Festa Dolphinarium, Dolphinarium in Varna, Bulgaria.
Festa Dolphinarium stands in the northern part of Varna's Sea Garden, near the Black Sea. Its open-air pool measures 12 by 15 metres and is 6 metres deep, filled with sea water pumped from 150–160 metres offshore. A large hall with tall glass walls on a white frame holds a dark pool, blue-tiered seating for 1,200 spectators, and hanging orange-red spherical lamps.
The dolphinarium opened on 11 August 1984 in the northern part of Varna's Sea Garden, with 1,200 seats. It was the second dolphinarium on the Black Sea, after Batumi in Georgia. Zoologist Nikolay Boev had promoted the idea for a decade, originally for the southern coast and even for a projected facility in Ropotamo National Park, but the Varna site was the one built.
The facility hosts daily shows where dolphins and seals display their natural behaviors through coordinated movements and work with trainers. Visitors watch these marine mammals interact with each other and with people in the performance spaces.
The dolphinarium sits in the northern part of the Sea Garden, a short walk from the beach. The pool measures 12 by 15 metres with a depth of 6 metres, and the hall seats 1,200 spectators. A cafe with a glass wall facing the pool lets you watch the animals between shows.
Visitors can participate in supervised swimming sessions with the animals and observe them through underwater viewing areas. These direct experiences allow people to encounter the creatures up close.
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