Exhibits included local species such as the Australian pelican,[1] Little penguin,[2] Australian sea lion, Long-nosed fur seal, Southern rock lobster, sea urchins, leatherjackets and other fishes.
[3] In 1974, a loggerhead turtle that had been caught in a crayfish pot off Kangaroo Island was put on exhibit.
[5] Bottlenose dolphins were trained to perform tricks, including one called Nipper, who had been caught in the wild by fishermen at Outer Harbor then taught to leap through a flaming hoop.
[4] The keeping of dolphins in captivity became a controversial issue in the final years of the centre and after its closure.
People were concerned that the dolphins might not survive relocation as their health had declined, while others opposed euthanasia.