Mote Aquarium

Lou the Manatee enjoying his lettuce.

As a Mote member, I love visiting this local gem! The Mote has been around for decades and is named after a major benefactor William R. Mote. The founder was Eugenie Clark, dubbed The Shark Lady.

Eugenie loved marine animals and conducted 72 submersible dives to study sharks and other marine life. She dove all over the world including the Red Sea, and wrote a book about it. That inspired William & Anne Vanderbilt to fund a small research center in Florida where she could conduct laboratory research.

The history of the Mote is fascinating and it is a world-renowned dolphin research center. In collaboration with other research facilities, it has documented six generations of resident dolphins. The Mote marine laboratory and aquarium is a research center, rehabilitation facility and public aquarium. It has been on City Island, on the west side of Sarasota Bay for decades.

The Mote incurred substantial damage during the catastrophic storms of 2024. There was Tropical Storm Debby, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton. The marine animals were relocated for safety during the storms. Sadly, two of the faved animals, the river otters named Buck & Jane did not survive the storms. They passed away later from the stress of being relocated several times to an unfamiliar environment. The third otter Pippi passed away in early 2025. River otters are highly intelligent and fun to watch! The loss of these animals was greatly mourned in the Sarasota community.

Before the hurricanes of 2024, Mote was already in the process of building a new public aquarium in a different location- the UTC area of north Sarasota, next to I-75. It opened on October 8, 2025. Visitors can view the new otters, Lou and Buffett the manatees, the massive shark tank, jellyfish, penguins and more! Tickets must be purchased in advance. Mote is a must-see for both locals and visitors to the Sarasota area!

So, when you book your Sunset Food Tour experience, remind us to connect you with the Mote, too!