Yesterday was a picture taking frenzy! We went to Sea World, which I have huge mixed emotions about . I loved Sea World as a child, I was always fascinated with Dolphin and Killer Whales. Originally when I was younger, I had wanted to be a trainer at Sea World, a meteorologist, and a writer. Unfortunately, only a few of those dreams come true, and after I had watched “The Cove,” I was decidedly against anything to do with Sea World. My children love it, and it’s a place where they can learn about sea animals and learn about conservation.
So of course we saw this lovely mainstay of Sea World. The shows had changed completely from when I was a child. The trainers are no longer in the water with the animals, so the shows are now just displays of the whales seeking revenge on unsuspecting tourist sitting in the front rows. They splash the audience in the first 15 seats relentlessly.
Personally I go for the aquariums. The creatures in the aquariums are second to none, and I have figured out how to take pictures of the creatures without it looking like I am taking pictures through the glass.
Birds are common in both Busch Gardens and Sea World parks… They are some of my favorite subjects, probably because their wings are clipped and they are used to posing for photos.
And the kids had a blast feeding the sting rays. I love paddle boarding in the bayous and seeing the rays swim up to my board. Of course the water is not that clear, and I am afraid to take my camera with me.
I love the Dolphin show, and I was happy to hear that Sea World was addressing the some of the claims from the movie the Cove. Though I would like to see the Dolphin in the wild, I understand that they are in the aquarium. The trained dolphin at Sea World are no longer from the Japanese Cove, they were a product of a mass stranding, and cannot be returned to the wild due to health concerns. Unfortunately, once dolphin are exposed to humans, they don’t usually return to the wild.