Questions and answers

Do you have any questions about your visit to the Dolfinarium? You may find the answers below.

Questions about entry tickets and annual passes

Where do I buy my admission tickets to the Dolfinarium?

You can buy tickets through our website or through one of our business partners.

I'm accompanying a person with a permanent impairment. Where do I buy my admission ticket?

A paying visitor with a permanent impairment may bring one accompanying person for €12,50. You are able to purchase this specific ticket at the reception of the Dolfinarium.

Where can I get help with problems while buying tickets online?

The receptionist can help with problems or questions while buying online tickets and subscriptions through our own website. You can get in touch with them by phone via +31 (0) 341-467 467 from Monday to Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on days the Dolfinarium is open.

If there are any problems with ordering tickets through business partners, please contact the helpdesk of the seller in question.

I have not received my e-ticket, what do I do now?

Our confirmation email may have accidentally ended up in your spam folder. If this is not the case, please then contact the helpdesk.

You can get in touch with them via +31 (0) 341-467 467 from Monday to Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

If there are any problems with ordering tickets through business partners, please contact the helpdesk of the seller in question.

Can e-tickets also be scanned from a smartphone?

E-tickets can be scanned from a mobile phone. Please note that these must be the original tickets (so no photo of the tickets or screenshots).

Can others use my annual pass?

No, this is not possible. The annual passes are personalized and cannot be used by someone else.

 

I lost my annual pass, how to get a new one?

You can purchase a new annual pass at the reception of the Dolfinarium for a fee of €7,50.

 

Can I pay with Iris-cheques (VVV Bon)?

No, paying with Iris-cheques is not possible at the Dolfinarium. It is possible to use a VVV pass to buy your tickets. With this pass you can buy tickets at the reception or cash desk. Here the cash desk prices will be used, these can differ from the online prices.

Kan ik betalen met Air Miles?

Als je Air Miles wilt gebruiken voor een entreebewijs voor het Dolfinarium, bestel dan vooraf via de website van Air Miles. Aan de kassa van het Dolfinarium kunnen geen Air Miles worden afgeschreven.

Welke kortingsacties hebben jullie op dit moment lopen?

Het Dolfinarium maakt landelijke acties die betrekking hebben op korting bij een bezoek aan het Dolfinarium niet vooraf bekend. Het betreffen acties van zakelijke partners van het Dolfinarium. Voor de actievoorwaarden en de actieperiodes verwijzen wij dan ook naar de advertenties en radio/tv-commercials van deze partners. Bij twijfel over de voorwaarden en uitvoering van een actie, geldt de beslissing van het Dolfinarium als bindend.

Can I still use entrance tickets from previous season?

No, it’s not possible to use entrance tickets from previous seasons during the current season. These tickets are not refundable.

 

Questions about visiting the park

What time do the shows start?

The show times partly depend on weather conditions and expected crowds. As a result, the times of the various shows change every day, so we are unable to tell you the show times of your intended visit date beforehand.

The time schedule for that day will be announced when the park opens.

 

Can I reserve my spot for a show in advance?

Your admission ticket gives you access to the park and the various shows. You can visit them whenever you like.

We work with a token system for ‘Oceanica’ on certain days. You will be given a coloured token on arrival, which will give you access to a specific show time. This allows us to guarantee each visitor a seat at the DolfijndoMijn. These tokens are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. It’s unfortunately not possible to make a reservation or to reserve these tokens.

 

Does the park accommodate visitors using a wheelchair?

The Dolfinarium is easily accessible for wheelchairs. All locations, facilities and shows can be entered without obstructions. There is a special wheelchair entrance at the DolfijnDomijn for the ‘Oceanica’ dolphin show, which you and your party can use. This entrance can be found to the left of the main entrance. Please make sure to be there half an hour in advance, enabling you to enter the DolfijndoMijn before the other guests arrive.

