ESCONDIDO to SAN DIEGO – having a whale of a time
Sunday – another relaxing night – maybe we are sleeping soundly due to the amount of effort we put into each day. Breakfast is the usual fare of muffins – juice – bacon or waffles and coffee.
The grey brigade is always the first to snaffle the seating and the food but we are not worried today is the day we go on our SeaWorld San Diego adventure.
The sun is out and the sky is blue so it looks as if it is going to be a wonderful day. SeaWorld is about a 35 minute drive from our Best Western so there is no great rush. We pack up our car again and head off. There is plenty of parking and it is only a short walk to the entrance but already there are lots of families here. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have something like this close to your home? I would be here every day for sure.
As we go through the entrance we realise that the park is enormous. We are given a plan of the park which also has the schedules for the shows and by the looks of things this place has every type of ocean critter imaginable. Our first stop is the Dolphin Encounter.
I just love dolphins because they seem to be smiling all the time. We sit and watch them swim around and play and then one dolphin comes right up to the edge of the pool and splashes water all over the kids who have gone under the barricade and right up to the glass. Ha! Then the dolphin squeals as if laughing. The kids love it and so do we. We could stay here all day just watching these happy mammals.
Moving on to watch the sea otters – so cute. They just swim around looking at us and I bet they are thinking to themselves ‘we are nice and cool and you poor things look all hot and sweaty’.
They also swim a lot on their backs like they do in the wild when they work to open the shellfish. I can see that this is going to turn into one long day because we just do not want to move on to the next exhibit.
We enjoy just staying and watching – it is also relaxing. Following our plan we head off to the Forbidden Reef where we can feed the bat rays in the shallow lagoons.
These are interesting creatures and we get some fish in a little dish and just hold the fish near the water. The rays come up and suck the fish out of your hand. This is a picture of one we christened ‘Ray Martin’.
The kids love to feed them but being a bit apprehensive they just throw the fish into the water and then the birds get it – the rays do OK out of us and they all have full tummies by the time we are finished.
We walk downstairs to underneath the water and see the moray eels – must be the ugliest things on earth. Moray eels are also called Reef stalkers – they hide in the rocks and crevasses and tie themselves in knots. I suppose they have a purpose in the ocean but for the life of me I don’t know what it is.
Will have to investigate further when I get home. There are also fish in this exhibit and sometimes it looks as if the eels are going to pounce and have a bit of morning tea – but the fish are too fast.
Time for a bit of fun for us as we head to Shipwreck Rapids. We pile into these huge round tyre looking things and put our cameras etc in our bags to prevent water damage.
Taking off we spin and turn, go over rapids, get drenched and spin and turn and get drenched some more. Fabulous fun.
There are people standing on the side of the rapids and they spray the people in the rafts – like us – so we get even more drenched. Just as well it is a hot day. When we have finished we walk down to where the people are and it is our turn to spray those on the rides. It was the best fun.
Next stop is the Tide Pool where we can touch the sea stars, sea urchins and lots of other animals found in the shallow pools off the California Coast. Very hands on and really good for the kids and one good thing is that there are lots of hand wipes around so you don’t have to keep wiping your hands on your clothes. Who knows maybe one of these kids will be the next Jacques Cousteau.
After we finish here we head off to the World of the Sea Aquarium. This has kelp beds, schooling fish, and game fish like tuna. There are also lots of undersea communities of the coral reefs – leopard sharks, reef sharks, parrot fish etc. Because the kids are on school holidays there are loads of them around.
Kylie keeps threatening to feed them to the fish but Tyler and I win out and no child is thrown in. We don’t want the fish to get indigestion!
Next stop – Sea turtles. No photos here – they were too fast for me and because you couldn’t use a flash it was hard to get the right exposure. Never mind there are lots of photos of everything else as you can and will see.
Time to have a bit of a sit down so we head to Cirque Stadium for the Cirque de la Mer show.
This is an aquatic version with the performers flying high on the trapeze and diving into the water and aquatic acrobatics done on high poles in the water.
They select a lucky spectator and he is decked out in life vest etc and becomes part of the show. But don’t worry he doesn’t end up in the water.
Our feet have now recovered so we take off for Flamingo Cove – an enclosure of these beautiful pink birds and you can feed them as well but you have to be quick because the ducks will gobble up the food as soon as it hits the water.
There seems to be hundreds of these birds wading around and so many shades of pink. There are also some young flamingos which are grey and really fluffy. Watching these flamingos reminds us of our time in Las Vegas and our wonderful hotel.
Next stop – Freshwater Aquarium. Some interesting exhibits here – four eyed fish – upside-down catfish and real live piranha! The only other piranha I have ever seen was back home in Oz and it was dead and dried. They look so placid just swimming around but one drop of blood will drive them into a frenzy. Only a quick look here and then it’s off to the Sea Lion exhibit.
