Florida, Clearwater Marine Aquariums In Running For USA Today's 10Best

TAMPA BAY, FL — Two Tampa Bay aquariums have been nominated for USA Today's 10Best Readers Choice 2023.

Both the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and The Florida Aquarium will vie to be named one of the 10 best aquariums in the country based on readers' votes. They are among 20 aquariums nominated for the honor by a panel of 10Best experts who made their choices based on high-quality exhibits and visitor interactions.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium is currently topping the 10Best Leaderboard.

In its description, the panel said Clearwater Marine Aquarium is best known as the home of Winter the Dolphin, whose story was told in the film, "Dolphin Tale."

Although Winter died in 2021, her legacy remains at this aquarium that focuses on animal care and education. Visitors can see and learn more about a variety of animals inside the aquarium or take a guided eco-tour right outside in Clearwater Bay.

The 10Best panel describes The Florida Aquarium as one of the top aquariums in the South, displaying some 8,000 plants and animals from a range of fresh and saltwater environments, including alligators, sharks, seahorses, river otters and free-flying birds.

The Florida Wetlands trail highlights regional life in a recreated mangrove forest, while the Journey to Madagascar takes visitors across the globe to observe a host of interesting animals – ring-tailed lemurs, hissing cockroaches and colorful chameleons. At Stingray Beach, visitors are invited to touch stingrays and sharks.

Fans of the aquariums are invited to vote once a day between now and when voting ends on Monday, March 6 at noon. The 10 winners will be announced on Friday, March 17.

Other aquariums nominated by the panel include:

• Adventure Aquarium in Camden, New Jersey
• Alaska Sealife Center, Seward, Alaska
• Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California
• Aububon Aquarium, New Orleans, Louisiana
• Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta, Georgia
• Monterey Bay Aquarium, Monterey, California
• Mystic Aquarium, Mystic, Connecticut
• Oregon Coast Aquarium, Newport, Oregon
• Ripley's Aquarium of the Smokies, Gatlinburg, Tennessee
• Seattle Aquarium, Seattle, Washington
• Seymour Marine Discovery Center, Santa Cruz, California
• Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, Illinois
• Tennessee Aquarium, Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Texas State Aquarium, Corpus Christi, Texas
• Wildlife World Aquarium, Litchfield Park, Arizona
• Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium, Springfield, Missouri

Read the official Readers' Choice rules here.