For visits to the Zeeleeuwentheater, Walrussenwal and Theater Zeezicht, you can notify us of your presence at the entrance 20 minutes before the show starts. One of our staff members will then take you to your seat.

For all other shows, you’re welcome to choose a suitable spot on your own as there are no reserved spaces for visitors using a wheelchair.

 

Does the park accommodate visitors with autism?

If you notify an employee of your ‘autipass’, you can make use of the arrangements we have made for visitors using a wheelchair. This will allow you to skip the queue. If you don’t have an ‘autipass’, please let the reception know so they can arrange a substitute.

The reception employees can also give you information about the time schedule and which shows are less busy so that you can visit the shows at a less crowded time.

 

I have trouble being in crowded places (agoraphobia), when would be the best time for me to visit the Dolfinarium?

Would you like to visit our park on a quieter day? We recommend visiting on a weekday in April, May, September, October or during the spring holidays. Our park is usually at its busiest during public holidays, school holidays and summertime, but certain days outside this period may also be busier than expected. We are unable to inform you about this in advance, unfortunately.

Does the Dolfinarium have gluten-free options?

The best spot for gluten-free food is ‘De Strandgaper’. We fry our French fries separately from the gluten-containing snacks at all snack locations at the Dolfinarium, but this can be 100% guaranteed at ‘De Strandgaper’ because the fried snacks are prepared far away enough from the French fries. ‘De Strandgaper’ also serves gluten-free croquettes and ‘frikandels’ (meat rols).

Can I take my pushchair inside the DolfijndoMijn (and other shows)?

No, that is unfortunately not possible. Following orders from the fire department, buggies and push chairs are not allowed at the DolfijndoMijn, the Zeeleeuwentheater, Walrussenwal, Theater Zeezicht and Wally’s Theater. You can park them, at your own risk, in the designated areas. Buggy locks are available at the park.

Can I borrow a pushchair?

No, the Dolfinarium has no pushchairs, buggies or carts to borrow.

Can I rent a mobility scooter or borrow a wheelchair?

You can rent a mobility scooter for €5 along with a deposit of €45. The deposit will be refunded when you return the scooter at the end of the day.

A limited number of wheelchairs are available at the entrance. You can borrow them for €1 (shopping cart coin-system).

Unfortunately, it is not possible to reserve a mobility scooter or wheelchair in advance. If you want to make sure a mobility scooter/wheelchair is available for your visit, we advise you to bring your own.

Can I take my (balance) bicycle, rollerblades, scooter or other types of vehicles to the park?

It is not allowed to enter the park with (balance) bicycles, rollerblades, scooters or other vehicles, with the exception of wheelchairs, mobility scooters or pushchairs.

Can I rent a locker?

There are various types of lockers for rent at the Dolfinarium. The price for an entire day is:

    • €4 for a small locker
    • €7 for a larger locker
    • €8 for a group locker

The group locker requires a deposit of €10. The deposit will be refunded when you return the key at the reception at the end of the day.

Can I bring my pet?

To ensure the safety of both pets and marine animals of our park, pets are not permitted within the Dolfinarium park. We also do not provide any holding or care facilities.
Assistance dogs in training are not allowed in our park. Qualified assistance dogs may enter the park in consultation and with the necessary certificate.

Can I leave the park during my visit?

Once you leave the park, your admission ticket is no longer valid. If you want to leave the park on the day of your visit, you will need to ask for a stamp on your hand at the ticket check of the Dolfinarium. This stamp allows you to re-enter our park that day.

Can I heat up baby food in a microwave?

Restaurants ‘De Andersom’, ‘De Dageraad’ and ‘Onder Odiezee Café’ have microwaves that can be used to heat up a bottle of milk or a jar of food for the little ones.

Can I swim with dolphins?

Due to the new measure this year we do not offer any foto moments or programs.