Those cute faces and big brown eyes just melt your heart. Once again you can buy some food and feed them and it is while we are doing just that, a rather nasty large seagull attacks Kylie’s head with the force of a large eagle and knocks her seal food and bottle of water which was in her hand mind you into the pool.
This plastic bottle then becomes the newest play item for the seals. Kylie goes off to find the trainer to tell her about the bottle and then the trainer tries to get it away from the seals but they are having none of it. They toss it around in the water and have a real good time. The poor trainer chases the seals with a large pole to try and recover the offending bottle but has no luck for ages.
We are worried that the seals might swallow it but she finally succeeds in the retrieval much to the annoyance of the seals.
We hot foot it out of the exhibit and head towards the Shark Encounter. Entering you look down on all kinds of sharks – the customary talk by the ranger – and then we walk through the acrylic viewing tube.
This is always interesting to see the sharks swimming above you and beside you. Coming out we are right next door to Manatee Rescue. This is a freshwater exhibit that has the endangered Florida manatees.
They swim around ever so slowly and one of them looks like it has been hit by a boat propeller. They have big flat tails like beavers. In the same pool there are some things that look like a cross between a crocodile and a fish and also some very big catfish – like jaws with whiskers!
Heading back toward the entrance to the park – next stop – Penguin Encounter. This is really good as there is an automated walkway that takes you through the whole exhibit. That way people cannot stop and chat and hog all the viewing spots. You can go back through as many times as you want so that is OK.
There are many types of penguins from the Macaroni Penguin to the Giant Emperors. The exhibit is all done up like an Arctic scene and we are told that they change the seasons in here to accommodate their guests.
There is a trainer in the enclosure with them and it looks as if she and the penguins are having a great time. Outside this exhibit there are penguins from the southernmost tip of South America. Continuing on our way – next is the Wild Arctic Exhibit.
First up – the white Beluga whales, next is the Polar Bear who is sound asleep way over the other side of the exhibit and last are the walrus. Unfortunately these walrus do not have the usual big ivory tusks – maybe they have been de-tusked. They do however have big hairy whiskers.
Coming out of this exhibit there is Journey to Atlantis, another wild water ride. We decide to give it a miss as it is a bit late in the day to get wet all over again.
This ride is on a roller coaster type car that hurtles around then climbs high into the tower and then zooms down into the water. Looks like fun – but no thanks.
Also down at this end of the park are the Commerson’s dolphins that swim around in what looks to be an underwater shot of Atlantis that has sunk into the sea. These dolphins are like mini orcas – all black and white. There is also the Clydesdale Hamlet for the Clydesdale horses. Not too sure what horses are doing here unless they are to pull carriage rides but we didn’t see any of those.
It has been a really big day so far – it is 2.30pm and we are still a bit too early for the Shamu show so we walk back up the park to the Sea Lion and Otter Stadium to see the Clyde and Seymour’s Risky Rescue show.
There are two seals – Clyde and Seymour and together with their handlers they attempt to save their ill-fated submarine the USS Motley by going on a ‘risky rescue’ mission to find Admiral Biggenbottom – played by a walrus
The show goes for about a half an hour and is so funny except for the grotty little kid in the green T-shirt who keeps standing up in front of us and getting in the photo as you can see.
But back to the show – there are lots of comic relief moments – yes some are corny – but I think it’s hilarious. There is also a little otter who steals the show every time he is on stage. The two handlers are great and really interact so well with the seals, walrus and otter – it is a fantastic time.
When the show finishes it is time to head off to see Shamu – Believe.
Shamu is a killer whale – or orca. Shamu’s Stadium is incredible and already there are lots of people lined up and waiting to get in.
We are lucky and get seats right in the Splash Zone and are warned that because we are sitting here – we should expect to get wet so we should watch out for our cameras as this is where several orcas swim around the huge tank and leap and splash around. The show starts at 5pm and even early on it is the best fun.
Shamu swims around the stadium and splashes us with his tail – it’s great. Every now and again he pulls himself out of the water and it is incredible to see how big they are. Of course we know they are big but to actually see him out of the water – well that’s something else.
When they come close to the water’s edge the trainers get to rub their flippers and put their arms around them. Two of the orcas leap out of the water and turn somersaults in mid air.
They also pick one child out from the audience to interact with Shamu. He gets to pat him and feed him fish. Then they talk to this kid and ask him what he thinks he might want to do when he grows up and the klutz says a professional basketball player.
Towards the end of the show there is one lady trainer who swims with Shamu on his back and stomach. What a job! Shamu and does some fabulous stunts with her like pushing her around the pool and then lifting her out of the water on the front of his mouth. It truly is spectacular.
After this incredible day we leave SeaWorld and onto the next big adventure – Disneyland – the happiest place on earth.
It is only about an hour and a half drive so that is good. We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel with the Peter Pan Pool – how exciting!
I am already singing ‘Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me – M-I-C K-E-Y MOUSE!!
This is another dream come true – –
Highlight of the day : Clyde and Seymour and of course Shamu