Keeping in mind this blog discusses travel as well as sailboats and cruising, we make it a habit to visit new and interesting places on a regular basis if we can. In January we visited the Maritime Museum of San Diego and in early February we visited Sea World, San Diego. I went because my 5-year old daughter really, really wanted to go and I was pressured into it. I’m not a big fan of Sea World, thus I was the reluctant visitor.
I don’t care what your animal politics are, whether you’ve seen Blackfish or whether you just don’t like going to large amusement parks,,,,I’m not going to get into that. But for me,,,I’ve been a bit down on going to Sea World since Anheuser-Busch and the Clydesdales pulled out, their prices went up, the shows I remember as a kid are now gone permanently, and I just don’t really like lots of people around me in amusement park settings. To be honest (since it’s my blog) I’m not a huge fan of seeing large mammals in very small cages for my entertainment,,,but this has changed since I was a kid, I used to love that.
This trip changed my mind about Sea World. The day was a complete blur of chasing kids between tanks of live animals they could actually touch and trying to find them in the various age specific play areas. Although still not at the top of my list of places to go, I will no longer try to not go,,,,cause the times they are a-changing and so is Sea World. The company finally seems to realize that there’s potential for profit by showing off the science they do and getting children to interact with species that most are afraid of,,,like sharks and rays. This took most of the time we spent at Sea World,,,,cause theres alot of places for kids and adults to actually touch live sharks, rays, enenemies, sea sponges and other slimy things in shallow water ponds and massive tide pools. This was the money-maker on the trip and the reason I would go back. I have a strong draw to places where my kids can learn the intrinsic value of animal species and where animals will be respected and de-mystified. Take a look at our pictures below,,,,and decide for yourself:
4 Responses
That looks like an amazing place. We’re in the Midwest, far from oceans. Bet it was fun to see all those sharks up close.
I think there’s a Seaworld or Busch Gardens somewhere in the midwest, but there is one in Florida and California
I’ll look, thanks! 🙂
Ive always wanted to swim with the rays! Soooo cool!