Batumi Dolphinarium, Marine animal facility in Batumi, Georgia.
The Batumi Dolphinarium is a facility in Georgia where dolphins perform in a large amphitheater designed to accommodate several hundred spectators. The site also displays various other marine animals, giving visitors a window into underwater life.
The Batumi Dolphinarium opened in 1975 as the first demonstration dolphinarium in the Soviet Union and ranked among the world's largest. It closed in the early 1990s amid Georgia's political and economic crisis. After a 20-year pause, a completely new dolphinarium reopened on 6 May 2011 on the initiative of Batumi city hall and with the efforts of the Kartu charity fund.
The dolphinarium is run as part of the Black Sea Flora and Fauna Research Centre, a scientific body, so the venue pairs shows with research on Black Sea species. Its amphitheatre is divided into four sectors around the central pools, and the building was designed and installed by the firms TJP Engineering and RCK.
The facility is accessible most days of the week with performances scheduled at different times throughout the day. Visitors should check when shows occur in advance and wear comfortable clothes, as the amphitheater is partially exposed to the weather.
The 2011 building was designed and installed by TJP Engineering and RCK, and the dolphinarium forms part of the Black Sea Flora and Fauna Research Centre. Its amphitheatre has four sectors seating 795 spectators, with ramps and lifts for wheelchair users.
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