Since John and I had a later flight, we took the Miami Sea Aquarium excursion instead of sitting around the airport. There are a number of optional shore excursions offered to guests who have later flights.
When we first arrived I was impressed with how clean the place was, and I enjoyed all of the lovely plants throughout the park. We checked our brochure to see if there were any shows or demonstrations starting soon. Sure enough, they would have a feeding demonstration at one of the tanks. We quickly took off, getting there just in time to see a diver start his program. He had an underwater microphone so he was able to explain what was going on. We watched as he fed the fish in the tank all while explaining what kind of fish we were seeing and telling us about their diets and how they try to closely mimic the creatures natural habit so they will have a long and healthy life here at the aquarium.
At noon they would have the whale and dolphin show. Instead of Shamu, this venue features Lolita and 4 of her dolphin buddies. We got there in time to get a secure seat... not close enough to get drenched, but close enough to get a great look at these magnificent mammals. Lolita was already there getting warmed up and you could come close enough to see her, but no touching! The show was about 30 minutes long and I never tire of seeing these large beauties flipping and bounding in their air so graceful and effortlessly. What a show and it didn’t seem like we sat there 30 minutes.
The last show we could catch would be the Sea lion show at 2pm. We still had a while before the show so we walked around the park to see what else we could find. In addition to fish they have a manatee pool and have a place where you can see manatees that are being rehabilitated. They also have birds, crocs, deer, and much more.
As 2 o’clock was drawing near we headed over to the stage where the sea lion show would be. There were 4 very cute sea lions who balanced balls on their cute noses, jumped through the air, slide down slides, and a few other adorable tricks. The show was very sweet and entertaining for all family members. Afterwards you can have your picture taken with the star of the show, Lucky.
The aquarium offers group discounts and is a great place to hold any kind of meeting or large gathering. They do have gift shops and restaurants on the premises. They do accept credit cards and have ATM’s. They are handicapped accessible. They are open year round, though hours change seasonally. They do offer a swim with the dolphins program. For more information please visit them at
www.miamiseaquarium.com