The Dolfinarium has a number of special programmes for people who would love to meet dolphins up close and personal. For example, we organise the programme ‘In the water with dolphins‘. During this interactive programme, you get to enter the water at the Dolphin Panorama. The programme is always different. You’re not going to swim with dolphins, but anything is possible: special encounters, making contact with the dolphins, watching a training session, a feeding, playtime and maybe even get to touch the dolphins. Participants will wear wading trousers during this programme to be able to reach the animals in the water.

If you would like to know more about these programmes, please get in touch with our Reservations Department (by phone, +31 (0) 341- 467 460).

Can I spend the night at the Dolfinarium?

Due to the new measure this year we do not offer any foto moments or programs.

While you’re all bundled up in your sleeping bag, you’re figuratively ‘underwater’ in the Onder Odiezee Café. You can have your fill of dolphin-watching as they swim around and you slowly slumber on to dreamland… For children between the ages of 8 and 12, we organise the programme ‘Sleeping near Dolphins‘. The adventure starts when the park closes and lasts until the next day when the gates open again.

This activity-packed programme allows you to discover everything there is to know about the animals, get to places you are not otherwise allowed to go, do things that only the trainers normally do and sleep among the dolphins!

If you would like to know more about this programme, please get in touch with our Reservations Department (by phone, +31 (0) 341- 467 460).

Can I park nearby?

All the parkinglots surrounding the Dolfinarium are from the municipality of Harderwijk. You can park your car for the whole day at P2. You need to purchase your parking ticket in advance on the parking and put the ticket on your dashboard.

All information can be found on the Directions & Parking page.

Can I have a map sent out to me at home?

You will receive a free map with a time schedule of that day at the ticket check. You can also already download a map.

Do you have a 'bad weather' warranty?

No, but there are five covered and indoor locations where you can admire unique sea creatures and shows. There are also several covered restaurants and snack spots where you can take shelter and warm up during rainy days. Always be prepared for a splashing day at the Dolfinarium!

Where can I file a complaint?

All Dolfinarium employees do their utmost to make your stay at the park as pleasant as possible. Should you experience this differently, we would appreciate it if you would inform us. Complaints can only be made in writing to our Customer Service:

Dolfinarium,
Customer Service,
Strandboulevard Oost 1,
3841 AB Harderwijk.

You can contact us by e-mail at [email protected] or via the contact form.

We strive to respond to any complaint within 4 weeks. It is also possible to fill out a complaint form at reception on the day of your visit.

Have you found my lost item?

Any found items are posted daily by the Dolfinarium on iLost. To prevent fraud, individual bank cards, credit cards, and healthcare cards will be destroyed at the end of the day and will not appear on iLost. Identity cards will be sent to the municipality of Harderwijk and OV chip cards to the OV chip card customer service department.

Other questions

How do I become a dolphin trainer?

As soon as there is a vacancy, it will be posted on the website of the Dolfinarium. Anyone over the age of 18 can then send an application letter. A selection will be made from these letters, and a number of these applicants will be invited for different auditions.

During these auditions, we will determine whether the applicants are really suitable for the job. Attention is paid to qualities such as enthusiasm, showmanship, charisma, swimming skills and improvisation talent. It is also very important to see how the person fits within the team and if they get along with the animals.

If you’re then hired, you will receive internal training where you will learn all sorts of things about caring for and dealing with the animals. If you like working with animals in general, you can opt for an education involving animal care (for example at the Agricultural School in Barneveld or Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden).

You can probably imagine that a lot of people have the ambition of working with dolphins. The trainers develop an intense bond with the animals, so they’re not likely to leave anytime soon. This means that there will not be many vacancies. With this in mind, we always recommend that you choose an education you enjoy anyway so there is always something to fall back on.

I have a question about the movie 'Blackfish' or 'The Cove'

For more information about ‘Blackfish’ or ‘The Cove’, please take a look at facts and myths.

Follow Dolfinarium
on social media!

Dolfinarium
Volgende show: 13:30 uur - Dolfijnenshow
On this moment: Actueel weerbeeld als pictogram 22 °C