Page 92 - South Mississippi Living - May, 2018

LEISURE seas the day
92 SOUTH
Have you heard about the new expansion at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport? The non- profit
organization was established in 1984
with the goals of public education, conservation and research.
Since its origination, IMMS Director Moby Solangi has always had a vision for the facility. “We wanted to bring back what everybody was so used to as a landmark facility, Marine Life, that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Make it bigger, better and more attractive,” Solangi said.
With the addition of Ocean Adventures Marine Park, the next phase of IMMS which opened in March of this year, that dream finally became a reality. The brightly colored buildings are inviting and filled with different hands-on experiences, which make learning fun and impactful for visitors of all ages. Looking around the facility, you can’t miss the sizable murals painted by the Coast’s own Marty Wilson.
Ocean Adventures allows visitors to get up close and personal with a variety of animals, including dolphins and sting rays. You can even get a kiss from a sea lion!
With options such as meet and greets, encounters and interactions, there’s a level of involvement
for guests of all ages and comfort levels. Not sure you want to
swim with the sting
rays? No problem. Ocean Adventures offers encounters that let you meet
MISSISSIPPI Living • May 2018
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OCEANS
of fun!
story by Kelsey Sunderman-Foster photos by Donn Hupp
Brent Lewis gets a kiss from rescue dolphin Apollo.
Mural by local artist Marty Wilson at the new Ocean Adventures complex.