If you lived on St. Pete Beach from 1964 to 1977 you should have fond memories of one of the country’s leading marine attractions.
The Aquatarium was built by Marine Attractions Inc. on 17 acres on what was then St. Petersburg Beach, between 64th and 66th avenues, right on the Gulf of Mexico. It was built somewhat on the plan of the Miami Seaquarium, with a signature 160-foot-tall golden geodesic dome.
The Aquatarium opened in 1964, with its main attraction being shows featuring trained porpoises, sea lions, and pilot whales. Shows were staged under the dome, which sheltered the audience from the sun as they were seated around the world’s largest circular marine tank 100 feet in diameter and 25 feet deep, containing 1.244 million gallons of seawater.
The Aquatarium shows were billed as “The World’s Greatest Marine Show,” or “World’s Largest Marine Attraction,” and starred a dolphin named “Floppy.”
She was famed for her 25-foot leaps into the air, leading to her characterization as “the world-champion high-jumping dolphin.” A Zoological Garden was added several years after the opening, with Bob Campbell as director and it became a favorite visitor site on its own very quickly.
In 1968 Frank Cannova, a local hotel owner, bought the Aquatarium for $2 million, just in time to watch tourism in the area decline as Walt Disney World opened and the gasoline shortages of the 1970’s hit.
An attempt was made to rebrand the Aquatarium as “Shark World” in the mid-seventies following the release of the blockbuster movie “Jaws” in 1975, but that was little help. After city zoning officials refused to approve the construction of a waterslide at the park, it closed at the end of the 1977 summer season and was eventually torn down to make way for what is now the Silver Sands Beach & Racquet Club condominiums.
Many Local Memories
A number of local, long-time residents and civic activists have more direct memories of the Aquatarium. Julian Fant, former Treasure Island Mayor and general manager of the first Treasure Island Chamber of Commerce, had lived in St. Augustine where he had been involved with its Marineland attraction (see Paradise News, March 2016 issue).
Julian first visited Marineland at age 7 with his Dad, and recalls riding with other neighborhood kids about six miles to a salt water lagoon near our homes to watch the secretive training of the first dolphins to enter Marineland’s daily shows. He recalls, “Marineland was also the scene of a feature movie, ‘Revenge of the Creature’, In which I had a romantic ‘lover’s lane’ scene and it was the debut of a young man who played a lab technician … his name was Clint Eastwood.
“In my native St. Augustine Carl Selph and I became good friends. We were both members of the Jaycees, which had its annual awards banquets at Marineland’s restaurant. Carl became GM, and I was a broadcaster with the local radio station, WFOY.”
“After moving to Treasure Island and when I resigned as TI Chamber manager, I was visited at my office by none other than Carl and Cliff Ball, a son of the Aquatarium’s founder. They hired me as PR director to help launch the attraction in the early 60s. I was successful in placing a number of feature articles, as well as having an attractive young female diver on the popular TV show, ‘What’s My Line?’ The panel failed to guess that Sandra Brown was a ‘whale feeder.’ “
“One of my less fond memories was being bitten on my right hand by a Galápagos penguin while announcing a show, and I still have the scar….at age 85!”
“Ronnie Capo’s collection boat had an access hatch which opened at water level to allow the easy transfer of specimens. Grady Marlowe’s collection boat was equipped with an ingenious ‘ice tongs’ device on a long pole which allowed deep water Dolphins (spotted) to be captured safely.”
“During my tenure at the Aquatarium, I was approached by a large delegation from Treasure Island, urging me to run for mayor. Aquatarium officials gave their approval, and I was elected at the age of 33, in 1965 and the rest, as they say, ‘is history’.”
Laura Campbell and her husband Bob are long-time residents. She has operated the Poodle Palace in the same location since the 1970’s at 6660 Gulf Blvd. Bob was in charge of the Zoo, which the Aquatarium added several years after the opening, and it became a favorite visitor site on its own. He has many good memories of the zoo, and is very proud of the time he spent with the marine and other animals that were a big hit at the Aquatarium.
Mike Cannova, the son of Aquatarium owner Frank Cannova, is also a long-time resident of St. Pete Beach. He remembers when his dad bought the attraction, and the many happy hours he spent at the Gulffront location.
For Julian Fant, his memories of both the St. Augustine Marineland and the SPB Aquatarium are still very special pieces of his long-time service to his communities. PN
Story by Steve Traiman
[Editor’s Note: Special thanks to Julian Fant, Linda and Bob Campbell, and Wikipedia for the good information and photos.]
[Steve Traiman is President of Creative Copy by Steve Traiman in St. Pete Beach, offering freelance business writing services. He can be reached via email at traimancreativecopy@gmail.com ]
In 1964 I was a diver at the aquatariium. The young ladies name was Sandra Ann Brown whose nick name was Dumper. Every time we asked her how she got the name Dumper she ‘d have a different story. The whales name was Jonah and for some reason he and I really got along. As I recall his trainer was Chuck Emmitt. The year I spent there as a diver was one I will never forget. Working on the catch boat, riding around on Jonah, doing the under water feedings of Jonah, the dolphins and Lady a large leopard ray. I still remember some of the Dolphins names particularly Fella the largest of the bottlenosed dolphins and Baby Jupiter the youngest. In any event everyday there was an adventure with some of the events beyond belief.
I had the for fortcin to grow up on tiney little Pass A Grill Beach n the 60s till begening of the 80s when I unlisted n the U.S COAST GAURD.Butit was a wonderfule place to b a child I was lucky my Grand mother and father ones EDGE WATER APT AT600 Pass A Grill Way on the little beach But one of the most painfule things 5hat could have happened to me did while serving I surfers a brain storm ingery and have absulty non of my own memerys of my child hood but some how I do know that my childhood was the most wonderful one could have asked for( A.L.S.)
Another fun memory! I lived right by the Auqutarium as a young girl. Visited it almost daily as it was almost in my backyard! I remember my stepdad introduced me to a baby ocelot (he worked there).Was a fun place to hang out growing up on S.P.B…what a childhood🐬🌴
(Aquatarium)
I grew up on St Pete beach and it was my favorite place to go at Upham Beach. My Dad ran The Thunderbird on TI. My brother Steve Grayson and Julian were good friends. I love our history here.