Yoga classes at Clearwater Marine Aquarium pair human wellness with dolphin enrichment

CLEARWATER, Fla. (WWSB) - For nearly a year, Clearwater Marine Aquarium has offered yoga classes alongside its resident dolphins — an experience that benefits both participants and the animals in its care.

Madeira Beach Yoga co-owner Sherry Duquet leads the monthly sessions, held inside the aquarium with a direct view of the dolphin habitat. While guests move through poses, the dolphins receive what aquarium staff describe as visual enrichment.

Dolphins benefit from the classes, too

“We are a nonprofit working animal hospital, so we have animals that come into us that have either been injured or sick,” said Reha Roncoroi, a trainer at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

Roncoroi said the classes give the dolphins something to engage with during recovery. “When we’re not here and they have something that they can go and watch and interact with, that is really beneficial for them — visual enrichment,” she said.

Instructor draws on personal experience with healing

For Duquet, the setting carries personal meaning. She said yoga became a lifeline after a period of significant loss.

“Three members of my family died at the same time, and one of them was my mom,” Duquet said. “I was thrown into a level of despair that couldn’t be changed — it changed my life, but more importantly, it gave me the opportunity to be with others who also needed to heal.”

She said the aquarium’s mission aligns with what she hopes to offer participants. “A place of growth, a place of commitment to caring — that’s what we’re about. That’s where I want to be,” Duquet said.

How to attend

Madeira Beach Yoga hosts the class once a month at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.