From the moment you enter OceanWorld under the huge waterfall, you know you are going to be in for a fun time. We watched the sea lion + bird show and were amazed at how smart the animals were! We did not want to pay extra to do any of the "encounters" or "experineces". We were content just watching all the animals, like the shark tank/ sting rays. I LOVED the tiger grotto. The water was sooo cold, but it amazing to be so close to the tigers. They were very active too, so we were able to get some great pics. the snorkeling in the coral reef tank was intimadating because there are some huge fish swimming with you in the tank. But again, it was awesome and amazing, with great pics! I brought a underwater camera and got better pictures than in the ocean! After a few hours in the sun we went to the bar/buffet and got awesome coconut + pineapple drinks. It made the experince so authentic! we did not stay very long and were able to hop on a golf cart and go back to the resort. I loved Oceanworld, but did not like that everything was extra. It was nice to watch the dolphins swimming all over. We even walked around the building + looked at the awesome yachts in the marina + the casino. Great Time!!

Transport to and from hotel. They don't tell you but there are buses coming back from the park at starting at 2:30 and running every hour until 5:30. Took in the dolphing show, the shark show, the sea lion show, the beach, the snorkeling in the tank with the fish, the bird sanctuary, the tigers, and the stingrays. Very eventful day but expensive if you want to do anything but watch. Sea lIons were fantastic! Very funny. Snorkeling in the tank was cool because the fish are so used to people. The beach is cool but far away from attractions. Park is large so be prepared to walk.

Spent a day here in April. It was a great experience. The admission price includes the pick up and drop of from the hotels and our guide on this Cola was exellent and funny. The day itself was expensive but definatlely worth it. We did the dolphin swim and the sea lion encounter. To do the dorsal fin pull by the dolphins was worth the money alone. The staff are all friendly and clearly care greatly about the animals. The sea lions are funny and you get to pat them, have them kiss you and play ball with them great fun. The park has ample free lockers also its worth noting that there are free hot showers, so bring what you need. The tiger grotto was amazing and the beach also looked nice. Unfortunately we were there on a cold and overcast day so did not really take full advantage of all the facilities. Had lunch there also which we found to be reasonably priced and alot of choice. OK the staff do stage manage lots of photo opportunities but there was no obligation to buy anything (would have liked to buy the digital still copies but not possible - except dvd). The time share guys are a pain not realy sure why there are there. Overall would thoroughly recommend.

We just got back from Puerto Plata and visited Ocean World. It was very clean and the animals appear to be well cared for. It is a small place compared to such places like Sea World. Also, there are only a few displays around which you can walk. The main emphasis in the park is for interactive experiences and shows. If you are not interested in paying for additional experiences beyond the entrance fee - then I would not go. While the snorkeling tank and bird areas were interesting - there just isn't enough to do. (If you do plan to snorkel - I encourage you to bring your own towel.)
And do watch for the time share salesman. They are linked to Lifestyle Hacienda. They get you coming in and exiting the park.
I really felt the entire experience was orchestrated by a marketing team rather than a group really interested in having people understand and appreciate animals.