not like for you to see what my friends and I saw.

This was a great show with very friendly performing dolphins. We have been a couple of times with different friends. The host translates everything in all attending languages (which can be time consuming depending on visitors) Reasonably priced at about 15 - 20 leva (£6 to 8) and clean and modern building. There are some fast food bars and a souvenir shop. Quite a walk from entrance to park.

Dolphinarium in Varna offers 3 attractions:1) Dolphins show Show starts every day at 10:30, 12:30 and 15:30 and it takes about 35 minutes. Show is commented by leading lady in Bulgarian and English. Tickets may be purchased right before the show (10-25 minutes before, it is not necessary earlier). The cost is 25 lev per ticket for adults + 5 lev ticket for taking pictures. There are lots of seats in the auditorium but it is worth to enter there as a first so you can choose seats with the best view to the pool. That’s why after buying a ticket you should go to the queue for entrance to the auditorium – in front of all stairs. Show looks like in a circus but if someone had never seen live dolphins its worth to go there to see and hear dolphins.Unfortunately ladies in a tickets office are horribly unpleasant. They behave as if they still lived in a communist system, and customers only bothering them.2) Café-bar where one wall is a aquarium (view on the dolphin)A nice cafe at the back of the dolphinarium. To enter the café you need to pay small fee. Behind one of the walls is a swimming pool with one dolphin. You can drink coffee and watch dolphin swimming next to your table :) Delicious coffee and large, tasty toast. Waitresses very nice and English speaking.3) Swimming with dolphin (one, very nice dolphin :)Bookings can be done by telephone. Swimming takes place every day at 14:00. Ticket office have a break from 13-14 but at 13:50 unpleasant ticket office ladies let in people who have to pay for swimming with a dolphin. In total, it takes about 1 hour. In the swim with dolphin takes part min. 2 and max. 6 tourists. The cost is 100 lev. All people gets belts floating them in the water. So, even if someone does not swim or afraid of deep water (pool depth is 3 m) he can swim with a dolphin. The whole event begins with a brief conversation (in Bulgarian and English), then you need to wear your bathing suits and step-by-step you will be familiar with the dolphin. In the water tourists stays about 20 minutes. During this time you will touch the dolphin, swim on his back, get a “kiss” from him. The photographer who will take pictures of you and dolphin will be there all the time.In my opinion it is worth to spend ~ 50 euros for such an unforgettable experience as swimming with a dolphin.

very enjoyable show..just 35 minutes of magic..indoors so it can be a bit sticky..but all the family will enjoy this..audience participation is involved..top holiday show

A lovely place to visit although on the expensive side. Complex close to beach. Nice to see dolphins under water at the cafe. Show was very good and you sit quite close as small venue.