This past weekend Andrew and I headed out to Orlando, Florida with the The MOMS and several other great mom & dad bloggers to explore SeaWorld Orlando and Discovery Cove – to learn about Rising Tide Conservation and how SeaWorld is helping to protect the tropical fish and the coral reefs they inhabit. Also, we went to have a great time and have some incredible animal experiences!
I was SO excited to get this invite – I was a little hesitant at first since I have in the past been terrified of fish. It’s a strange and irrational fear – but I worked through it and decided that this would be an amazing experience for my son and I. I read up a bit more about Discovery Cove and how they have a separate tank for the sharks, and all of the fish in the Grand Reef are safe to swim with. That eased my fears a lot!
Our first night we went to Discovery Cove right after they closed for the day for a little swim with the fish and for a great welcome dinner. We heard from the head curator at Discovery Cove, who talked about sustainable fish and how Discovery Cove is helping researchers to learn more about breeding and growing tropical fish, since there is not much information out there about how to breed and raise each species of fish, keeping them sustainable and available for people to enjoy them in their tanks at home without removing them from the wild.
Of course I got into the water, and almost just as quickly freaked out when the first stingray swam by. I guess even with the knowledge that these fish are harmless, I am still terrified of them sneaking up on me and touching me.
I passed Andrew off to another Dad whose kids were doing great and hung out in the shallow waters, running away whenever the stingrays came close. I was scaring Andrew with my fear – so I didn’t want him to stay near me. I don’t want him to be afraid of them like I am – it’s totally irrational!!
We got out and enjoyed an amazing dinner prepared by some seriously talented chefs. I pretty much skipped dessert because I wanted another helping of steak. YUM! Andrew was all over the dessert buffet, and his eyes were wayyyy bigger than his stomach.
The next morning we were off to SeaWorld for breakfast and to learn more about the conservation efforts being done by SeaWorld and other locations nationwide. The kids went off to have some animal encounters, like with this amazing sloth.
When we were finished with breakfast, we went back over to Discovery Cove to enjoy the rest of our day. You’ll have a chance to read all about Discovery Cove in my next post. I’ll summarize here and just tell you, it was amazing, incredible, and lived up to all of my expectations– and then some. Seriously, GO THERE! You’ll love it!
The next day we headed off to SeaWorld again for breakfast… only this time, we were eating with the Sharks at the Sharks Underwater Grill. That was a toughie since Andrew hardly wanted anything to do with his food. Those sharks were way too interesting!
Afterwards we had a behind-the-scenes tour of the rescue efforts of SeaWorld. We were able to see some of the injured animals that they were rehabilitating and learn more about how they accomplished the rescues.
It was incredibly hot that day, with a heat index of 108 degrees. We really were sweating BAD – and trying our best to get to the next cooled-off area. When we got to the Shamu Show – Andrew was dead-set on getting soaked. He loved how the killer whale splashed right at him!
Unfortunately the heat got to us – and Andrew was able to experience the amazing help of the first-aid team at SeaWorld.
He got a little bit sick, very hot, very tired, and ultimately started throwing up. It’s so sad to see the day come to an end early like that. The First-Aid team there was incredible though. They go above and beyond to make sure that everyone is safe and healthy – and they constantly track the weather with heat (and of course with storms) to be on the lookout for people who might be experiencing heat exhaustion.
We had an AMAZING time, even considering the illness that we ended with, the memories of everything else we experienced over the weekend will be with us for a lifetime. I loved learning about how SeaWorld has contributed to so many successful rescues of animals, rehabilitating them and getting them back out to the wild. I also love that they do their absolute best to do the right thing with all of their animals, treating them the best way they know how.
Thanks so much to SeaWorld and Discovery Cove for coordinating along with The MOMs group to cover travel, accommodations and entertainment, and thanks to The MOMs group for inviting us! All opinions are 100% my own.
In all the years I lived in Florida I never had a chance to visit Seaworld. Great pictures! Looks like you all had fun!
You had some terrific memories and pics you took were awesome. Sorry to hear of him getting sick but a fun time he will never forget.
We’ve never been before. Looks like a fun experience! My grandsons would love to be up close and personal with these beautiful animals!
Im trying to figure out how much to save for the photos at discovery cove and have not been able to find it on the site. Do you happen to remember anyof the pricing?
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