We arrived around 4:30 PM. A quick look at the map revealed that Andrew is too short to ride the two roller coasters, as expected. Our next point of interest was Shamu Stadium. The schedule said the next show was at 5:00. We hurried through the crowd, which seemed to be heading out while we were heading in, then across the boardwalk, and made it with a few minutes to spare. There were plenty of seats available in the “Soak Zone” on the sides, but the center was completely packed.
Soon the show started and the Orcas began putting on their show. Within minutes, people were paying the price for sitting so close to the pool. First me with my camera, then Andrew, decided that the “Soak Zone” was not the place to be. We walked back up to the middle level, just beyond the reach of even the most aggressive tail splash.
After the show, we bought some Dippin’ Dots for Andrew, then went to see Wild Arctic. The attraction was built like a capsized wooden ship in the Arctic ice. It was pretty nice, but the Polar Bear was napping and we couldn’t find the Beluga whales.
Then we walked past the Sea Garden on our way to Shark Encounter. From there, we stopped at Pacific Point Preserve to see the Seals. Some were lounging on the rocks and others were playing and flipping in the water.
Next up was Turtle Trek. Here we entered a large, domed room, where we donned 3D glasses and experienced a movie from a turtle’s perspective. We started under the sand with hundreds of our brothers and sisters, then climbed out, only to be attacked by crabs and sea gulls. We finally make it to the beach, where we encounter sharks and dolphins and older turtles. The 3D effect almost led to vertigo; it was good to have a railing to hold onto.
The next stop of the day was the underwater viewing area of Dolphin Cove. There were at least 10 dolphins swimming in two groups around the pool. One had a cool trick – he would let air out of his blow hole, then jerk his head forward, which resulted in a water ring that was big enough for him to swim through. By now, it was after 8:00, but Andrew was too interested in the dolphins to leave.
Finally, we started heading for the front gate, but then we found the Stingray Lagoon. It was a large shallow pool with dozens of rays swimming around the edge. We were able to reach in and touch their wingtips as they swam by. They are very squishy.
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